Here we are at the end of April and the late spring events on the calendar are approaching! The same holds true for the counseling program here at Pembroke Hill Middle School.
5th grade
I've finished quickly interviewing each 5th grade student. The 5th graders were so much fun to talk with! They are excited and ready for middle school -- and we are ready for them! Additionally I've been able to meet with the boys to discuss bullying and will do so with the girls this Friday afternoon (unless we need the May Day rain out date). The boys watched and discussed the following video:
http://www.wimp.com/simplething/. Then we talked about the impact of bullying on those targeted, those doing the bullying and those going to school where others are involved in bullying. We also focused on how the young man in the video made a positive choice in response and how that impacted his school community. The boys were engaged and thoughtful in the conversation. We finished by having the boys judge a recent middle school advisory LEGO building contest. They got a sneak peek at some of the fun we have in advisory across the creek :) Girls will be participating in an inclusion/exclusion conversation and writing their own personal "Friendship Bill of Rights." Thos will be coming home with them Friday afternoon, so asking to see that and talking it over is a great follow-up for parents!
For follow-up at home with boys: Ask your son what he remembers most about the video and why he thinks that is what sticks out to him. Or ask him why he thinks this particular video was chosen to show thee 5th grade boys.
6th grade
6th graders were pioneers for me recently! Together we tried a new app called Nearpod - which puts the presentation from the large screen right on their iPad. Students could answer questions, submit drawings and interact with the presentation right from the app. (This also helps with sunshine glare in the commons on the screen!) The focus of the lesson was about passive, aggressive, passive-aggressive and assertive behaviors. We defined each of these types of responses and talked about how to be assertive, as well as when it might be necessary to be assertive. This lesson is a lead in to many of the peer pressure conversations that will be a part of the 7th and 8th grade curriculum. Students were taught power poses to help boost their own assertiveness and confidence before an important conversation or event. To read more about this strategy, click here: http://jamesclear.com/body-language-how-to-be-confident
For follow-up at home: Which power pose did you hold during the lesson? Did you like it - why or why not? Why do you think this could be helpful for someone before a big event or important conversation?
7th grade
7th graders have had two different Wellness topics recently. First, the students broke into gender specific groups to hear from speakers regarding healthy body image, eating habits, physical fitness and eating disorders. The girls spoke with two local therapists who specialize in body image and eating disorder treatment, Dr. Wendy Eaves and Paula Antonacci, RDN, LD. The boys worked with Pembroke Hill's own weight room coach, Sam McGriff. We have heard your feedback that this topic was much needed for the boys as well, and we agreed, and Coach McGriff was very glad to help us out! Both genders discussed how media, gender-stereotypes and peer pressure can make us feel as though we should look a certain way and how that can influence our food and exercise choices. A healthy, balanced diet was defined and explained for both groups as well.
I was also able to meet with the 7th grade to follow up on the concept of peer pressure. The students were divided into groups that formed friendship "cliques." Each clique was asked to make up a secret handshake and password. After this, one group was asked to divide up and try to join other groups, while those other groups were given instructions about how much to include their peers who tried to join. This led to a discussion about exclusion, but also about the importance of a sense of belonging and how we have an innate need to belong. Because belonging is important to our well-being, we might be tempted to make choices that compromise of our integrity to fit in, and so to help students understand this point, we read an article from Junior Scholastic (many thanks to Mr. O'Connell for sharing with me!) about teens and peer-pressure.
7th grade will have their final lesson in the peer pressure/healthy choices series in May when First Call, a local organization focused on substance abuse prevention, visits with them about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.
For follow up at home: Ask your child what kind of peer-pressures they might face in 8th grade that they have not yet faced in 7th? How did they handle any pressures in 7th grade and would they do the same thing in future? Why or why not?
8th grade
8th grader spring Wellness follows closely the framework for 7th grade Wellness. Our 8th grade students have also had gender specific body image and eating disorders awareness lessons. The boys met with Coach McGriff, just as the 7th grade boys did, to talk about media and stereotypes and their influence on body image for teen boys. Supplements, work-out myths and eating disorders were specifically addressed. Girls met with Dr. Kim Kato of Walden University, who has worked with our 8th grade girls in year's past as well. Dr. Kato discusses the importance of a healthy balanced diet, and what it means to have an eating disorder with students as well. She also includes media and advertising influence, as well as societal gender expectations.
Tomorrow, our 8th graders will hear from a former Pembroke Hill student about her personal experience with drinking and drug use as she transitioned from 8th to 9th grade. Kate White does a phenomenal job highlighting the very normal and socially acceptable reasons she began to participate in a party lifestyle, and the very real negative impacts that had for her.
Additionally, 8th graders will be visiting with pharmacists from CVS next week about prescription and over the counter medications. This presentation will include information regarding appropriate use of these medications, as well as mis-use and abuse.
For follow-up at home: Ask your child, why do you think your school is talking to you about drugs and alcohol at this time of year? Why would they have a former student share such a personal story? What is your plan when it comes to parties with alcohol and/or drugs in high school?
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Friday, March 11, 2016
It's a busy time in advisory!
Many things are going on in our advisory program right now, so I wanted to take some time to share them with you!
Recently we wrapped up our 3rd quarter contests - with Culp and Enns advisory partners coming out on top! They were treated to a pizza lunch yesterday here at school. Hennessy/Wilson took 2nd place and Guthrie/Mohr nabbed the 3rd place spot - those advisory groups had ice cream sandwiches delivered to them to celebrate! In order to be successful in the contests, advisory groups must cooperate, work together, and be enthusiastic. 4th quarter contests will begin after Spring Break.
One of our final contests for 3rd quarter was a Random Acts of Kindness challenge. Advisories were asked to spend a week completing as many Random Acts of Kindness as they could. Each act of kindness was represented using paper chains outside advisory classroom doors. Wilson advisory earned the top spot for this challenge with over 100 acts! Enns and Hoffman advisories also had some pretty long and impressive paper chains!
More recently, students were given the opportunity to take a pledge to stop using the "R-word." The r-word is the word "retarded." In the fall during our Awareness Week we dedicated a day to the Down Syndrome Guild of Kansas City and students across the school were touched by their Just Like You film regarding life with Down Syndrome (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M--xOyGUX4). Nationally each March organizations like the Down Syndrome Guild KC participate in "Spread the Word to End the Word," a campaign educating people about the harmful impact of using the word "retarded" in a derogatory way. This campaign was discussed in advisory and students could sign the online pledge to not use the "R-word." You can read more about this campaign here: http://www.r-word.org/.
Most recently our students are beginning to think about a school-wide community service project for next year. Each advisory has selected a current 6th or 7th grade student to represent them on the planning team. The planning team is hard at work brainstorming ideas and sharing them with their advisories. Advisory groups are then providing feedback that the representatives bring back to the planning team. Stay tuned to find out what our school-wide project for next year will be!
And finally, I am starting many of my days with the 5th grade for the next several weeks. During this time I am quickly interviewing the 5th graders. I ask about their favorite/least favorite things about school, what extra-curricular activities they like to do, etc. This information will be used to help match the students with their middle school advisor. So far I've been working with Mr. Davis' homeroom. It's so energizing to talk with the 5th graders! I can't wait to have them with us next year! We'll announce their advisory matches to them in late May!
