Camas Ridge Counseling Corner
April 5-April 9, 2021
Daily Intentions
This week, we have begun setting daily intentions with our entire school. These daily intentions help prime our brains to look for opportunities and behaviors that support our intentions, create focus, drive, and mindful actions. These intentions help us to set a tone for the day and create common language and goals. This week, our intentions have focused on giving ourselves patience, self-care, and flexibility as we learn a new way of doing school.
Weekly Lessons: Teamwork and Digital Citizenship
Teamwork (kindergarten & first grade)
Digital Citizenship and our Digital Footprint (2nd-5th grades)
We will continue this topic through school. Having conversations about digitial citizenship at home can also support our work and provide skills and insight for your child(ren). A great source for digital citizenship information is commonsensemedia.org
Digital Safety Tips for Parents & Kids:
- Go online with your children help them navigate media & websites, using the time to explain your expectations and how to respect technology.
- Monitor online access by keeping technology within view and in common spaces. Set boundaries including time limits, limits to types of content, and when/where they can use devices.
- Unplug and recharge ALL digital devices during family routines and activities to promote family engagement.
- Tell and continually remind children never to post personal information
- Explain, remind, and reinforce this safety rule: Never meet face-to-face with someone you only know from the internet, and if someone asks to meet you, tell a parent or trusted adult.
Parent Groups & Events
Timely Topic Tuesday with your Elementary Counselors: this Tuesday, April 13 6:00-7:00
We will hold space for Questions and Wonderings about the new hybrid and same-school online schedules and models and how to support your student(s).
Join us via zoom: Timely Topic Tuesday
New support groups and information sessions are available in our schools and community for parents and students. More information about some of the activities are available in our Parent Groups and Events flyer. Some require pre-registration.
School Meal Update and Changes
School Meal Distribution: Weekly meal boxes will be delivered on Wednesdays, beginning March 31 and will include breakfast and lunch for up to 7 days. Dinners are included when available. Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, reduced milk and/or soy milk and other dietary options are available.
- If you were already receiving delivered meals, you MUST SIGN UP again to receive food boxes weekly on Wednesdays.
- If you would like to sign up, complete meal delivery request form or call 541-790-7654.
School meal menus and nutrition information can be found HERE
If you See Something, Say Something~ National Child Abuse Prevention Month
When I think of child abuse prevention, I think about all types of abuse our youth experience, including physical, sexual, emotional and/or mental abuse. We must all know how to support our youth and how to respond when we hear cries for help. If you see or hear something, say something.
Keys to Prevention:
- Talk openly and often with your child, from an early age
- Abuse is scary, but talking about ways to prevent it doesn't have to be
- Establish simple, personal safety rules that are easy to understand and remember
- Ask open-ended questions, practice active listening, and believe your child
Conversation Guides related to talking about sexual abuse by age are included below for your use and reference.
Sexual Abuse Conversation Guides
Neglect & Suicidal Awareness
Key points in responding to consideration of suicide:
- Be Aware of Warning Signs (talk, write, or text about wanting to die; talk of feeling hopeless; wrapping up aspects of life; sleeping too much or too little; disregard for previously enjoyed activities).
- Ask Directly About Suicide: asking directly not only gets you accurate information, but also communicates you care and take the issue seriously. Ways you could ask: "Are you thinking about killing yourself?", "You said you are feeling (list feeling). I am wondering if you are having thoughts of suicide."
- Actively Listen: do more listening than talking; avoid saying things that stop the conversation
- Link to Suicide Prevention Resources. It is helpful to express care and concern, such as with statement such as, "I am worried about you. You matter to me. Let's contact a professional to help us."
See below for local and national Suicide Prevention Resources.
- Adult Crisis Hotline: 541-687-4000 or 911
- Youth Crisis Line: 541-689-3111 or 911
Children-Crisis Response Team: 1-888-989-9990
Looking Glass Youth & Family Crisis Line: 541-689-3111
Additional 4j & Community Resources
Additional Food Resources
4J Wraparound Services: Food boxes and pantry/personal care items are available every Wednesday for 4J families in need. To request a box, please contact me at Camas Ridge, or leave a message with your name and phone number for the 4J wraparound team at 541-790-5718 or 4jwraparound@4j.lane.edu.
FOOD For Lane County (FFLC), the area’s nonprofit food bank, continues to distribute food to its network of more than 150 churches and social service agencies during the coronavirus outbreak. The agency is providing an up-to-date list of closures and schedule changes for local food pantries.
Community food resources for families in need include:
• Food pantries (Find the food pantry nearest you: tiny.cc/FFLCpantrymap)
• Meal sites
• The Dining Room
• Programs for children
• Programs for seniors
• Trillium Produce Plus
Housing
American Rescue Plan: Eviction Moratorium Extended
Prior Newsletters:
- March 29-April 2, 2021~Child Abuse Awareness Month
- March 15-19, 2021~Spring Break & Transitions
- March 1, 2021~Preparing for Change
- February 1-5, 2021~School Counselor Week
- January 25-29, 2021~Choosing Kindness
- January 18-22, 2021~Breaking News
- January 11-15, 2021~I have a Dream
- January 5-8, 2021~ The Power of Showing Up
- December 14-18~Erin's Law & Personal Safety
- December 7-11~Holiday Traditions
- Nov. 30-Dec. 4~Mindfulness App
- Nov. 23-Nov. 25~Being With
- November 16-20, 2020~Grief
- November 9-13, 2020
- November 2-6, 2020
- October 28, 2020
- October 22, 2020
- October 15, 2020
- Fall 2020 (return to school)
- Summer 2020 (summer resources & anti-racism)
- May 2020 (collaborative problem solving)
- April 2020 (brain breaks & calm corners)