Gateway School Counseling
November 2022 Family Newsletter
Welcome!
About Us
Small Groups
School Counselors work with students at many different levels in order to deliver a comprehensive counseling program. We teach classroom lessons and meet individually with students, but we also run data supported small groups.
Our small groups are research informed so we use techniques that have been successful in other small group settings. Our small groups are also data supported. We find our small group participants using data such as teacher surveys, attendance records, and behavior referrals, among other sources. Our small groups are also experienced guided. We select the participants for our small groups by first deciding a topic, then finding students who want to participate and will work well with the other group members.
The purpose of our small groups is to develop competencies, enhance skills, and explore different issues. Some topics that we have been considering this year are stress management, friendship development, and kindness/anti-bullying.
We coordinate with the students' teachers to plan the best time to pull the participants out of class in order to avoid any key parts of instruction. We typically run four to five small group meetings including one introductory meeting where we review confidentiality expectations and a concluding meeting where we wrap up by setting a goal for moving forward with the new skills. After our small groups are complete, we share the data that we collected with stakeholders like teachers, administration, and families.
Our first small group this year focused on self-control. Over the course of four weeks, students learned self-control skills and worked to apply those skills in their classrooms. The group met twice a week for 25 minutes each session. Through activities and reflection, students learned self-control strategies.
This year, we also rolled out our Bounce Back group that is run through Connections. Bounce Back focuses on healing from trauma and building resilience. Once a week a therapist from Project Harmony’s Connections comes in to facilitate the group.
If you have any questions about what small groups we are currently running or how we facilitate them, please reach out to either Ali McGovern or Kelsey Buglewicz-Miller. You can find our contact information below!
This Month at Gateway
Leaf Bullying at the Door Update
Last month, we hosted a school wide challenge to “Leaf Bullying at the Door.” Throughout the month of October, classrooms participated in bully-prevention activities. A classroom earned a leaf to display on their door each time an activity was complete. The classrooms with the most leaves earned a treat. The “Leaf Bullying at the Door” winners are Ms. Ferrer's class with 13 leaves, Mrs. Taylor's class with 11 leaves, and Ms. Herring's class with 8 leaves. Congratulations to the winning classrooms!
Though October is over, every month is a good month to practice anti-bullying. Here are some ways to continue anti-bullying at home:
Families can communicate. Talk with and listen to your student every day.
- Show you care.
- Ask questions about their school day, including experiences on the way to and from school, lunch, and recess.
- Ask about their friends.
- Observe your children’s emotional state as changes in behavior, appetite, and sleep patterns may be a sign of anxiety or discomfort.
Families can teach and model. Instill in your children the values of respect, responsibility, and resiliency to prevent bullying.
- Create healthy anti-bullying habits, coaching your children on both what not to do (e.g., push, tease, be mean to others) as well as what to do (e.g., be kind, empathize, take turns, be respectful).
- Explain to your child about what to do if someone is mean to him/her or to another student. Tell the bully to stop, then walk away and report it to an adult.
Gratitude Month
Happy Gratitude Month! November is National Gratitude Month. Gratitude means to be thankful and show appreciation for somebody or something and to show kindness in return. Showing gratitude is important because it helps strengthen relationships with others, build resilience, and improve our physical and mental health.
In honor of Gratitude Month, we are inviting students and staff to write what they are grateful for on our office doors. Students and staff have the opportunity all month long to write something they are grateful for outside of school as well as inside of school. Teachers are welcome to take bring students to our offices and write on the doors or stop by after specials! This is a great way to show our Gateway family what we appreciate in our lives.
While we love to see gratitude at school, it is equally important to practice gratitude at home.
Here are some ways you can practice gratitude at home:
1) Keep a gratitude journal
Take time to write down what you are grateful for. This is a way to identify the big things in your life for which you’re grateful. To start, get a blank notebook, set aside one day a week, and write down a few things you’re thankful for. Whether it be a piece of candy or a birthday celebration, there is always something to be grateful for.
2) Write ‘Thank You’ notes
Take the time to write a thank you notes to people you appreciate, people who lend a helping hand when you need it, or people you simply think could use some encouragement. The simple act of thanking someone can boost your mood as well as the person you are thanking.
3) Say “Please” and “Thank You”
Saying these words can go a long way. When you say please to someone – whether they’re about to make you a sandwich or help you tie your shoe – it is important to ask nicely. When you say thank you, it shows that person you appreciate them.