Coming up after Spring Break: All school LEGO drive for The Giving Brick (http://www.thegivingbrick.org/index.html). *Please consider donating your LEGOs! Also, 8th graders will share their Professional Day presentations with their advisory groups.
Recently we wrapped up our 3rd quarter contests - with Culp and Enns advisory partners coming out on top! They were treated to a pizza lunch yesterday here at school. Hennessy/Wilson took 2nd place and Guthrie/Mohr nabbed the 3rd place spot - those advisory groups had ice cream sandwiches delivered to them to celebrate! In order to be successful in the contests, advisory groups must cooperate, work together, and be enthusiastic. 4th quarter contests will begin after Spring Break.
One of our final contests for 3rd quarter was a Random Acts of Kindness challenge. Advisories were asked to spend a week completing as many Random Acts of Kindness as they could. Each act of kindness was represented using paper chains outside advisory classroom doors. Wilson advisory earned the top spot for this challenge with over 100 acts! Enns and Hoffman advisories also had some pretty long and impressive paper chains!
More recently, students were given the opportunity to take a pledge to stop using the "R-word." The r-word is the word "retarded." In the fall during our Awareness Week we dedicated a day to the Down Syndrome Guild of Kansas City and students across the school were touched by their Just Like You film regarding life with Down Syndrome (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M--xOyGUX4). Nationally each March organizations like the Down Syndrome Guild KC participate in "Spread the Word to End the Word," a campaign educating people about the harmful impact of using the word "retarded" in a derogatory way. This campaign was discussed in advisory and students could sign the online pledge to not use the "R-word." You can read more about this campaign here: http://www.r-word.org/.
Most recently our students are beginning to think about a school-wide community service project for next year. Each advisory has selected a current 6th or 7th grade student to represent them on the planning team. The planning team is hard at work brainstorming ideas and sharing them with their advisories. Advisory groups are then providing feedback that the representatives bring back to the planning team. Stay tuned to find out what our school-wide project for next year will be!
And finally, I am starting many of my days with the 5th grade for the next several weeks. During this time I am quickly interviewing the 5th graders. I ask about their favorite/least favorite things about school, what extra-curricular activities they like to do, etc. This information will be used to help match the students with their middle school advisor. So far I've been working with Mr. Davis' homeroom. It's so energizing to talk with the 5th graders! I can't wait to have them with us next year! We'll announce their advisory matches to them in late May!
Coming up after Spring Break: All school LEGO drive for The Giving Brick (http://www.thegivingbrick.org/index.html). *Please consider donating your LEGOs! Also, 8th graders will share their Professional Day presentations with their advisory groups.
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Wellness 2.0 and preparations for the 2016-2017 school year
As you have likely heard at this point, the schedule is adjusting slightly next year in the middle school with addition of elective courses for our 7th and 8th grade students. Additionally, you may be aware that our Wellness curriculum will be moved into this elective time frame for the 7th and 8th graders. You might be wondering exactly what this will mean for your child, so I wanted to share with you some details that will be helpful to understand.
Each 7th and 8th grade student will be enrolled for Wellness one of the 4 quarters during the school year. The Wellness classes will be mixed grade, with both 7th and 8th grade students in the same quarter. However, we will be able to divide by grade level as we will only be all together one day each week. The other 4 days the larger group will be divided into two groups - based on gender and/or grade level (depending on topic). Each smaller group will spend 2 of those days in the commons continuing Wellness curriculum conversations and the other 2 days will be with Coach O'Toole for additional physical education instruction. Our Wellness curriculum will be able to take a more in depth look at our 3 focus areas: Physical Health (brain development, healthy eating, sexual development, etc.), Social Health (friendships, conflict resolution, peer pressure, bullying, social injustice, etc.) and Mental Health (stress, self-esteem, suicide prevention, understanding mental illness, etc.). The students will have more time to think critically about these topics and apply the concepts to their own experiences. I'm excited about the possibilities for the program!
I will still meet with the 6th grade students for Wellness out of their PE time as has been done previously. The curriculum for 6th grade is similar to the topics of the 7th and 8th grade, but with greater emphasis given to friendships, bullying and conflict.
Also to begin preparing for next year, our faculty has begun transition meetings and conversations. I have meetings scheduled with Lower School teachers and Upper School student support staff to best understand the needs of the students as they move to new buildings on campus. We discuss academic needs, social needs, advisor qualities, etc. Similarly tomorrow morning teachers will be meeting by academic department (grades 6-12) to dedicate time to their ongoing conversations regarding curriculum across the Ward Parkway campus.
On Friday during our Professional Development Day we also had many great collaboration opportunities as a Ward Parkway Campus. I participated in conversations about risk taking and perfectionism, technology in the classroom, and suicide in high stress academic settings. Each time I am able to talk with my colleagues regarding these important topics I am struck by the incredible thoughtfulness that is put into the lessons taught, the care for students and their well-being, and the desire to be a strong team of educators together. I can assure you that our teachers are developing ways to make their classroom a place where students feel comfortable and welcome. Also, they are working to ensure that the technology used in the classroom enhances the learning and engagement. And finally, that our students know how to seek help when they feel overwhelmed and they hear the message from us, "We're here for you, we care about you and we like you for who you are, the way you are."
Each 7th and 8th grade student will be enrolled for Wellness one of the 4 quarters during the school year. The Wellness classes will be mixed grade, with both 7th and 8th grade students in the same quarter. However, we will be able to divide by grade level as we will only be all together one day each week. The other 4 days the larger group will be divided into two groups - based on gender and/or grade level (depending on topic). Each smaller group will spend 2 of those days in the commons continuing Wellness curriculum conversations and the other 2 days will be with Coach O'Toole for additional physical education instruction. Our Wellness curriculum will be able to take a more in depth look at our 3 focus areas: Physical Health (brain development, healthy eating, sexual development, etc.), Social Health (friendships, conflict resolution, peer pressure, bullying, social injustice, etc.) and Mental Health (stress, self-esteem, suicide prevention, understanding mental illness, etc.). The students will have more time to think critically about these topics and apply the concepts to their own experiences. I'm excited about the possibilities for the program!
I will still meet with the 6th grade students for Wellness out of their PE time as has been done previously. The curriculum for 6th grade is similar to the topics of the 7th and 8th grade, but with greater emphasis given to friendships, bullying and conflict.
Also to begin preparing for next year, our faculty has begun transition meetings and conversations. I have meetings scheduled with Lower School teachers and Upper School student support staff to best understand the needs of the students as they move to new buildings on campus. We discuss academic needs, social needs, advisor qualities, etc. Similarly tomorrow morning teachers will be meeting by academic department (grades 6-12) to dedicate time to their ongoing conversations regarding curriculum across the Ward Parkway campus.
On Friday during our Professional Development Day we also had many great collaboration opportunities as a Ward Parkway Campus. I participated in conversations about risk taking and perfectionism, technology in the classroom, and suicide in high stress academic settings. Each time I am able to talk with my colleagues regarding these important topics I am struck by the incredible thoughtfulness that is put into the lessons taught, the care for students and their well-being, and the desire to be a strong team of educators together. I can assure you that our teachers are developing ways to make their classroom a place where students feel comfortable and welcome. Also, they are working to ensure that the technology used in the classroom enhances the learning and engagement. And finally, that our students know how to seek help when they feel overwhelmed and they hear the message from us, "We're here for you, we care about you and we like you for who you are, the way you are."
Friday, February 5, 2016
What's happening in Advisory?
