Counselor's Corner
Village School Counseling Department
In this issue you'll find...
- Upcoming dates & reminders
- National Autism & National Volunteer Month
- Advisory update
- Mental health resources & apps
- Recommended articles
April Break: 4/17-4/21
All students have been working super hard these past couple of months & have certainly earned their ticket to vacation! However you choose to spend your time over the upcoming break, we hope you have the opportunity to relax, reconnect with friends and family, & recharge.
April is...National Autism Awareness Month!
Autism Awareness Month is one of the best opportunities to help spread autism awareness education. Though our goal should be able to provide alliance and support every day of the year, a month-long recognition is a great way to showcase important information to friends and families.
The colors for autism awareness are mixed or in a rainbow to represent the complexity of the autism spectrum. The various shapes, colors, and patterns used in ribbons represent the diversity of people and families with live with autism.
The best way to celebrate Autism Awareness Month is by finding a comfortable way for you to participate and support others. Inclusiveness, education, and awareness take a unified effort locally, nationally, and globally - and our efforts count towards all of them. It takes a Village!
April is also...National Volunteer Month!
Volunteering makes a difference in someone's life and sometimes creates a tidal wave of change! Through volunteer work, we practice gratitude and learn the importance of serving others and what "paying it forward" can do for ourselves, our community, and the people around us.
Here are some volunteer ideas that you and your family can do this month:
- Write a letter to thank a volunteer for their hard work and time! 😉
- Volunteer at the Marblehead Animal Shelter. 🐕🐱
- Volunteer at the VOG 4/18-4/21 and help install our new garden beds 🌱
- Volunteer at Marblehead's Earth Day event on Saturday April 29th 🌎
- Volunteer at Magic Hat Thrift Shop 👕👖
- Participate in a local fundraising event such as 5k run 🏃♀️🏃♂️
- Use your skills, talents and abilities to help out with community projects 🔨🎨🌿
Advisory Update 🦆
Advisories are grade-specific, and provide a small group setting for students to
explore our new social emotional curriculum, Choose Love, on a regular and weekly basis.
Choose Love For Schools encourages Character Social Emotional Development (CSED) model standards, while also incorporating evidence-based neuroscience and positive psychology practices to teach mindfulness, character development, and emotional intelligence. Choose Love aligns with our PBIS goal of Keeping Each Other Well at Village School, and includes opportunities to continue social emotional growth at home, and in the community.
**Next up in Advisory**
As more of our students are socializing via chat rooms, group texts and other social media apps, we recognize Digital Citizenship and Cyberbullying as some key topics to explore in our advisories for the next couple of weeks.
How can you help at home? Please check in with your child about how they are communicating with their classmates online and review respectful online behavior expectations.
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!
Recommended Articles 📚
Supporting Youth in Today's World
4 Ways to Support Children During Disturbing Times
Social Media Awareness 📱
Teaching kids to be smart about social mediaThe Mental Health Effects of Social Media Addiction and Overuse in Young People
Happiness Break 😀
3 ways to increase positive emotions
Dealing with social conflict ✌️
How to help tweens and teens manage social conflict
Village School Counseling Department
Kevin Merrigan, Grade 5 School Counselor
Kate Dulac, Grade 6 School Counselor
Website: https://www.marbleheadschools.org/domain/206
Location: Village School, Village Street, Marblehead, MA, USA
Phone: 781-639-3159