Gateway School Counseling
October 2022 Family Newsletter
Welcome!
About Us
Weekly Guidance Lessons
During our classroom lessons, we follow a curriculum purchased by the OPS School Counseling department. This curriculum is called RethinkEd. RethinkEd lessons teach students about feelings, kindness, academic skills like goal setting, coping skills, and about different postsecondary paths! This is our first year with the RethinkEd curriculum so we are going to be rolling out some new things related to this curriculum in the coming months!
If you have any questions about our classroom lessons, please feel free to reach out to a Gateway School Counselor!
Ms. McGovern's Classrooms
- Mrs. Krause
- Mrs. Varley
- Ms. Webber
- Mrs. McAllister
- Ms. Kogel
- Mrs. Noriega
- Mrs. Marquez
- Ms. Herring
- Ms. Ferrer
- Ms. Walden
- Ms. Hall
- Mrs. Ragland
- Mr. Kuck
- Mrs. Stangl
- Mrs. Bieterman
- Mrs. Thomas
- Mrs. Martin
- Mr. Ramold
- Mrs. Mehsling
Mrs. Buglewicz-Miller's Classrooms
- Mrs. Lyons
- Mrs. Howard
- Mrs. Kobza
- Mrs. Dutkiewicz
- Mrs. Kirchevel
- Mrs. Ludlow
- Mrs. Begley
- Mrs. Taylor
- Mrs. Huckins
- Ms. Lang
- Mrs. Stanek
- Mrs. Johnson
- Mr. Cruz
- Ms. Brathwaite
- Ms. Wallin
- Mrs. Prokop
- Ms. Bourne
- Mr. Jorgenson
Ms. Valle's Classrooms
- Mrs. Howard
- Ms. Webber
- Mrs. Dutkiewicz
- Ms. Herring
- Ms. Noriega
- Ms. Walden
- Mrs. Johnson
- Ms. Stanek
- Ms. Brathwaite
- Mrs. Thomas
- Ms. Mehsling
- Mr. Jorgenson
This Month at Gateway
Feelings
Body Safety
Bullying Prevention Month
During this month at Gateway, we will be hosting a school wide challenge to "Leaf Bulling at the Door." Classrooms will have the opportunity to participate in bully-prevention activities throughout the month. Classrooms that complete the most anti-bullying activities by the end of the month will earn a treat! Ask your student(s) about what they are doing to help "leaf bullying at the door"!
Help at Home
My Student is Being Bullied
Children who are bullied can experience negative physical, social, emotional, academic, and mental health issues. Children who are bullied are more likely to experience:
- Depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy.
- Health complaints
- Decreased academic achievement—GPA and standardized test scores—and school participation. They are more likely to miss, skip, or drop out of school.
How to identify if your child is being bullied and how to support:
1. Help your child understand bullying. Children who know what bullying is can better identify it. They can talk about bullying if it happens to them or others. Children need to know ways to safely stand up to bullying and how to get help.
2. Give comfort, support, and advice, even if you can’t solve the problem directly. Encourage the child to report bullying if it happens, whether that is to you or school staff.
3. Keep the lines of communication open. Research tells us that children really do look to parents and caregivers for advice and help on tough decisions. Sometimes spending 15 minutes a day talking can reassure kids that they can talk to their parents or caregivers if they have a problem.
Start conversations about daily life and feelings with questions like these:
- What was one good thing that happened today? Any bad things?
- What is lunch time like at your school? Who do you sit with? What do you talk about?
- What is it like to ride the school bus?
- What are you good at? What would do you like best about yourself?
Talking about bullying directly is an important step in understanding how the issue might be affecting children. There are no right or wrong answers to these questions, but it is important to encourage children to answer them honestly. Assure children that they are not alone in addressing any problems that arise.
Start conversations about bullying with questions like these:
- What does “bullying” mean to you?
- Who are the adults you trust most when it comes to things like bullying?
- Have you ever felt scared to go to school because you were afraid of bullying? What ways have you tried to change it?
- What do you think parents or caregivers can do to help stop bullying?
- Have you or your friends left other kids out on purpose? Do you think that was bullying? Why or why not?
- What do you usually do when you see bullying going on?
- Do you ever see kids at your school being bullied by other kids? How does it make you feel?
- Have you ever tried to help someone who is being bullied? What happened? What would you do if it happens again?
These are simple, yet profound, ways that parents and caregivers can keep up-to-date with the lives of their children and help identify and support if your child is experiencing bullying.
If you suspect that your child is being bullied, reach out to a School Counselor or Gateway Administrator.
My Student is Bullying Others
All of our students have potential to be wonderful learners and friends, but some students struggle more than others to treat people with kindness.
When a student is bullying others, there are a few things that administration can/will do. The definition of bullying in the OPS Code of Conduct is, "any intentional ongoing pattern of written or verbal expression, electronic abuse, physical acts, or gestures intended to cause distress/harm upon one or more students and includes an imbalance of power". Bullying can be considered a level 3 violation of the Code of Conduct. "Level 3 violations may involve the short-term removal of a student from the school environment due to the severity of the behavior. The duration of the short-term suspension, if issued, is to be limited as much as possible while adequately addressing the behavior. In the case of repeated need for short-term suspension, an assistance plan (Behavior Intervention Plan, Student Assistance Plan) should be developed." Administration will work with the teacher and family, as well as additional support staff as needed, to create a plan for the student bullying others.
