From Lower School, to Upper School and Everything In Between!

A few of the mornings last week I lingered on the Wornall campus a little longer after dropping off my kiddos in the Early Childhood and Primary buildings.  I enjoyed invigoratingly cold walks across the courtyard to the Intermediate building, where I met three poised and knowledgeable 8th grade girls.  Together we journeyed up to the 5th grade hallway, greeted by excited students.  I think it felt a little like being a rock star :)  I did my best to jokingly encourage them to keep up the royal treatment next year!

I love visiting the 5th grade students at the end of the winter, when we're frustrated with the cold and clouds.  It's like bringing back the energy of the first week of school all over again.  Nervous excitement, readiness for change and new people to meet - great combination if you ask a school counselor!

I began the lesson by sharing the "Secrets of Success" in Middle School, based on the 4 things 8th grade teachers know to be the marks of readiness for the Upper School.  This information can be found in the PowerPoint I used with the students: Success in Middle School.  It is clear these students are ready as they gave great answers to the discussion questions.  The 8th graders concluded the lesson by sharing a video they made with the help of 6th grade teachers and 6th grade students: Transition to Middle School Video.  They also served as a student panel, answering the questions of the 5th graders and did a fantastic job!

One of the greatest things about the middle school, is that we also have the opportunity to help support students as they move to the Upper School!  The 8th grade students recently had lunch with Upper School students from the LINC crew, who serve as mentors for the underclassmen.  8th graders brainstormed their questions in advisory, so those could be given to the US students ahead of time.  Additionally, Kathy Lamb, upper school counselor, and I have been meeting to ensure our programs are aligned and working toward the same goals.  She is a fabulous resource for our kids as they enter 9th grade!

The 6th grade leadership group has wrapped up.  These future leaders did a wonderful job working to define what a leader is and what an effective leader looks like.  They also put these leadership skills into practice through fun games and challenging activities.  It's not surprising to hear that the values of Respect, Compassion, and Integrity were found to be central to strong leadership.

Things are moving and shaking in the 7th grade too!  Today we talked together about stereotypes and bias as it relates to the world of work.  Students were asked to write down or draw what they first picture when they hear certain job titles.  We discussed that though we are not immune to bias, we can acknowledge it and chose not to honor it.  Everyone was encouraged to approach Career Kaleidoscope with this type of open mind as they hear the various professionals coming to speak to them tomorrow.

Here's to an exciting day of new experiences and knowledge tomorrow and to a great 4th Quarter!

Reflection, Preparation and Celebration

This past week has been a busy one in the middle school!  There have been a flurry of activities and full calendar's worth of weather, well, almost!  Here's a look into a few things I've had the opportunity to do with the students.

REFLECTION
I met with the 7th grade students recently to reflect on their first experience with final exams.  We talked in large groups about the measures they took to prepare for finals and then had some think time to determine how successful those efforts were.  From there the students helped to create a document they can access with finals tips and advice for spring semester.  I also plan to share this document with the class of 2021 as they approach their first set of finals.  You can find the document here: Class of 2020 Finals Tips and Advice

PREPARATION
On Monday I had the pleasure of joining the students in Mr. Guthrie's math classes.  Together we created individual portfolios on www.missouriconnections.org.  Students took the Interest Profiler and compared these results to a paper/pencil questionnaire we did in November.  With the upcoming 8th Grade Shadow Day in March, the goal of this activity was to provide students with more information regarding the variety of careers that make up our workforce and to encourage them to learn about options they may have never considered or heard of.  Having a math teacher in the room, and information about salary and cost of living on the website, we often found ourselves in intriguing conversations about money, percentages, comparisons between cities, etc.  Students who do not have Mr Guthrie for math or who were absent have been working me in small groups or individually to complete this activity as well.