Wednesday morning during late start, our middle school advisors gathered to talk with each other about the goals of our advisory program, sharing ideas for our advisory groups and general planning/problem solving. As a spin off to this conversation, I decided to ask our 8th graders to think about their specific advisories and how they can help support their advisor by bringing positive leadership to their groups. I was certainly pleased with the conversations that occurred and the thoughtfulness our 8th grade students showed. I wanted to share a few of their thoughts with you:
Recently our advisories worked together to raise money for the American Cancer Society through a change drive. We raised over $500!
Cori Culp's advisory completed every activity on the suggested activities list for Advisory in January and they are on a mission to win our 3rd quarter contest challenge. So far they are in the lead!
Robert Wilson's advisory held a bake sale and raised money for a local animal rescue group!
Debra Anderson's advisory spent some time in January working together to complete a puzzle, and they did it :)
And finally, Andi Wolfe's advisory worked long and hard at learning to knit and then knitting scarves that were donated to a local shelter!
Coming up soon in advisory we will have a Random Acts of Kindness challenge in which the advisories will be competing to see how many random acts of kindness they can complete over 4 days.
Friday, January 22, 2016
One of the best things about being a school counselor is the ever-changing daily activities. This month has been no exception! I've visited the 5th grade, talked to the 7th grade about stress and how art can help with an art therapist and introduced 8th graders to a career development tool to help them begin preparing for Professional Day.
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
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
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
The Tools to Manage Middle School Stress
I'm sure I don't have to tell you that ERB testing and final exams are next week! There's no doubt that this time of year can feel quite stressful for middle school students. However, there is also no shortage of supports available for students to manage and cope with rising stress levels.
All 7th and 8th grade students met in grade level groups for Advisory on Monday November 30. In these groups, students discussed study plans, strategies and tips that will lead them to success with their exams at the end of this semester. Mrs. Tuncten has been meeting with students seeking additional study support as well. Teachers held office hours this morning and are talking their students through successful preparation in their classes.
Additionally, students are meeting with me during Wellness to discuss what stress is and what to do about it. 6th grade students learned about our bodies Flight or Fight response, how it is triggered in times of stress and it's physical impact on our bodies. Here's a great video the students watched that explains this important survival mechanism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnpQrMqDoqE. From there we talked about how to respond to your bodies stress signals in a way that will lessen the Fight or Flight response. Student each made their own personal stress plan using the Skitch app. Here are some of my favorite examples:
All 7th and 8th grade students met in grade level groups for Advisory on Monday November 30. In these groups, students discussed study plans, strategies and tips that will lead them to success with their exams at the end of this semester. Mrs. Tuncten has been meeting with students seeking additional study support as well. Teachers held office hours this morning and are talking their students through successful preparation in their classes.
Additionally, students are meeting with me during Wellness to discuss what stress is and what to do about it. 6th grade students learned about our bodies Flight or Fight response, how it is triggered in times of stress and it's physical impact on our bodies. Here's a great video the students watched that explains this important survival mechanism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnpQrMqDoqE. From there we talked about how to respond to your bodies stress signals in a way that will lessen the Fight or Flight response. Student each made their own personal stress plan using the Skitch app. Here are some of my favorite examples:
Our 7th graders will have their lesson when we return after winter break. This is delayed in part because of the scheduling and set up involved in this very special lesson. The 7th grade students will be working with an art therapist from Truman Behavioral Health who will teach them about journaling and art as stress management strategies. I'm very excited for this new opportunity with our students and quite thankful to the Arts Council for funding this project through a grant!
8th graders met with me last week as well. We also discussed the Flight or Fight response as a refresher from previous lessons. The 8th grade students then took a self-reflection survey (developed by Mental Health America of Northern Kentucky and Southwest Ohio, adapted from the Holmes-Rahe Life Stress Inventory for adults) in which they consider which life events have occurred in their lives over the last year. These events lead them to a total stress score and a description about what that means. Once students had their score, we talked about how stress is relative. A student may have a high score, but not feel very stressed. Or a student may have a low score and still feel a raised level of concern. Students were asked to self-reflect and consider their current stress levels. If they were concerned about stress in their life, they were encouraged to reach out to an adult. I did not collect the surveys from the students, so you might ask your 8th grader about how they responded and what they think of their results.
Yesterday I was able to co-present with Upper School Counselor, Kathy Lamb at a Parents Association meeting regarding resilience in teens. In this presentation we talked about how we can help our students overcome obstacles in life, avoid or change perfectionist tendencies and decrease feelings of anxiety or helplessness. To see our power point, click this link: Resilience in Teens. You might also want to see these handouts: Handouts. I am also available to talk with you anytime about questions or concerns you might have regarding your teen's ability to be resilient.
At the end of last week we let off some steam in Advisory by holding Lip Sync Battles! The kids did a great job and we had tons of fun and laughs! It was a wonderful way to wrap up our semester. Mrs. Culp and Senora Araiza's advisories received perfect 10 scores from the judges. And Emery/Stockman advisories were crowned the overall 2nd quarter winners! They will celebrate with a complimentary pizza party on Monday!
And finally, I've had my pal, a chocolate lab named Chesney, here with me today at school. He's been cheering up students and calming nerves all day with his cuddles and wagging tail! He might make another appearance as we approach spring exams!
Monday, November 23, 2015
ThanksGIVING and Gratitude
This upcoming weekend is my favorite weekend of the year; I am able to spend quality time with my family and immerse myself in the holiday season! (I may or may not be found humming holiday tunes, shopping with the crowds and eating too many sweets the next few weeks...) But each year, I do pause to think about how my own children are doing with the concepts of giving to others and gratitude - and what I can do to further their understanding of these important values.
Odd as it may seem, when Josh Ochs was here talking to our students - and to some parents - I began to reflect on giving and gratitude. One of the ways Mr. Ochs encourages young adults to use social media is to highlight their community service and efforts to help others as sort of a self-marketing strategy. He points out, however, that whatever post one might make, the focus should not be on oneself, but rather on the organization and/or people served and must always include a "thank you" to those who made it possible. There is it, giving and gratitude in a social media conversation. (Side note: there should be a video of Josh Och's parent presentation available soon)
Additionally I have been reading Josh's book, Light, Bright and Polite, and when he focuses on this aspect of positive social media use, he also stresses being genuine. This is where it gets real for me. Most anyone can schedule volunteer work, show up, complete the tasks and check it off a list. How do I get my own children - and my students - to be genuinely invested in others, sincerely grateful for what they have and inspired to continue to give of themselves?
First, I know I have to model giving and gratitude. I have to get out there and give to others. Simple acts like courteous driving, paying for someone's lunch and helping another person through a doorway, or more involved work, such as donating goods, giving my time at a local charity and taking dinner to a sick friend. I will also need to talk to my kids about what I am grateful for - from nice weather, to bedtime snuggles, to our warm home, and full refrigerator. With my students I can comment on how nice it is to have a bookstore on campus, caring people making us warm meals each day and our own community in advisory. I also know, I will need to persist in these endeavors. It won't work for me to focus on this for a week or two and then slide back into the old routine.
Gratitude can be taught when we find the good in tough situations. I know this is an area I could use some growth! When my son struggles to read a challenging word, I can celebrate his determination and effort. When my daughter has to wait in a long line with me, I can point out that we can do something fun to pass the time, such as play "I Spy." When a student complains about course work being difficult, I can balance an empathetic response with one that points out the ways in which the student is rising to the challenge.
