Counselor Care-ier
November 2021
Happy Veterans Day!
Kudos to Our Kids
Way to go! We are so proud of all of you for your hard work and dedication!
Grace Yoder (12th)- Committed to Northeastern JUCO in Sterling, CO, where she will play volleyball next year.
Nicole Hamilton (10th)- Was nominated and chosen to be one of two "Yeti's of the Month" for the month of October!
Wrestlers (9-12th)- Our high school wrestlers performed well at the recent "King/Queen of the Mountain" wrestling tournament this past weekend. The group took home the team title, and many of the students placed in various categories:
*High School*
Katey Valdez 6th
Nevin Smith 3rd
Tyler Valdez 3rd
Aydin Rix McElhinney 1st
*High School Girls*
Katey Valdez 1st
Sarah Savidge 1st
Aspen Barber 1st
Corny or Cool?
The counseling department is thinking of bringing in some life skills workshops such as car care, cooking, etc. Is this something you would participate in, or is this just plain corny? Please respond to this quick two-question survey to help us plan! Thank you!
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
Care & Share Mobile Market
Thanksgiving Meal Baskets
The Thanksgiving Meal Basket Program provides all the basic ingredients for a family meal. Interested?
What you need to do:
- Pre-register by clicking the link below and filling out your information.
- Go to Mercy’s Gate to get your ticket for your Basket.
- On the day of the event, go pick up your Basket!
All baskets come with ingredients for a meal for 4+ people. Most items will be uncooked. If you can’t pre-register online, you can come to Mercy’s Gate during open hours and do your registration in person.
Mercy’s Gate’s Hours: Mon: 4:00pm-7:00pm, Wed: 9:00am-12:00pm, Thu: 9:00am-12:pm & 1:00pm-4:00pm, Fri: 4:00pm-7:00pm
To avoid crowds, you may want to come an hour after they open.
Mercy’s Gate’s Address: 4360 Montebello Dr #300, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
Christmas Giveaway
ICAP Day and Career Fair
The State of Colorado Department of Education and District 49 recognizes that students are not always college-bound and that our students will follow many different pathways upon high school graduation. We are here to help students with career exploration, planning, and preparation for life after high school. We want to offer a variety of ways for our students to explore and learn about many different careers, help them find internships, job shadows, etc., in an attempt to help them narrow in what they would like to do following graduation.
Additionally, please make sure your student brings their computer with them as it will be used for a large part of the day as they visit various workshops. There will be lots of opportunities for students to win prizes throughout the day as well! It's going to be awesome!
High Demand Jobs: Skilled trades in dire need of workers!
They’re in high demand and can easily crack the six-figure mark without a college degree. But not enough young people are going into skilled trade careers. Check out the news story below to learn more about these job shortages, more about these great careers, and how easy and fast the path to get there can be.
COLLEGE INFORMATION
Colorado is now a "Test-Optional" state!
- high school grade point average;
- number and mix of academic courses;
- rigor of courses like honors and higher-level math courses;
- college-level courses (like Concurrent Enrollment) completed while in high school;
- AP/IB courses and exam scores;
- work experiences including pre-apprenticeships, job shadowing, and more;
- volunteering experiences;
- compelling life experiences;
- leadership experiences; and
- fit to the college campus (interest in offered majors, research into the institution, etc.).
Info taken from the CDE Website (https://highered.colorado.gov/college-admission-use-of-national-test-scores)
Social Emotional Info / Resources
Stress Buster Dogs
Reduce stress
Research has shown that simply petting a dog lowers the stress hormone cortisol. In contrast, the social interaction between people and their dogs actually increases levels of the feel-good hormone oxytocin (the same hormone that bonds mothers to babies).
In fact, an astonishing 84 percent of post-traumatic stress disorder patients paired with a service dog reported a significant reduction in symptoms, and 40 percent were able to decrease their medications, reported a recent survey.
Lower blood pressure
The cortisol-lowering and oxytocin-boosting benefits of petting also help keep your blood pressure at bay. "Petting and holding an animal allows you to appreciate the beauty of nature," explains Barron. "It's relaxing and transcendental."
Increase physical activity.
How many people are willing to go outside at the crack of dawn and exercise in the rain or snow? Dog owners often have no choice—they have to walk their pet, thus providing them with an excuse-proof daily dose of exercise.
Boost heart health
The American Heart Association released a research report endorsing dog ownership as a way of warding off cardiovascular disease.
Ease loneliness and depression
A 2011 study found that pet owners had better self-esteem. Another study determined that pets provided greater social support than humans in mitigating depression. "Caring for a pet provides a sense of purpose to the owner," says Barron. Plus, pets are a good social catalyst for meeting people who share your animal interests.
Information taken from John Hopkins Medicine website (https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-friend-who-keeps-you-young?scrlybrkr=6e2027e3)
I want to understand my feelings because I matter
If you've ever said," I'm struggling. I want help, "you are in the right place. The purpose of I Matter is to promote youth emotional and mental health. To begin, you will need to take a survey. Try to be honest as possible: your answers are completely confidential and will help match you with a clinician who can best support you. No matter your responses, you will be eligible for three free counseling sessions. Get started below. If you're 11 or younger, your parent or guardian will have to fill out the survey with you. Parents, if you feel your child is struggling and needs help, you are in the right place to talk to a mental health professional for free. Seeking support for your child is not a sign of failure—it's a sign of strength. Start by filling out the survey below.
The I Matter program has a statewide public awareness and outreach campaign that includes digital ads on platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat and on-the-ground outreach to schools and youth organizations. Both the awareness campaign and the IMatterColorado.org website were informed by youth feedback. Youth and their parents can visit the I Matter platform to take a confidential online survey about their mental health and schedule sessions with a licensed behavioral health clinician, primarily online over telehealth. All Colorado youth ages 18 or younger—or 21 and younger if receiving special education services—are eligible to receive free services.
Get connected to FREE support.
State law allows youth ages 12 and up to use the platform independently; youth ages 11 and younger will need their parent or guardian's consent to sign up.