School counselors are often consulted when bullying happens in the school. Kelsey and Ali have met with students on both sides of the bullying to create restoration between the students. School Counselors can also refer to outside resources like community counseling organizations or programs who work with the family to create plans for students who are bullying others. We are not a part of the administration team and do not enforce consequences for violations of the code of conduct. Instead, we work with students to create other strategies, build healthier relationships, and cope with their own feelings in an effort to prevent further instances of bullying.
Family members play an extremely important role in preventing bullying. If you know or suspect that your child is involved in bullying, there are several things you can do. Recognizing the warning signs is an important first step in taking action against bullying. These warning signs can also point to other issues or problems, such as depression or substance abuse. Talking to the child can help identify the root of the problem.
Kids may be bullying others if they:
- Get into physical or verbal fights
- Have friends who bully others
- Are increasingly aggressive
- Get sent to the principal’s office or to detention frequently
- Have unexplained extra money or new belongings
- Blame others for their problems
- Don’t accept responsibility for their actions
- Are competitive and worry about their reputation or popularity
So, why do kids bully? According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, "Children and teenagers who feel secure and supported by their family, school, and peers are less likely to bully. However, some youth do not have these types of support. Every individual is unique and there are many factors that can contribute to bullying behavior. A youth who bullies may experience one, several, or none of these contributing factors." Peer, family, emotional, and school factors can all impact students who are at risk to bully others. Students may bully to attain or maintain social power or to elevate their status in their peer group. They may come from a home where their parents or caregivers respond in an authoritarian or reactive way or are extremely lenient with low parental involvement. Many bullies have been bullied in the past or are currently being bullied. They may have feelings of insecurity and low self-esteem, so they bully to make themselves feel more powerful. Some bullies do not understand the emotions of others or may have a hard time controlling their own emotions. Some bullies may experience being excluded, not accepted, or stigmatized at school.
In order to help ensure that your student is not involved in bullying, have frequent conversations or check ins about how they are doing. Do they have friends in their classroom? Do they feel welcome at the school? How are they talking to others on social media or through online games? When we as caregivers open the doors for communication without judgement, our students are more likely to treat themselves and others with less judgement.
If you suspect that your student may be bullying others, reach out to a School Counselor or Gateway Administrator.
Find additional information about bullying at www.stopbullying.gov
For more information on the OPS Code of Conduct follow this link: https://district.ops.org/DEPARTMENTS/Student-and-Community-Services/Due-Process
Communicate With Your Kids Month
"October is National Communicate with Your Kid Month. Conversation flows naturally when adults and children are doing creative activities. Arts and crafts projects like these help your kids open up, express their thoughts and feelings and share their dreams, fears, and memories!" - Crayola
Find out more by following the link below:
https://www.crayola.com/for-parents/party-ideas/communicate-with-your-kids.aspx
LGBTQ+ History Month
"LGBT History Month was created in 1994 by Rodney Wilson, a high school history teacher in Missouri. In 1995, a resolution passed by the General Assembly of the National Education Association included LGBT History Month within a list of commemorative months. October was selected to coincide with National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11), which was already established, and the anniversary of the first march on Washington for gay and lesbian rights in 1979.
The month now also includes Spirit Day on Oct. 20, on which people around the country wear purple in support of LGBT youth; Ally Week, a week in which allies against LGBT bullying are celebrated; and the anniversary of 21-year-old Matthew Shepard’s murder on Oct. 12, 1998, which led to the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2009.
The month is meant to highlight and celebrate the history and achievements of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. According to GLAAD, “during the early years, the celebration was largely marked by a call to action and commemoration. But since then, LGBT History Month has blossomed into a national coordinated effort to highlight exemplary role models from the LGBT community.” - JENNA MARINA LEE at UCF
For daily videos about various LGBTQ icons, visit this link: https://lgbthistorymonth.com/
Panera Bread Program
This year, Gateway Elementary is participating in the Panera Bread Day-End Dough Bread program. Through this program, Panera, LLC is proud to share their unsold bread and bakery products with 501 (c) (3) non-profit organizations in addressing the need for food distribution in efforts to help fight food insecurity in communities.
This opportunity is made possible by the Midtown Neighborhood Alliance. Midtown Neighborhood Alliance, a nonprofit organization of 17 neighborhoods in Midtown Omaha has partnered with Panera, LLC for over 15 years. The partnership has allowed for various organizations and schools to receive Panera food for families. Gateway is one of the participating schools. We are grateful for this program.
If your family needs any additional support with food, please contact either Kelsey or Ali using the information below.
Resources
Nebraska Family Helpline
1-888-866-8660
Safe 2 Help
531-299-SAFE (7233)
Your Life Your Voice
Call: 1-800-448-3000
Text: "VOICE" to 20121
Chat: yourlifeyourvoice.org
Email: YLYV@boystown.org
Download the "My Life My Voice" app!
Contact Us
Ms. Ali McGovern
Email: alison.mcgovern@ops.org
Phone: (531)299-9529
Mrs. Kelsey Buglewicz-Miller
Email: kelsey.buglewiczmiller@ops.org
Phone: (531)299-6939