These ideas and more are included in a great, brief article I've included here if you'd like to do more reading on this topic: 9 Ways to Foster Gratitude in Teenagers.
I believe we are at an advantage at Pembroke Hill. Our families value generosity and gratitude and it is very clearly woven into the fabric of our school. Just in the last week I am aware of two student groups volunteering at Children's Place with young children and on our Lower School campus, hundreds of lunches were packed for Harvesters to give to kids around our city. I'm almost certain other amazing things have happened within our PHS community that have positively impacted others. I am even more certain that the students participating in these events were proud of their efforts and felt the joy that only giving to others can give us. I'll leave you with some photos of one additional service event that occurred in the middle school last Monday. Several students, and Dr. Leonard, worked hard to decorate boxes that will be filled with treats and sent to our service men and women who are serving our country during this holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Odd as it may seem, when Josh Ochs was here talking to our students - and to some parents - I began to reflect on giving and gratitude. One of the ways Mr. Ochs encourages young adults to use social media is to highlight their community service and efforts to help others as sort of a self-marketing strategy. He points out, however, that whatever post one might make, the focus should not be on oneself, but rather on the organization and/or people served and must always include a "thank you" to those who made it possible. There is it, giving and gratitude in a social media conversation. (Side note: there should be a video of Josh Och's parent presentation available soon)
Additionally I have been reading Josh's book, Light, Bright and Polite, and when he focuses on this aspect of positive social media use, he also stresses being genuine. This is where it gets real for me. Most anyone can schedule volunteer work, show up, complete the tasks and check it off a list. How do I get my own children - and my students - to be genuinely invested in others, sincerely grateful for what they have and inspired to continue to give of themselves?
First, I know I have to model giving and gratitude. I have to get out there and give to others. Simple acts like courteous driving, paying for someone's lunch and helping another person through a doorway, or more involved work, such as donating goods, giving my time at a local charity and taking dinner to a sick friend. I will also need to talk to my kids about what I am grateful for - from nice weather, to bedtime snuggles, to our warm home, and full refrigerator. With my students I can comment on how nice it is to have a bookstore on campus, caring people making us warm meals each day and our own community in advisory. I also know, I will need to persist in these endeavors. It won't work for me to focus on this for a week or two and then slide back into the old routine.
Gratitude can be taught when we find the good in tough situations. I know this is an area I could use some growth! When my son struggles to read a challenging word, I can celebrate his determination and effort. When my daughter has to wait in a long line with me, I can point out that we can do something fun to pass the time, such as play "I Spy." When a student complains about course work being difficult, I can balance an empathetic response with one that points out the ways in which the student is rising to the challenge.
These ideas and more are included in a great, brief article I've included here if you'd like to do more reading on this topic: 9 Ways to Foster Gratitude in Teenagers.
I believe we are at an advantage at Pembroke Hill. Our families value generosity and gratitude and it is very clearly woven into the fabric of our school. Just in the last week I am aware of two student groups volunteering at Children's Place with young children and on our Lower School campus, hundreds of lunches were packed for Harvesters to give to kids around our city. I'm almost certain other amazing things have happened within our PHS community that have positively impacted others. I am even more certain that the students participating in these events were proud of their efforts and felt the joy that only giving to others can give us. I'll leave you with some photos of one additional service event that occurred in the middle school last Monday. Several students, and Dr. Leonard, worked hard to decorate boxes that will be filled with treats and sent to our service men and women who are serving our country during this holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Friday, November 13, 2015
Harassment, Labels and Rumors - Oh My!
This past week both the 6th and 8th grade students have met for Wellness lessons. 7th graders met with the counselor during their Advisory rotation. Here's a quick look into what we did together.
6th grade
The 6th graders are nearing the end of their 6 week series regarding bullying and social relationships. The boys worked together to create videos about the impact of labels and stereotypes. We will present the videos to each other on Monday and use them as a spring board for further conversation. Ask your child: How are stereotypes a part of your school day? How are you careful not to put hurtful or harmful labels on others? For further reading: Tips for Battling Stereotypes
The 6th grade girls spent their lesson focused on gossip. We used glitter to get our point across. The girls were asked to pass glitter from their hands to the hands of the person next to them - they were told to get all the glitter off of their hands, but not to let any fall on the floor or tables. Then they described the glitter - "shiny, fun, messy, sticky, little, colorful, seemed fun until I couldn't get it off me." Earlier in the lesson we had worked to define gossip, so at this point the girls were asked how glitter is like gossip. They said "It gets everywhere, you lose control of it, it looks fun but it gets messy, it sticks to you." So we talked about how to respond to gossip. One of the most common things I see is that kids think their friend has a right to know when other people are talking about them, but almost always that makes the situation worse. So instead, the girls were encouraged to respond by saying "Don't tell me, I don't want to know, I don't want to be involved." Additionally, they were encouraged not to spread the rumor, or not to spend time talking to multiple people trying to figure out where it started as that just gives more life to the rumor. This is difficult for kids - they want to know who started it, yet the success rate of this sort of investigation is extremely low. (Not too many kids are willing to admit they started a rumor!) Talk about it at home: Use this link: Have You Ever Had a Rumor Spread About You? to read real life scenarios and talk them through. What would you do? Why do people spread rumors like this? Have you ever heard a similar rumor about someone?
8th Grade
Our 8th graders spent their lesson talking about sexual harassment with a speaker from MOCSA. Students shared that they have seen physical, verbal, written and non-verbal harassment at school by responding as to whether or not they had seen the examples the presenter shared. Students learned that sexual harassment is UNWANTED sexual behavior and that the person receiving the behavior decides whether or not it is unwanted. They left with a handout that looked like this:
6th grade
The 6th graders are nearing the end of their 6 week series regarding bullying and social relationships. The boys worked together to create videos about the impact of labels and stereotypes. We will present the videos to each other on Monday and use them as a spring board for further conversation. Ask your child: How are stereotypes a part of your school day? How are you careful not to put hurtful or harmful labels on others? For further reading: Tips for Battling Stereotypes
The 6th grade girls spent their lesson focused on gossip. We used glitter to get our point across. The girls were asked to pass glitter from their hands to the hands of the person next to them - they were told to get all the glitter off of their hands, but not to let any fall on the floor or tables. Then they described the glitter - "shiny, fun, messy, sticky, little, colorful, seemed fun until I couldn't get it off me." Earlier in the lesson we had worked to define gossip, so at this point the girls were asked how glitter is like gossip. They said "It gets everywhere, you lose control of it, it looks fun but it gets messy, it sticks to you." So we talked about how to respond to gossip. One of the most common things I see is that kids think their friend has a right to know when other people are talking about them, but almost always that makes the situation worse. So instead, the girls were encouraged to respond by saying "Don't tell me, I don't want to know, I don't want to be involved." Additionally, they were encouraged not to spread the rumor, or not to spend time talking to multiple people trying to figure out where it started as that just gives more life to the rumor. This is difficult for kids - they want to know who started it, yet the success rate of this sort of investigation is extremely low. (Not too many kids are willing to admit they started a rumor!) Talk about it at home: Use this link: Have You Ever Had a Rumor Spread About You? to read real life scenarios and talk them through. What would you do? Why do people spread rumors like this? Have you ever heard a similar rumor about someone?