4) Spread kindness
Small acts of kindness go a long way when expressing gratitude. Hold the door open for someone, draw a picture for a friend, or share a snack with someone you appreciate. Gratitude can be expressed in many ways, big or small!
Emotion Management Lessons
This unit will help students identify various emotions by assessing how they feel in their bodies and minds. After practicing identifying emotions, we will work one developing coping skills for emotional regulation that students can use when they are having uncomfortable feelings like anger, sadness, and worry. Ask your students about the tools they are learning to use this month!
Here are some ways to continue the conversation at home:
Practice Talking About Feelings
Children are more likely to use feeling language in-the-moment if prompted to practice as often as possible. It is equally important to talk about feelings of happiness as it is to talk about times of sadness or worry. As your child continues to practice, they will grow in their ability to use more complicated emotional words – such as frustration, pride, disappointment and concern.
Allow Your Child to Have Feelings
It is difficult to not fix children’s problems. As soon as they say their train is stuck on the track, you want to help them move it. Instead, use these opportunities to help them recognize their feelings and help themselves cope.
Model Talking About Your Feelings
Using specific words to describe your own anger, sadness or happiness can better help children understand feelings. While you may be worried this will teach your children to be afraid or concerned, using emotional language actually makes it okay to talk about feelings and leads to more positive coping. To do this, state your feeling and pair it with a coping strategy.
Gratitude & Mindfulness Lessons
These lessons will help students understand the importance of gratitude and mindfulness. Through activities, students will learn how they can practice gratitude and mindfulness in order to improve their mental health. Ask your students what they are leaning about gratitude and mindfulness.
Here are so activities you can do at home:
1) Take a few minutes and practice gratitude with Mindfulness Yeti through this directive video.
2) Be intentional with your time and set aside time for enjoyable family activities.
3) Go on a walk and focus on what you see and hear.
4) Enjoy a meal together. Focus on the taste and the smell.
Introducing Sammy, Gateway's School Dog
Please contact Mrs. Buglewicz-Miller with any further questions or concerns!
Help at Home
Native American Heritage Month
"Native American Heritage Month has evolved from its beginnings as a week-long celebration in 1986, when President Reagan proclaimed the week of November 23-30, 1986 as "American Indian Week." Every President since 1995 has issued annual proclamations designating the month of November as the time to celebrate the culture, accomplishments, and contributions of people who were the first inhabitants of the United States.
Through dance, family traditions, and music, these stories show the diversity and long history of Indigenous people across the United States. Celebrate the history, culture, and traditions of American Indians and Alaska Natives in a special collection of films, short stories, and resources from Public Television." - PBS
To celebrate and honor Native American Heritage Month with your family try the following activities:
- Visit a local reservation or museum
- Try cooking a Native American recipe this fall
- Research your local tribes
- Follow Native Americans on social media to diversify your media consumption
- Learn what native land you are on
- Read books and enjoy art by Indigenous people
Parent Involvement Day
"National Parental Involvement Day, November 17th, 2022, celebrates public education and honors parents who make a difference in ensuring that every student receives a quality education. National Parental Involvement Day, provides a yearly opportunity for schools and families to honor and highlight the powerful contributions parents and caregivers provide at school and home to support student success. However, parental involvement shouldn’t be confined to just one day – it should be emphasized all year long. Getting involved in your child’s education has been shown to dramatically increase the chances of academic success. This annual day of recognition serves as not only a celebration of currently involved parents, but also a reminder to seek out ways to make a difference. Check with your student’s teacher or the office in their school to see how you can help. National Parental Involvement Day reminds students and parents that learning doesn’t only happen in a classroom. Help children seek out opportunities to experience new places, people and ideas, whether that’s going to a museum or spending time talking to a community leader. Finding a passion and a mentor can open a child’s world." - Project Appleseed
November is also National Picture Book Month. This month is a celebration of adults spending precious time with their children away from technology. Picture books can be used to widen children's imaginations or teach them about important topics. In our counseling department, we use picture books to teach our students about topics like feelings, coping skills, building friendships, and many more. To celebrate National Picture Book Month, find a picture book at a library near you or even have your student check one out and bring it home to read!
Thanksgiving and Holiday Resources
Holiday Community Programs
Holiday Community Programs
Holiday Community Programs
Holiday Community Programs
Coat Drive
United Way
Winter Clothing Support
NEW! Family Workshops
Before we schedule our first workshop, we want to hear from you! Please fill out the following survey to help us pick a topic, day, & time for our first workshop.
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