CELEBRATION
During yesterday's assembly 18 kids helped me announce to our student body and staff that we have successfully raised the $5,000 needed to fulfill Haley's wish!!!!  What an amazing accomplishment!  And in fact, we have OVER $5,000.  For the Make-A-Wish organization to grant a full wish, it actually takes about $10,000.  So any extra we raise still goes to Haley's trip to swim with the dolphins.  The Upper School Student Government met with some of our students to learn about our Bows and Bowties campaign.  Currently Bows and Bowties are on sale in the Upper School.  On February 19 at 7:00 Pembroke Hill will host the "Bow-sket Ball Game" when the Varsity basketball team plays Barstow here at PHS.  Students from the Ward Parkway Campus will be in attendance wearing their bows, bowties, and/or sweatshirts.  Haley and her family will be our guests of honor that evening as well!  I'm currently looking for students who would like to assist in planning a send off party here in the middle school for Haley!

And in case you didn't make it in the building this week, I just had to share the plethora of campaign posters that decorated the hallways!  What courageous and inspiring students we have!  It's always fun to hear their determination to bring in new ice cream flavors and food trucks :)

Goal Setting Here We Come!

As you know, our students receive quarterly grade cards in the middle school.  The grade card is a touch point about the student's academic progress.  The grade card is a source of feedback for our students and can be a very effective tool when our students know how to use it.  Recently in Advisory we have worked to improve our students' ability to read their grade cards and use them as a way to propel themselves forward in their growth as a scholar.

We began our first week back from Winter Break by asking students to predict what their grades would be, as well as what types of comments their teachers would include.  Then you may have noticed that students were emailed their grade cards last week after they were sent to parents.  This was done so students could examine them in their advisories.  Students were asked to reflect on their grade card by answering the following questions:

1. How did my predictions match up to my actual grade card?
2. What positive comments did I receive?
3. What were some areas suggested for me to work on improving?
4. How does the feedback on my grade card match with the student I strive to be?
5. In what ways did the feedback on my grade card surprise me?

Now we will return to our Character Self-Assessments completed in the fall.  Students will reflect on their school year thus far in terms of our 4 values: Respect, Compassion, Scholarship and Integrity.  In some areas they may find they have grown, or they may see a drop, perhaps they will even find they are remaining consistent.  We will use these self-reports, as well as their grade card reflections to be thoughtful about setting goals for the remainder of the school year.  We'll spend some time teaching students about how to set a goal and make a plan to see it through.  Together we'll track our progress toward our goals.  Goal setting is a skill and takes practice, but certainly once it is learned it can increase self-confidence and feelings of success.

To support students in some of their personal goals I will be offering 3 small group opportunities this semester.  Please let me know if you are interested in having your child participate.

• Stress Management - will meet on Mondays during Plus Period.  Casual environment to discuss current stressors, how to respond to stress and how to prevent stress from building up too much.  Specific strategies will be shared and students will be encouraged to come up with their own ideas too.
• Focusing on You - this group will examine the pressures that students face, including how to look, what to do, who to be friends with, etc. and talk about ways to calm those pressures and get to the root of figuring out who you are and what is best for you.  Strategies will be shared for having the courage to be true to yourself.  We will meet on Red Week Wednesdays during Plus Period
• Leadership for 6th Grade - I'm looking for students who want to learn about leadership, as well as give me feedback regarding an upcoming summer option for incoming 5th grade students.  This group will talk about working with others, problem solving, what makes a good leader, and understanding your own strengths and skills.  We will meet on Fridays during Plus Period.

As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions!

Happy Holidays!

One week into December already!  How can it be we have reached the halfway point in the school year?  For me this month is always a mixture of a full schedule and somehow simultaneously slowing down to focus on gratitude and loved ones.  This week I can across an article written by Dr. Brene Brown about the hustle and bustle of the holiday season that struck a chord with me.  (You can read the article and learn more about Dr. Brown here: http://brenebrown.com/2014/12/03/show-must-go-cost/).  Perhaps it caught my attention because I had just read an email from Pamela Robb, principal of our Early Childhood building discussing the very same topic, or maybe just because I have found a connection with Dr. Brown's work in the past.  However, I know, that deep down, the real reason I connected with the article is that I fall victim to the pressures of the holiday season year after year.  I have a a list of fun things our Elf on the Shelf will do this year in my kitchen, there is a large stack of holiday cards waiting to be addressed this weekend on my counter, and I am feeling a bit frantic about the fact that the cookie decorating party I keep meaning to plan has not yet been planned.  Sometimes I forget to practice what I preach!

