5th grade visit
Earlier in January I had the pleasure of introducing myself and my role to the 5th grade group! I brought over my "school counselor tool kit" to talk with the students about my job and how I can be of help to them as they move to the middle school. We discussed how my room is a safe space to talk through worries, conflict, life changes and challenges. I shared with students that I will also be talking with them in classroom situations about friendships, stress, and how your brain works among other topics. From there we talked about how they are a team about to start a new journey together. Students listed ways that a team operates to be successful together and things that get in the way of a group's success. We made a poster that hangs in Mrs. Rose's classroom reminding the Class of 2023 how they can help each other as they transition to middle school.
After that Dr. Leonard introduced herself and gave the students time to ask whatever questions they wanted to regarding the middle school. "How will we know where to go?" "When do we get our locker?" "What is advisory like?" This was just the first of many opportunities for the 5th grade to ask questions and begin to get acquainted with life on the Ward Parkway campus! I'll be back in February with a panel of 6th grade students who will share their experiences with the move from 5th to 6th grade.
For follow up at home:Ask your 5th grader what they know about the middle school. What makes them nervous? Try your best to just listen for awhile and then make your response about validating their perspective. For example: "I bet a lot of 5th graders are nervous about that too." or "Everybody feels nervous when there is a change in their life."
7th grade stress and art therapy
Thanks to a wonderful grant from our Arts Council, we were able to bring in Michelle Hamilton, an art therapist at Truman Medical Behavioral Health to lead our 7th grade in a stress reducing art activity. The lesson began with a discussion about what stress is, our body's physical reaction to stress and insight into new research showing the positive impact of participating in artistic activities on reducing stress.
After this introduction, Michelle gave each student a fine point sharpie and blank tree outline on a piece of paper. Students also received a pattern idea sheet. Michelle explained that our brains like patterns, they seek them out and when found, our brain interprets a sense of safety, thus reducing stress. As such, drawing patterns, an art activity called "zentangles," is helpful for stress management. Michelle walked students through how to draw various patterns and the students got to work! Each student was able to take their sharpie marker with them for future zentangle drawings. Since that time, many students have commented how much they enjoyed the lesson and that they are continuing to use the strategy. In fact, as I write this today I am supervising a 7th grade study hall in which many students are working on zentangles!
For follow up at home: If your child enjoyed the zentangles idea, Google search for "zentangle templates" or look up "zentangles for beginners" on YouTube and try some out together at home. Sharpies work best for this, but are not required. You might also get your hands on some adult coloring books, which are often zentangle patterns to color in.
Many thanks to Michelle Hamilton and our Arts Council!
8th grade Professional Day preparations
Each year in January Mr. Guthrie so kindly invites me into his 8th grade math classes to spend the day introducing students to Missouri Connections (www.missouriconnections.org). Through this website students are able to begin to get introductory information about various careers and how their individual interests relate to the world of work. To do this students respond "Like" or "Dislike" to a series of listed activities, which in turn provides them with a list of careers that involve those activities that they expressed as "liked" activities.
A large part of this discussion is about the limitations of the program. While it is helpful, it does not know everything about the person taking the inventory. I am clear with students that their results should not be interpreted as being told what job they should do as an adult. Rather, this activity is meant to get them thinking about what kind of professional they might like to shadow on Professional Day, which takes place in early March.
As always, the students do a wonderful job being reflective on their results and asking great questions that get Mr. Guthrie and I thinking! It's a fun day to dream about the future with the students!
For follow up at home: Ask your 8th grader to show you their profile on the website and ask them what they thought of their results.
Finally I wanted to let you know about an upcoming blood drive in Haley Bernard's honor. Haley is a local child who was diagnosed with a rare form of childhood leukemia. Last year our middle school worked together with the Make-A-Wish foundation to sponsor's Haley's wish trip to swim with the dolphins. Below is the link to the flyer I received from Haley's mother with the information regarding the event.
Haley Blood Drive
