Clever Counselor Connection
School Counseling Awareness: February 2023
Message from the Clever Counselors
Hello Clever Bluejay Family!
Did you know that the first week of February is designated National School Counseling Week? But what does that mean for the Clever School District and our school counseling team? This is a week for us to:
- bring awareness to the comprehensive school counseling program,
- continue supporting the social emotional learning of our students and
- highlight some of our upcoming activities.
Thank you!
Clever Counseling Department
School Counseling Program Needs Survey
Mark your Calendar!
LIKE presented by Clever Counseling Department
Thursday, March 2 @ 7pm
High School CPAC following A Little Bit of Everything
More information and a link to the trailer below.
Are you in need of Mental Health Boost?
Battling the "Winter Blues"
Our second semester of the school year is in full swing and we have had our fill of snow days. Now bring on the warmer weather, right?! The post-holiday funk and "winter blues" can really take a toll on our mental health. Staff and students feel often report feeling the effects throughout 3rd quarter. What are the causes? And more importantly, how can we work to overcome these unwanted feelings?
There are many factors that contribute to the mental health struggles that accompany the new year. Our bodies are attempting to adjust to shorter days, a lack of sunlight, reduced vitamin D and serotonin levels and the disruption of our normal sleep patterns. All of these negatively impact our moods, ability to cope with stress and our overall feelings of anxiety and/or sadness.
So what can we do about it?
- Keep a solid sleep schedule. Routine is KEY! Going to bed at the same time every night and getting up at the same time every morning, even on the weekends, can improve your sleep. School age children require 9+ hours of sleep each night, teens need at least 8 hours each night and adults should get no less than 7 hours. Make sleep a priority!
- Stay active and spend time outside each day. We know that this can be difficult in the winter months but research shows that physical activity and time outside positively impact our health, mood and sleep. Bundle up and go for a walk!
- Maintain a healthy diet. It can be easy to fall into a negative eating routine, especially after the holidays. Start each day off with a healthy breakfast and avoid too much caffeine. Try eating dinner earlier in the evening to allow more time to digest before bedtime. Add in an extra fruit or veggie to keep your meals balanced. Little changes can lead to healthy habits!
- Spend time with friends or doing other activities that bring you joy. Don't allow the bad weather, shorter days and daily stressors to take time away from doing things that you enjoy. Make time for you!
- Talk with your school counselor. We know this time of year can be extremely difficult and the same strategies don't work for everyone. Give us a call, stop by our office or shoot us a quick email to let us know that you or some you love is struggling. We are here to help!
Students Struggling with Social Anxiety
Schools across the country have seen an increase in the number of students experiencing social anxiety. Social anxiety is a fear that others are watching and judging a person in a negative way. For many teens this begins with social media. Below are some tips for starting a conversation about social media use with your teen from the article What Are Some Healthy Ways for Adolescents to Engage with Social Media? by Adria Dunbar.
Looking for Referrals or Additional Resouces?
Clever School District partnership with Burrell Behavioral Health
What does that mean for Clever Schools and our students?
School-Based Services were created as an innovative approach to providing rapid access to care in the school setting. They have developed formalized processes for school mental health programs including onsite behavioral health providers through a collaborative team approach. Providers also assist in linking enrolled students to services outside of the school as needed. It has been proven that integration eliminates barriers to care and provides additional resources for school staff and families. We work directly with students, families and educators onsite in a few different ways. We provide School-Based Support Specialists and Clinicians within schools to offer individual and group services. We are also available for telehealth meetings if they make sense for your district. We strive to be creative and develop flexible arrangements to meet a variety of needs.
For more information, please visit the website or reach out to your student's school counselor.
Looking for a Counselor in Clever?
Kindergarten - 2nd Grade
School Counselor
Email: randallb@cleverbluejays.org
Phone: 417-743-4810
3rd Grade - 5th Grade
School Counselor
Email: twiggd@cleverbluejays.org
Phone: 417-743-4815
6th - 8th Grade
School Counselor
Email: caseyl@cleverbluejays.org
Phone: 417-743-4820
9th - 12th Grade
School Counselor
Email: waisnerr@cleverbluejays.org
Phone: 417-743-4830
9th - 12th Grade: Social-Emotional Health
School Counselor
Email: kirkbridem@cleverbluejays.org
Phone: 417-743-4830