8th Grade
Our 8th graders spent their lesson talking about sexual harassment with a speaker from MOCSA. Students shared that they have seen physical, verbal, written and non-verbal harassment at school by responding as to whether or not they had seen the examples the presenter shared. Students learned that sexual harassment is UNWANTED sexual behavior and that the person receiving the behavior decides whether or not it is unwanted. They left with a handout that looked like this:
The handout describes the different types of sexual harassment and details why sexting is actual illegal for minors. On the back the handout outlines what to do if you are being harassed. Ask your child: How would you respond if someone was harassing you? Who would you tell? Do you think harassment is a big deal? Why or why not?
7th Grade
As mentioned above, I briefly saw the 7th grade students on Thursday of this week during our bi-weekly advisory rotation. During this time I shared with the students that MOCSA had come to see our 8th graders and I thought they should hear the same information that our 8th graders did. Together we read our school harassment policy and dissected the definition of harassment. It was emphasized to students that the person any comment, action, or behavior is directed toward gets to decide if it is unwanted. Additionally, that the person receiving the interaction has a responsibility to make it clear when something is unwanted. We discussed why we think harassment is important to understand and what to do if you are being harassed. This session was not interactive, so further discussion at home could be very helpful. To talk about at home: Why do you think it's important for schools to have a harassment policy? How should schools respond to harassment? Have you seen harassment happening at school? How would you respond if you were being harassed?
And lastly - a reminder for you that on Thursday November 19 in the evening, Josh Ochs will be talking with parents about all things social media as it relates to teenagers. He will then speak with our students on Friday morning. This event is hosted by our Parents Association. Many thanks to all those who worked to put together this great event!
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Getting Back on Track!
Yikes! I have gone the entire month of October without updating the blog! Life moved fast in the middle school the last few weeks and I did not always keep up. That being said, I will do my best to quickly update you regarding the happenings of the counseling program over the last 4 weeks and apologize in advance for the lack of detail I would prefer this blog to have. I will do better in November!
6th Grade
The 6th graders have been hard at work, engaging in a 6 week series of Wellness lessons that fit under the umbrella of bullying. We've defined bullying, talked through responses, discussed stereotypes, labels, gossip, friendships and so much more! There are two weeks left to go and I will share those lessons with you in upcoming blogs.
This week I did meet with the 6th grade boys, on Monday morning in fact, as we were all so tired from watching our Royals bring home the crown! Given the headline story, we began by watching clips of the game and trophy presentations. Time and time again, the character of the players on the Royals team was referenced. So I asked the boys - what character traits do you think the Royals have that contribute to their success. Determination, teamwork, work ethic and confidence were listed. We discussed how the Royals were not projected to do well last spring and how even in their successes, some in the sports world still overlooked them. So from there I asked the boys to tell me how they had been labeled incorrectly through anonymous slips of paper. As I collected the papers, I put them up on the screen for the students to see. "Quiet, Lazy, Weak, Gay, Nerd, Dumb, Stupid, Slow, Boring, Crazy." The room was silent. This was a powerful list. Then I let the boys know that we would be working for our last 2 classes to make a video in small groups about labels and stereotypes and their impact on schools. Some of the boys will use the Royals as inspiration, others will use their own stories. I'm very excited to see what they come up with. We'll watch the videos together on our final day of this series.
Also in October, Mrs. Tuncten and I sat down with 6th graders in 4 groups for "Chip Chats." During these chats we talked about seeking help from teachers, balancing homework and activities, making friends, navigating the freedom in the middle school and getting enough sleep. The students were great participants and shared fantastic ideas with each other for keeping on top of school work. It was a great experience!
7th Grade
Recently the 7th graders met for Wellness in gender divided groups. They began by playing a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Winners were asked to think about how it feels to lose. Those who lost, thought about how it feels to win. From there we were able to define empathy. I talked briefly with students about things that empathetic people do, including: avoiding putting others down, because they know how it feels and listening with compassion. Next students were told they were going to pretend to be the other gender. In pairs, they would read a scenario involving members of the other gender and talk about what it would be like to be the person in the scenario. Of course, students laughed at this task at first - and the girls were anxious to know if the boys were going to pretend to be girls too! But as we got into the conversation to wrap things up, the kids did a great job really thinking about what it might be like to be a boy or a girl. Girls became aware that boys feel pressure to be the best in academics and athletics and they aren't always free to show their emotions. Boys understood that girls face pressure to measure up in appearance and to get involved in the rumor mill. Of course, these things could be said about both genders, but it was very cool to see the kids really thinking about their peers in a new light.
8th Grade
Tomorrow, November 5, the 8th graders will meet for Wellness with a speaker from MOCSA who will talk about harassment vs. bullying, and get specific about sexual harassment. I'll be sure to share more information in next week's blog.
Recently I was able to team up with Cori Culp's World Cultures classes and share an article with the 8th grade students about a young girl who takes great pride in being from Ecuador and her experiences with people not differentiating her cultural identity from other Hispanic cultures. From there we were able to have great conversations about ethnic identity, cultural identity and respecting unique perspectives. Mrs. Culp is truly passionate about this topic and does a fantastic job supporting our students through their own identity development, as well as their understanding of those in the world around them. It was wonderful to partner with her on this lesson for the 2nd year in a row!
School-Wide
A couple of weeks ago our students spent some time in advisory learning about some of the October Awareness Campaigns and local charities that support them. Through videos and exploring websites, students learned about Breast Cancer Awareness, Down Syndrome Awareness, Substance Abuse Prevention and SIDS Awareness. Each advisory was challenged to bring in a dollar per student, per day. In total over $330 were raised to support local charities.
Today our students participated in Mix It Up Day at lunch. Students sat by first letter of their first name and chatted using the discussion questions on each table. Discussion questions were written by 6th graders during a recent advisory rotation. Students did a very nice job with this - participating without complaint and with good attitudes. Some of our staff even participated as well! For some of our students today meant not having to decide who to sit with, which provides a relief from a common lunch time stress. For others, it pushed them out of the comfort zone and got them talking with someone they might not normally talk to.
Finally I'll leave you with some pictures from our Middle School Ghost Walk and from Toms Advisory who created and hung some great encouraging signs around the school!
6th Grade
The 6th graders have been hard at work, engaging in a 6 week series of Wellness lessons that fit under the umbrella of bullying. We've defined bullying, talked through responses, discussed stereotypes, labels, gossip, friendships and so much more! There are two weeks left to go and I will share those lessons with you in upcoming blogs.
This week I did meet with the 6th grade boys, on Monday morning in fact, as we were all so tired from watching our Royals bring home the crown! Given the headline story, we began by watching clips of the game and trophy presentations. Time and time again, the character of the players on the Royals team was referenced. So I asked the boys - what character traits do you think the Royals have that contribute to their success. Determination, teamwork, work ethic and confidence were listed. We discussed how the Royals were not projected to do well last spring and how even in their successes, some in the sports world still overlooked them. So from there I asked the boys to tell me how they had been labeled incorrectly through anonymous slips of paper. As I collected the papers, I put them up on the screen for the students to see. "Quiet, Lazy, Weak, Gay, Nerd, Dumb, Stupid, Slow, Boring, Crazy." The room was silent. This was a powerful list. Then I let the boys know that we would be working for our last 2 classes to make a video in small groups about labels and stereotypes and their impact on schools. Some of the boys will use the Royals as inspiration, others will use their own stories. I'm very excited to see what they come up with. We'll watch the videos together on our final day of this series.