So I thought this would be a great time to share with you my Pembroke Hill Counseling Pinterest board.  (Ironic isn't it?  Given that Pinterest is my recent source of holiday pressure...).  But this Pinterest board is different.  I have shared it with the students and it is meant to inspire, to refocus and to provide encouragement.  I'll update it from time to time to keep it relevant for the students.  For instance, I just added several ideas for stress management on the heels of our Wellness lessons.  And as I side bonus, I get a chance to reflect too!  You can see my board here: http://www.pinterest.com/lindsaykobolt/

Additionally I have started using YouTube as a way to share resources with students and parents.  I am working to create playlists of relevant videos so you do not need to search around as much.  I don't have much on my YouTube channel playlists yet, but I will be adding to it soon!  The playlists are divided into "Videos for Parents" (which currently includes a favorite Dr. Brene Brown video of mine) and "Videos for Students."  counseling playlists

While I'll probably still address all those cards and get creative with our elf, maybe I'll let the cookie decorating party go and simply keep that event to just our family.  We can even stay in our pajamas that way!  I sincerely hope that the rest of this month brings joy and relaxation to your family!

Let's Talk About Stress

While our students still feel that finals are off in the distance, the Middle School staff has been planning for the weeks following Thanksgiving break, that will surely come fast and furious as we work to prepare 7th and 8th grade students for their final exams.

Knowing that this time can quickly lead to a feeling of being overwhelmed, we are working to give students the tools they need to navigate the end of the semester before that busy time hits.

In Advisory students have been discussing organization and time management strategies and practicing them with their advisors.  Next week 7th and 8th grade students will each complete a finals study plan - ask them to see it at home!  In December we will share specific test taking tips will all students through the advisory program.

This week students have been working with me in Wellness lessons.  6th grade students met with me on Monday to talk about what stress is, the science behind the stress reactions our bodies have and how we can control our reactions to stress in a healthy way.  Each student had about 25 minutes to create their own individual stress management plan using their favorite app.  Ask your child to share their creation with you and talk about their stress management plan with them.  Here are a couple of examples of plans that students created:

Stress Plan Video

Click here to watch a video created by one of our students!

7th Grade students are participating in their Wellness lesson today (Friday).  They will talk about having busy schedules and using their time wisely, in addition to discussing strategies to overcome test anxiety.  The strategies being presented to the 7th grade are: 

1. Reframe It - What is finals about?  Why do we do them?  Instead of focusing on negative feelings you have about finals, think about how they are a helpful part of your learning process. What can you gain from taking finals? How is this helpful to you?
2. Positive Self-Talk Catch any negative thoughts you have (This is too hard - I can't do it - I'll never pass) and turn them around. Tell yourself that you can take big tests well, you are capable, you are doing the work to be prepared and put it in perspective, it's only a test.
3. Deep Breathing (This is something all grades practice in our lessons) Put your hand on your stomach, breathe in deep through your nose and fill your abdomen with air. Hold for 3 seconds. Breathe out through your mouth, repeat. This calms the brain and slows the heart rate - things that counter our bodies natural stress response and help us maintain focus.
4. “Brain Dump”  Write it out, crumple it up, make a basket. Students will write out their worries and fears, get them out, just release all those worries. Then crumple up their paper - not allowing those fears to crowd their head any longer. They will release more tension by playing basketball and shooting them into a basket.

8th Grade students worked with me on Tuesday. We spent our Wellness time taking a self-rating stress scale. Students marked off stressful situations they had encountered this school year or were currently experiencing. We discussed stress as relative, that what is stressful to one person might not be stressful to another. As such, each person may interpret their results differently. I did share the average scores with all students by email later in the day, so that they could compare their results with those of the peers. Each student had two opportunities to request a follow up appointment with me if they wanted. Some students did take advantage of this and we are meeting over the next few days. Of course, any time a student wishes to meet with me, they are welcome to make that request. We ended the lesson by talking about how social media can sometimes be stressful and watched a clip from The Ellen Show about how some people's pictures on Facebook got them into a bit of an uncomfortable situation!

