Counselor Connection
Woodside K-8 * November 2020
Building Gratitude
Hello Woodside Cougars!
As we move into the month of November, it is important to focus on what is good in our lives and being thankful for the things we have. Gratitude is one of many positive emotions.
What Is Gratitude?
Gratitude is pausing to notice and appreciate the things that we often take for granted, like having a place to live, food, clean water, friends, family, even computer access. It's taking a moment to reflect on how fortunate we are when something good happens — whether it's a small thing or a big thing.
We can use lots of words to describe feelings of gratitude: We might say we feel thankful, lucky, fortunate, humbled, or blessed.
Why Gratitude Matters
Gratitude doesn't just feel good. Making a habit of gratitude can also be good for us. Like other positive emotions, feeling grateful on a regular basis can have a big effect on our lives. Brain research shows that positive emotions are good for our bodies, minds, and brains.
- Positive emotions open us up to more possibilities. They boost our ability to learn and make good decisions.
- Positive emotions balance out negative emotions. People who often feel grateful and appreciative are happier, less stressed, and less depressed. Gratitude is like a U-turn on complaining or thinking about what we don't have.
- One positive emotion often leads to another. When we feel grateful, we might also feel happy, calm, joyful, or loving.
- Gratitude can lead to positive actions. When we feel grateful for someone's kindness toward us, we may be more likely to do a kindness in return. Your gratitude also can have a positive effect on someone else's actions. Thanking people can make it more likely they'll do a kindness again.
- Gratitude helps us build better relationships. When we feel and express heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to people in our lives, it creates loving bonds, builds trust, and helps you feel closer.
When we make it a habit to feel grateful, it makes us more aware of good things as they happen.
Build a Gratitude Habit
Sometimes, feelings of gratitude happen spontaneously. But we also can create feelings of gratitude by deliberately counting our blessings.
You can build a habit of counting blessings just by paying attention each day to things you're glad to have in your life. Slow down and notice what's around you. For example: "Wow, the sky is beautiful today! What an incredible world we live in," or, "There's Sara! It was so nice of her to help me yesterday."
Noticing the things you're grateful for is just the first step in building a gratitude habit, but you can try other things too, like taking the time to thank people or pausing to appreciate a star-filled sky. Start now. What's good about this moment?
Mary Lund
Dianne Roenicke
Alex Meyerzon
Counseling Website
Check out our website for more information!
Character Trait: Cooperation
The character trait for this month is COOPERATION. Cooperation means working well together and getting along with others. When kids cooperate, they have more positive social interactions and are better able to make and keep friends.
Cooperation is working together as a team to help each other reach a common goal, by
listening to each other, sharing and compromising.
Dia de los Muertos
Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a celebration of life and death. While the holiday originated in Mexico, it is celebrated all over Latin America with colorful calaveras (skulls) and calacas (skeletons).
Day of the Dead combines the ancient Aztec custom of celebrating ancestors with All Souls' Day, a holiday that Spanish invaders brought to Mexico starting in the early 1500s.
The holiday, which is celebrated mostly in Mexico on November 1 and 2, is like a family reunion—except dead ancestors are the guests of honor. Day of the Dead is a joyful time that helps people remember the deceased and celebrate their memory.
Try some day of the dead activity sheets below!
Thankfulness
Bestselling author Diane Alber continues SPOT's journey as he shows what he is thankful for in hopes that it will inspire YOU to write your very own THANKFUL list! Watch the video book reading below. Once you are done, you can use the handout to write down what you are thankful for.
“A Little THANKFUL Spot” written and illustrated by Diane Alber
Local Food Banks
San Juan Unified Family Resources
Below you will find a list of local food banks along with their website information. It’s important to visit the website for the most current and accurate information. Should you have additional questions, please feel free to reach out to the food banks directly.Sacramento Food Bank
916-456-1980
https://www.sacramentofoodbank.org/
Please click on the link below. Families are able to put in their address in order to look up the food options closest to them. Families should call ahead or visit their website as some agencies may not be operating at this time.
Fall 2020 Resource Hub
Get Help
Request for Assistance referral form for social and emotional support, basic needs support and health support.
Virtual Calming Room
Mental Health Resources
If you or your student is experiencing a life-threatening emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest ER. If you or your student is experiencing a mental health crisis you can visit the Mental Health Urgent Care Clinic during business hours (10AM-10PM weekdays or 10-6 weekends) or call one of the following emergency numbers.
Mental Health Urgent Care Clinic
2130 Stockton Boulevard, Building 300, Sacramento, CA 95817
(916) 520-2460
24-Hour Suicide Prevention Crisis Line: (916) 368-3111
National Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255