Also in October, Mrs. Tuncten and I sat down with 6th graders in 4 groups for "Chip Chats." During these chats we talked about seeking help from teachers, balancing homework and activities, making friends, navigating the freedom in the middle school and getting enough sleep. The students were great participants and shared fantastic ideas with each other for keeping on top of school work. It was a great experience!
7th Grade
Recently the 7th graders met for Wellness in gender divided groups. They began by playing a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Winners were asked to think about how it feels to lose. Those who lost, thought about how it feels to win. From there we were able to define empathy. I talked briefly with students about things that empathetic people do, including: avoiding putting others down, because they know how it feels and listening with compassion. Next students were told they were going to pretend to be the other gender. In pairs, they would read a scenario involving members of the other gender and talk about what it would be like to be the person in the scenario. Of course, students laughed at this task at first - and the girls were anxious to know if the boys were going to pretend to be girls too! But as we got into the conversation to wrap things up, the kids did a great job really thinking about what it might be like to be a boy or a girl. Girls became aware that boys feel pressure to be the best in academics and athletics and they aren't always free to show their emotions. Boys understood that girls face pressure to measure up in appearance and to get involved in the rumor mill. Of course, these things could be said about both genders, but it was very cool to see the kids really thinking about their peers in a new light.
8th Grade
Tomorrow, November 5, the 8th graders will meet for Wellness with a speaker from MOCSA who will talk about harassment vs. bullying, and get specific about sexual harassment. I'll be sure to share more information in next week's blog.
Recently I was able to team up with Cori Culp's World Cultures classes and share an article with the 8th grade students about a young girl who takes great pride in being from Ecuador and her experiences with people not differentiating her cultural identity from other Hispanic cultures. From there we were able to have great conversations about ethnic identity, cultural identity and respecting unique perspectives. Mrs. Culp is truly passionate about this topic and does a fantastic job supporting our students through their own identity development, as well as their understanding of those in the world around them. It was wonderful to partner with her on this lesson for the 2nd year in a row!
School-Wide
A couple of weeks ago our students spent some time in advisory learning about some of the October Awareness Campaigns and local charities that support them. Through videos and exploring websites, students learned about Breast Cancer Awareness, Down Syndrome Awareness, Substance Abuse Prevention and SIDS Awareness. Each advisory was challenged to bring in a dollar per student, per day. In total over $330 were raised to support local charities.
Today our students participated in Mix It Up Day at lunch. Students sat by first letter of their first name and chatted using the discussion questions on each table. Discussion questions were written by 6th graders during a recent advisory rotation. Students did a very nice job with this - participating without complaint and with good attitudes. Some of our staff even participated as well! For some of our students today meant not having to decide who to sit with, which provides a relief from a common lunch time stress. For others, it pushed them out of the comfort zone and got them talking with someone they might not normally talk to.
Finally I'll leave you with some pictures from our Middle School Ghost Walk and from Toms Advisory who created and hung some great encouraging signs around the school!
Monday, September 28, 2015
The September Slump
Recently I've found myself in many conversations that involve someone feeling tired, overwhelmed, unhappy, or some similar sentiment. I find this to be very common at the end of September in a school setting. The newness of the school has long worn off and a feeling of routine has set in. Additionally teachers are making deeper connections in their content areas, projects are a part of the school work, tests are being given to assess if the students are learning the material, and sports are nearing the end of their season, meaning competition is at it's height. This can be a challenging time for middle school students, parents and teachers alike. Be watchful for signs that your child is not coping well: sleeplessness, extreme moodiness, change in appetite, lack of desire to participate in normal activities, etc. If you see any of these warning signs that additional support might be needed, please reach out to me, your child's advisor, a particular teacher, coach, our principals, or your pediatrician.
As the 7th graders worked through the fixed mindset statements, they sometimes had a tendency to try replacing the statement with a perfectionist kind of view "I'm not good at math" would become "I'm always good at math" and we discussed how that is still a fixed mindset.
8th Grade
Last week our 8th graders spent a significant amount of time discussing Leadership. On Thursday September 17, they met during Advisory Rotations to think about what it means to be a leader in a mixed grade Advisory.
Of course, Friday the 18th the 8th Grade participated in Leadership Day, which was great fun and a lot of discussion regarding what it takes to be a leader. Students were able to debrief about Leadership Day on Monday during Advisory. The 8th grade team plans to continue 8th grade leadership activities throughout the school year.
That being said, allow me to share with you what has been happening in our Wellness and Advisory programs the last couple of weeks.
6th Grade
The 6th graders finished their Mindset series in Wellness on Tuesday September 14. Students watched the video Can Video Games Make You Smarter?, which they very much enjoyed! After that students worked in groups to complete a packet about how your brain can become smarter. Through the packet students were instructed to think about how their muscles grow with increased use, and how their brain can be like a muscle. They also explored the concept of working at something new or difficult repeatedly in order to become proficient.
On Thursday September 18, 6th graders met with Mrs. Viene during our Advisory Rotations to talk about social media, specifically, who should be on your friends list and why. She shared just how easy it is to find out what you want to know about someone through social media apps by using real life examples that surprised our students!
I have recently sent out a quick Google Form to 6th graders, checking in with them to see how their transition in to middle school is going. Students have the option to request a meeting with me at the end of the form and I am working to meet with those students who make such a request. By and large students are reporting positive progress in adjusting to middle school. However there are also about 20 kids who still have yet to answer.
To help ensure that our students have multiple opportunities to have support with their transition to middle school, Susan Tuncten (Middle School Learning Specialist) and I will be hosting "Chip Chats" with all 6th graders. We will meet in 4 groups - one 6th grader from each advisory in each group during Plus Period. (We'll be talking with Mr Dekker about our Band students being able to attend). During our Chip Chats, we'll share chips and various dips and talk about the challenges of adjusting to 6th grade, the joys of middle school so far, strategies for success, and anything else that may come up. These chats begin Friday October 9.
7th Grade
During Advisory Rotations on Thursday September 18, our 7th graders worked with our library staff and Mr. Bartelli to practice using their new iPrint functions on their iPads. Hopefully your student feels comfortable printing from the iPad at school now!
7th Grade also had two days of Wellness last week that focused on having a Growth Mindset. The 7th graders took a quick self-assessment as to how much they had a Fixed Mindset (Intelligence does not change, challenges only expose weaknesses, ,working hard means you are not smart) and how much they had a Growth Mindset (I learn from mistakes, I can improve my intelligence, I like working hard and being challenged). From there the 7th graders learned about the parts of the brain, what they do and what happens in your brain when you are learning. Some of the instruction on the brain was given in a traditional lecture format, whereas students learned other parts of the brain using mnemonics, color aides and memory tricks. On the 2nd day, students entered the Wellness class and began by taking a Kahoot quiz (online quiz with instant results) over the parts of the brain. What do you know? The traditional lecture style taught material was not remembered nearly as well as the material the students associated with colors and memory tricks! We talked about why that is and learned that our brains had formed stronger connections between neurons when we used the memory aids, therefore we remembered it better! Students were encouraged to use these memory aids when studying in their classes. We wrapped up our lesson by talking about the students had grown their intelligence regarding what the brain does and then practiced moving toward a Growth Mindset by taking Fixed Mindset statements and converting them to Growth Mindset statements. And as a bonus, the students ended up creating a bulletin board in my office!
