Inner Balance
December 2019
Exciting upcoming events at Dawson Middle School to look out for!
Second Semester Schedule Changes
Tough Conversations: How to Handle Family and Friends that are Thinking About Suicide
Semester Exams
Second Semester Schedules
Tough Conversations: How to handle friends and family that are thinking about suicide
Tough conversations are bound to
happen. Does your child know how to
respond if they are worried about a
friend? Would they know what to do if
their friend tells them they are
thinking of suicide? Would they keep
it a secret or seek help? Both parents and students
are invited to attend this important convesation.
Monday, Dec 9, 2019, 06:00 PM
Carroll High School, North White Chapel Boulevard, Southlake, TX, USA
Semester Exams
1. The week before exams is devoted to preparation. Teachers will not present any new information the week before exams. Instead, that week will be devoted to reviewing and reinforcing previously taught material and guiding students on how to study.
2. Teachers are available every morning from 8:00 until 8:30 for tutorials. This can be a great time for students to ask questions and build confidence before test day. Some teachers plan designated review days where they play review games or go over possible test questions. Others make themselves available to help on an as-needed basis.
3. The exam schedule builds in additional study time during the school day. During exam week, all time spent in advisory will be "Study Hall" time -- and students will be in advisory more often than they normally are! Many non-tested electives (such as Athletics or a semester elective) will also give students additional time to study on exam days. See the schedule below to get an idea of your built-in study time.
4. Studying is a skill that must be taught. Some students feel like a failure because they don't know how to study. Studying is not something that comes naturally! Many of our teachers teach study skills within their classrooms, but students (especially those taking exams for the first time) can always benefit from reinforcement at home. Check out this article for some good advice on helping your child build good study habits.
Second Semester Exam Schedule
Monday, December 16, 2019
1st Period Exam 8:40 – 10:10
3rd Period Exam 10:20 - 11:50
4th Period 11:55 – 12:25
5th Period 12:30 – 1:00
6th Period 1:05 - 1:35
2nd Period 1:40 – 2:20
8th Period 2:25 – 3:00
9th Period 3:05 – 3:40
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
9th Period Exam 8:40 – 10:10
8th Period Exam 10:20 - 11:50
4th Period 11:55 – 12:25
5th Period 12:30 – 1:00
6th Period 1:05 - 1:35
1st Period 1:40 – 2:20
2nd Period 2:25 – 3:00
3rd Period 3:05 – 3:40
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
Advisory 8:40 - 8:55
5th Period Exam 9:00 - 10:30
Advisory/Lunch 10:35 - 11:05
6th Period Exam 11:10 – 12:40
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Advisory 8:40 - 8:55
2nd Period Exam 9:00 - 10:30
Advisory/Lunch 10:35 - 11:05
4th Period Exam 11:10 – 12:40
Tips for Instilling True Gratitude in your Kids!
Gratitude is a deliberate practice and it involves a period of reflection in which we allow ourselves to truly appreciate the actions of others that have had a positive impact on our lives. Now is an especially meaningful time of year to remind ourselves of what we are grateful for in our lives. The practice of expressing gratitude can cause our brains to release “happy hormones”, like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. These hormones can help to relieve anxiety and can induce positive emotions like happiness, joy, humor, pride, gratitude, and excitement. Generating positive emotions through expressing gratitude, sharing positive events, and recognizing one and others’ character strengths can lead to deep satisfaction that can improve our mental state and even affect the paths we choose in life.
Here are some helpful exercises to cultivate an attitude of gratitude in your life:
Wake Up on the "Right Side" of the Bed: When you get out of bed and start getting ready, think of one thing you are truly grateful for and try to be specific. This practice may be just the “pick me up” you need to get your day off to an awesome start.
Express Gratitude x7: Every day for a week, sincerely express gratitude to someone who has been helpful to you in some way. What effects, if any, did this have on your outlook, mood, and relationships?
Strategies for Inducing Positive Emotions: List positive emotions—i.e., joy, humor/mirth, satisfaction/contentment, pride, surprise/delight, eagerness, and excitement—in one column on a paper. In the second column, write a list of strategies for inducing these emotions in yourself.
Smartphone “Attitude of Gratitude”: Keep a list of everything you are grateful for on your smartphone. Set a daily reminder so that each day you read your entire list, and then add at least one thing. Over time you may find this can have a profound effect on your overall happiness.
Make Someone's Day: Write a letter of gratitude to one of the people you thought of in the Express Gratitude x7 exercise or someone else important to you. Tell him or her why you are grateful and share any special memories you have of your time with that person. Share your gratitude letter by reading it in person or over the phone.
What does it mean to have a certified HeartMath Coach at Dawson Middle School?
Your Counselor's can help your child boost resilience, composure and clarity!
The HeartMath Building Personal Resilience™ program is a focused and practical program, combining personalized coaching with scientifically validated tools to help your child self-regulate their body’s response to stress and build resilience. They will learn life-long skills you can use any time to increase well-being, personal and academic performance and quality of life experience.
Be sure to contact your child's grade level counselor for more details!
DMS Counselos
Amy Hurlburt
7th grade Counselor
amy.hurlburt@southlakecarroll.edu
Katrina Tatum
8th grade Counselor
katrina.tatum@suthlakecarroll.edu
Lauren Canafax
Intervention Counselor
lauren.canafax@southlakecarroll.edu
Website: https://www.southlakecarroll.edu/domain/812
Location: 400 South Kimball Avenue, Southlake, TX, USA
Phone: 817-949-5500
Twitter: @DMScounselors