Fostering an Inclusive Atmosphere

Quarter One is complete and we have begun the second half of the semester.  Senora Araiza and Senora Wolfe's advisory partnership are the current Advisory Contest Champions!  They were quite successful at completing song lyrics, answering riddles, tying shoes, throwing paper airplanes and more!  To celebrate they have been treated to a pizza party.  Now a new set of contests will occur and everyone is even again!

This past week in Advisory we focused on diversity, appreciation for ourselves and how we are strong when we bring all of our individual differences together.  Students worked to create "leaves" that represent their individuality and the leaves are being assembled on a "Diversity Tree" by a team of very creative 8th grade students!  Here's a sneak peak at some of the leaves, I'll be sure to post a picture of the tree when it is complete.

In light of our school wide look into appreciating what makes us diverse, I thought I would share that I have recently attended a workshop to be Safe Space trained through the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). The aim of this training is to increase knowledge of and sensitivity to LGBTQ topics, challenges and experiences.  I went to strengthen my ability to be an effective ally and advocate for all students and families at Pembroke Hill.  At the workshop I gained an updated list of resources that may interest you.

• Kansas City Passages Youth Center www.kcpassages.org/site
• Center for LGBTQ youth ages 14-20.  Programs to encourage personal growth and social interaction
• The Transgender Institute of Kansas City www.transinstitute.org
• Gender Identity therapy and referrals to endocrinologists, surgeons, cosmetologists
• Like Me Lighthouse likemelighthouse.org
• Safe space for LGBT individuals and their families.  Provides resources, outreach and community 
• Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays of Kansas City (PFLAG-KC) www.pflagkc.org
• Provide a support system for families and friends of LGBT youth
• Perform Out KC www.performoutkc.org
• Inclusive atmosphere for youth of all identities to excel in the performing arts
• The Trevor Project - LGBT Youth Hotline 1-866-488-7386

Making A Wish Come True!

Greetings Parents!

This fall we introduced our students to Haley, a 6 year old girl with juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML).  Her wish is to swim with the dolphins this spring and our job is to make that wish come true by raising the $5,000 needed to cover the cost of the trip.  The Kids for Wish Kids program is a division of Make-A-Wish Foundation that partners with schools to bring character education into action.  Through this program our students are developing their:

• Respect - Understanding the difficulties another faces when battling a life-threatening illness and the impact on his/her life, as well as the other members of his/her family.  Students are also challenged to work together to create fundraising opportunities, putting them in positions of needing to hear each other's ideas and work cooperatively.
• Compassion - Students are building empathy for Haley and other seriously ill children in our community.  They are finding ways to put their wants second, in order to positively impact the life of another.
• Scholarship - Students are exercising their creative problem-solving capabilities.  They are focused on an end goal and see their efforts as integral to finding success.  There will be roadblocks along the way that will require perseverance and continual determination to maneuver.  
• Integrity - In the Kids for Wish Kids guide for schools they have chosen integrity building as part of their vision for the program.  They approach every aspect of their work with honesty and transparency in honoring the needs of the wish recipient, their families and supporters.  We are challenging our students to keep this critical piece of the process in mind as they strive to meet our goal.  

The impact of this program is fairly amazing, as you can see.  It gets better than this though!  81% of wish kid parents observe an increased willingness by their child to comply with treatment while they are being sponsored for a wish.  89% of doctors, nurses and social workers say they believe the wish experience influences the child's physical health.  97% of wish families and 96% of health care professionals observe an increase in the child's emotional health.  Lastly, 97% of families say the wish experience strengthened their family.

Already through their own efforts, our students have raised $861.00!!!  Many more fundraising ideas are on their way, and students are always welcome to make a "just because" donation at any time.  These can be given to their adviser or brought to me.  What an inspiring and worthy cause - and your children are rising to the challenge - amazing!