8th Grade
Last week our 8th graders spent a significant amount of time discussing Leadership. On Thursday September 17, they met during Advisory Rotations to think about what it means to be a leader in a mixed grade Advisory.
Monday, September 14, 2015
Understanding Mindset and Preparing to be Leaders
Today I have heard a handful of students express that they were up late doing homework, had weekends full of activities, have had two tests in a certain subject, etc. The easing in of the school year has ended. This is a good time for us to really begin our watchfulness. Who is not sleeping enough, who is in need of a friend, who needs academic support? If you feel your child could use some coaching, assistance, or a listening ear, please let us know. You can start with your child's advisor, perhaps during your parent conference this Friday afternoon. I will be at school that afternoon meeting with parents from my advisory, but if you would like to schedule any time with me, let me know and we can probably work something out.
Here's a recap of what is happening with each grade level in Counseling and Wellness:
6th Grade
On Friday of last week I again visited with the 6th grade during their Plus Period. I shared the social media survey results with them and then had them bring up a picture they had taken on their phone or iPad recently. From there students were asked to decide in their head if this was a picture they would post online, in an app or send in a text. We used a list of questions from a quiz entitled "To Post or Not To Post" on the NSTeens.org website. From what I could tell by watching their reactions, most of our 6th graders had pictures that would pass the "test" and would be safe to post, although I did not look at photos so as to allow them some privacy during the activity. We wrapped up by watching a video, also on the same website, about a boy who's friends create a website to rate the girls in their school. He decides to participate in rating the girls and later finds out that his sister was added to the website and rated by other boys. We discussed whether or not this would be considered "cyber-bullying" and some possibilities for responding as the principal of the school or as one of the girls rated on the website. All in all, we had a great conversation and lots of participation!
Today the students met with me for their first Wellness lesson. We discussed the idea of mindset. Students self-assessed what level of growth mindset, or fixed mindset they had. A fixed mindset is one that is rigid, and feels skill level, ability and intelligence do not change much - whereas a growth mindset believes that with hard work and dedication, we can improve our intelligence, success and ability. Most of our students hover around the middle, a slight fixed mindset, or a slight growth mindset. I'm hoping that I can nudge more students to a stronger growth mindset! After our self-assesssment, students worked in groups to answer opinion questions about what intelligence means and how we can measure it.
The final part of our Wellness lesson was to learn the various parts of the brain and what they do. We also learned about neurons, which are cells that send electrical signals through the brain and to the body - they form connections when we learn new things and strengthen and stretch our brain! We'll learn more about this tomorrow in Day 2 of this two day Mindset series in Wellness. I'll be sure to share about that in next week's blog.
On Thursday during Advisory all 6th graders will be with Mrs. Viene to talk about just who should be on your friends list in social media apps and how quickly information can travel through the internet!
7th Grade
During Advisory rotations this week, the 7th grade will visit the library to get a reminder about the resources and services available in the library and learning lab. The 7th graders will begin their wellness lessons on the 23rd. They will also participate in a 2 day Mindset series, similar to the lessons the 6th grade are doing now.
8th Grade
The Signs of Suicide presentation has been rescheduled for September 24, as our guest speaker was ill last week. I'll be sure to update you about what the students learned after their lesson. This Thursday in Advisory Rotations 8th graders will be discussing what it means to be a leader in Advisory and what roadblocks they sometimes face as Advisory leaders. This activity will be in preparation for Friday's Leadership Day. During Leadership Day students work in groups to complete challenging tasks and then debrief during a faculty led discussion within their small groups. Watch for a recap in next week's blog!
Finally - we still need volunteers to help this Sunday from 7:00 am - 10:30 am during the Broadway Bridge Run at the Pembroke Hill water table! Please let me know if your child/family can help encourage the runners whose entry fees go to Special Olympics. Our exact meeting location should be known soon. Thanks much!
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Off and Running
The counseling program is in motion in the middle school. Here's what's happening and what is upcoming:
6th Grade
On Friday during the Plus Period, 6th grade students provided feedback about their social media use that will now be used to design "Digital Citizenship" lessons. Our first lesson will be this Friday, agian during Plus Period. Students will be discussing how to be safe, respectful and compassionate online, as well as how to respond when someone else is not using social media appropriately. Here are the highlights of our 6th graders responses:
6th Grade
On Friday during the Plus Period, 6th grade students provided feedback about their social media use that will now be used to design "Digital Citizenship" lessons. Our first lesson will be this Friday, agian during Plus Period. Students will be discussing how to be safe, respectful and compassionate online, as well as how to respond when someone else is not using social media appropriately. Here are the highlights of our 6th graders responses:
- The most frequently used social media sites are: YouTube (76%), Instagram (55%), Snapchat (23%), Pinterest (22%) and Vine (16%). Others that made the list with under 10% usage include: Kik, Twitter, Tumblr, and Wishbone
- 9% of 6th graders do not use social media at all
- Of those that do use social media, most of them (42%) are checking it 1-2 times per day. 28% check 3-4 times per day, 16% check less than once a day and 13% are checking 5 or more times
- The most commonly seen hurtful communication our 6th graders encounter online is exclusion of others (44%), then rumors about other people (35%), next is conflicts between others (32%), followed by teasing/name calling (23.5%). 12% of students reported witnessing targeted bullying of others. When asked if any of these things were ever directed at them, 9% of our students felt they had been excluded online, 3% had seen rumors about themselves, 3% had online conflicts with themselves and another person, and 3% felt they had been a target of bullying.
This Friday (and during subsequent lessons if needed) we'll discuss how to respond to online exclusion, name calling, rumors, conflict and bullying - whether it's directed at you or someone else. A great resource, that I'll be using as well, is nsteens.org.
Next Monday and Tuesday our 6th grade will meet for their first Wellness lessons. The topic will be focusing on what it means to have a growth mindset and the science of how the brain learns. Stay tuned for more information!
7th Grade
Last Thursday during advisory time all 7th grade students met with Mrs. Viene and Mr. Bartelli to clean up their Google Drive. Students were guided through what to do with documents from 6th grade. Through this session, the aim was to help students develop strategies to manage their school responsibilities and to become skilled at using the iPad as an academic resource. These abilities contribute to a student having a positive academic self-concept that will allow him/her to be a self-directed and independent learner.
Wellness lessons will begin for the 7th grade on September 23rd. Their first topic for discussion will be around what it means to have a fixed mindset vs. a growth mindset. We'll discuss how changing your thinking can impact your performance in school, sports and activities. I'll update with more information after the lessons occur.
8th Grade
8th graders were asked to do something a bit unusual during this past Thursday's advisory rotations; they were asked to Google their name. Many students found pictures of themselves and family members, past class projects, news stories in which their name or family member's name was included, and, of course, things that were not related to them at all. After the searching, we dove into conversation about what it means to have a "digital identity" and how to influence your online persona. This led to a conversation about privacy settings and care in what you post, comment on, or "like" online. Students were encouraged to search their name often, both on Google and in various social media sites, so as to be aware of what is associated with their name in cyberspace.
