Counselors Corner
Village School Counseling Department
In this issue you'll find...
- October: Bullying Prevention Month
- Recommended Articles
- Adopt-a-Family Information
- METCO Family Partner Program
- Mental Health Resources & Apps
October is...Bullying Prevention Month!
It’s never easy to talk about tough topics like bullying. But when we address them head-on and bring them out into the open, we have a better chance of preventing bullying behavior and helping keep everyone well.
The good news is that research indicates that strong bullying prevention programs can help reduce bullying at school. At Village, we follow the Choose Love curriculum for our weekly advisory. Choose Love is one of the approved Anti-bullying/SEL curriculums through DESE. The four core values of Choose Love: Courage, Gratitude, Forgiveness, and Compassion help students recognize bullying behavior and make positive changes. As a school community, we want to empower students and give them the support they need in the face of bullying behavior.
What is bullying?
Bullying is the repeated use by one or more students of unwelcome written, electronic, verbal, or physical gestures where a student feels forced, intimidated, harassed or threatened and under the circumstances may cause:
- Physical or emotional harm to the student
- Damage to another student's property
- A disruptive or hostile environment
Bullying is different from a mean moment or a social conflict. Though these interactions are still negative and cause harm, these are considered incidents. This helpful infographic helps outline the key differences between bullying and other types of negative peer interactions.
Recommended October Articles 📚
How to respond to bullies
Helping kids deal with bullies
Conflict vs. Bullying Presentation attached at the end of the newsletter
Dealing with social conflict ✌️
How to help tweens and teens manage social conflict
Teaching kids how to deal with conflict
Rude vs. mean. vs bullying: defining the differences
Additional helpful resources
How parents can recognize and help a child with anxiety
Mental health tools that can help tweens get a better perspective
Adopt - A - Family
Since the 1990s, Making Ends Meet’s Adopt-a-Family program has helped to brighten the
holidays for Marblehead students and their families by connecting them to community sponsors and providing grocery vouchers.
Marblehead school counselors, physicians, clergy, and the Marblehead Counseling Center help to identify local Marblehead families who could benefit from their hometown community’s kindness. Qualifying families will provide their top wish and gift card requests for their children. We also ask for clothing sizes so that as we enter into the new year, we are prepared to provide some additional support, as needed.
Get involved in one of two ways…
ONE:
Please consider becoming an Adopt-a-Family sponsor. We welcome individuals, families, scout troops, book clubs, and classrooms to consider this opportunity to bring a smile to our neighbors. If you are unable to sponsor but still want to help, please consider a donation of any amount to Making Ends Meet, PO Box 901, Marblehead, MA 01945 makingendsmeetmhd@gmail.com
TWO:
Identify as needing a little extra support this season. Please reach out to your child's school counselor for the next steps on how to apply for support. All applications must be received by November 10, 2023.
METCO Family Partner Program
MPS Family Partner Program
From Caja Johnson, METCO Program Director for Marblehead Public Schools:
The program, formerly known as the METCO Host Family program, was a fantastic program that paired Boston and Marblehead families. Students from Boston had the opportunity to stay at a local family's home when there were events and activities after school. Also, Marblehead families would travel and hang out with Boston families. In addition, the METCO program would sponsor district-wide activities that engage families and communities. Click here for more information about the METCO Program.
In that same spirit, the Family Partner program will extend this opportunity to all students and families attending Marblehead Public Schools. We are moving away from the terminology “Host Family” because we are a community that believes in investing in the lives of all young people.
Families that wish to provide a safe space at their home, are required to complete a CORI form and get fingerprinted.
Please take 10 minutes to complete this form if you have an interest in joining the Family Partner Program.
Mental Health Resources & Apps 😀
Stop, Breathe, & Think is a great tool that is designed to help you learn how to be more mindful and manage stress using simple meditation. You can check-in daily, track your progress and feel more calm. Stop, Breathe, & Think is a free app.
How you feel matters! Happify allows you to take control of your feelings and thoughts. The Happify app provides you with engaging activities and games to support positive emotions. Happify is available to download on iOS and Android devices.
The Marblehead Rotary Club has generously gifted access to this amazing resource in an effort to support our community's mental health and wellness. This program fosters life skills such as improved focused, compassion, gratitude, and self-regulation strategies. Check it out!
Handhold was created by a team of mental health and child development experts with tips, tools, and resources created especially for parents.
This is not a social media app. This is an educational apps focused on mental health. Created by GoZen! for Tweens and Teens!
Village School Counseling Department
Kate Dulac, Grade 4 School Counselor
Jeffrey Newsome, Grade 5 School Counselor
Kevin Merrigan, Grade 6 School Counselor
Website: https://www.marbleheadschools.org/domain/206
Location: Village School, Village Street, Marblehead, MA, USA
Phone: 781-639-3159