This Thursday our 8th grade students will meet for their first Wellness lessons. We will have a speaker from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Kansas City (NAMI-KC http://www.namikc.org/) here to speak with the students about suicide prevention. Specifically they will teach the "Signs of Suicide" program, a research-based prevention program focusing on teaching what to look for in others that might indicate that they could harm themselves. The program goes further in providing strategies to intervene and get help for anyone you might be concerned about. I will be sure to include follow up information in my blog next week. For now you can read more at this website:Signs of Suicide Evidence Based Practice. This presentation is happening in September as it is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. To learn more about this campaign and/or the warning signs of suicide, go to this link: Suicide Awareness Prevention.
All Grades
Congrats to Longhofer advisory on their victory in the Advisory Door Decoration contest!
All students are invited to volunteer on Sunday September 20 at the PHS watertable in the Broadway Bridge Run benefiting Special Olympics. We'll be handing out water to the passing half marathon runners and cheering them on! The run begins at 7:00 so volunteers will need to arrive prior to that time, but I expect we'll be done before 11:00 am. Students wishing to volunteer should talk with me, Mrs. Kobolt.
Students who complete 50-100+ hours of community service this school year before April will be eligible to apply for a Presidential Service Award (http://www.presidentialserviceawards.gov/the-award). Students should see me to complete their documentation and have their hours approved. Students will hear about this opportunity at the school-wide assembly on Thursday. Another award that students might be interested in is the Prudential Spirit of Community Award. Applications for this award are due November 3 of this year.
Monday, August 31, 2015
When to contact the counselor
Welcome back for another week! I hope your first weekend found you with time to relax together as a family. Given that your student has both an advisor and a school counselor, I thought this week I'd take some time to discuss when it's appropriate to contact the school counselor in context with when it is best to start with the advisor.
The school counselor role at Pembroke Hill is centered around the social-emotional and personal growth of our students. Most of the time when I talk with an individual student, a small group of students, a colleague or a parent, we are discussing mental health concerns, friendship concerns, social dynamics, self-care skills, family situations and the like. Additionally, I am involved in other conversations regarding topics such as, academic support, leadership skills, team building and school climate. Because there is a wide umbrella and some overlap between the advisor role and the counselor role, it may be tough to know who to call first.
I wanted to share a link with you to an article that details the role of the school counselor that you may find helpful. You can read it here: Understanding the School Counselor/Parent Connection. Additionally I've listed below some common reasons I am usually contacted by a parent:
The school counselor role at Pembroke Hill is centered around the social-emotional and personal growth of our students. Most of the time when I talk with an individual student, a small group of students, a colleague or a parent, we are discussing mental health concerns, friendship concerns, social dynamics, self-care skills, family situations and the like. Additionally, I am involved in other conversations regarding topics such as, academic support, leadership skills, team building and school climate. Because there is a wide umbrella and some overlap between the advisor role and the counselor role, it may be tough to know who to call first.
I wanted to share a link with you to an article that details the role of the school counselor that you may find helpful. You can read it here: Understanding the School Counselor/Parent Connection. Additionally I've listed below some common reasons I am usually contacted by a parent:
- When a student is experiencing a social conflict with a peer or peer group
- When there has been a change in the dynamics of the family that is impacting the child
- When a student is experiencing a personal struggle such as low self-esteem, questioning their sexual identity/gender, disrespectful behavior at home, a change in interests or peer group, etc.
- When a student needs support developing positive coping skills
- When a student is experiencing a difficult relationship with a teacher, coach or other adult
- When a student is experiencing anxiety: regarding school, extra-curricular activities, social situations, etc.
- When a student is experiencing sadness, isolation, hopelessness or other similar emotions
- When a student has recently begun working with a therapist, has recently been diagnosed with a mental illness or is suspected of having a mental illness
- When collaboration with other staff members, such as the advisor, have stalled or when a parent/student feels more comfortable contacting the counselor for help
- When confidentiality needs are paramount
With each parent contact, the counselor response varies. One size fits all most definitely does not apply here. Our conversation may or may not result in my speaking with your child; in fact, often times it does not. Many times I will not share the details of our conversation with any other faculty members either. What will be shared, and what I will do to respond, will be decided upon together as we talk.
Your child's advisor is an excellent resource for you as well. Contact the advisor when you are curious to know how your child is doing in his/her classes, have a question about a school event, want to get some academic support for your child, have a minor social concern, or just feel most comfortable sharing whatever need your child has with the advisor.
Whatever the reason you choose to reach out to the school for support, and whomever you connect with first, please know that we want to have the same goals for your child that you do. Parenting is tricky, to put it mildly, and we are not in the business of judging. We'll do our best to make sure that we are working together to see your child through whatever challenge may be facing them at the time. Hopefully one day we'll look back and say "Remember when...." with a smile at how far your child has come!
Monday, August 24, 2015
Welcome to 2015-2016!
Greetings Middle School families!
It's finally here, the first day of school! Have you noticed the red carpet our students walk on to get into school the first day? Our Student Council ensures this fun tradition is in place each year. I think that is one of my favorite things about Pembroke Hill, the faculty is not alone in their preparations for the school year. Our students and families are just as involved. I hope that you find that sense of community in our middle school this year as well. We are a team, on an important 3 year journey. It is an honor for us to be a part of this transformative time in your child's life.
I thought it would be appropriate for my first blog entry this year to give you a sneak peek into the ways the counseling and Advisory programs will be supporting you and your child over the next 9+ months. To do that, I'd ask that you look over the following two documents:
Counseling Program Overview 2015-2016 Here you can see an outline of what is planned each month in Wellness and Advisory, as well as other relevant activities. This plan is created to be flexible. The flexibility is necessary as we schedule outside speakers to visit our school, work around the needs of teacher curriculum, address the needs of our students, etc. The weekly blog entries will provide updates to the plan, as well as follow up information after the events.
Advisory Goals and Priorities This document highlights the larger picture of this year's Advisory program, giving you some insight as to how we work to support each student through their time with their advisor.
If you look over this information and find yourself with unanswered questions, please feel free to contact me via email or phone (816-936-1200).
I hope your commute home is filled with fun stories from the first day. However, just in case your teen gives you only, "It was fine," I have added a few pictures below to help fill in the gaps!
It's finally here, the first day of school! Have you noticed the red carpet our students walk on to get into school the first day? Our Student Council ensures this fun tradition is in place each year. I think that is one of my favorite things about Pembroke Hill, the faculty is not alone in their preparations for the school year. Our students and families are just as involved. I hope that you find that sense of community in our middle school this year as well. We are a team, on an important 3 year journey. It is an honor for us to be a part of this transformative time in your child's life.
I thought it would be appropriate for my first blog entry this year to give you a sneak peek into the ways the counseling and Advisory programs will be supporting you and your child over the next 9+ months. To do that, I'd ask that you look over the following two documents:
Counseling Program Overview 2015-2016 Here you can see an outline of what is planned each month in Wellness and Advisory, as well as other relevant activities. This plan is created to be flexible. The flexibility is necessary as we schedule outside speakers to visit our school, work around the needs of teacher curriculum, address the needs of our students, etc. The weekly blog entries will provide updates to the plan, as well as follow up information after the events.
Advisory Goals and Priorities This document highlights the larger picture of this year's Advisory program, giving you some insight as to how we work to support each student through their time with their advisor.
If you look over this information and find yourself with unanswered questions, please feel free to contact me via email or phone (816-936-1200).
I hope your commute home is filled with fun stories from the first day. However, just in case your teen gives you only, "It was fine," I have added a few pictures below to help fill in the gaps!
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