Counselor's Corner
Waller Elementary-----September 2023
Meet the Counselor
Welcome to Waller or Welcome Back to many of you! I am so excited for another amazing year at Waller, we work hard every day to create a positive, fun and safe community for all our students.
For those of you who don't know me, I am Mrs. Hoffman and this is my 18th year as the School Counselor at Waller. I have a two children, my daughter is a 4th grader here at Waller and my son is a 8th grader at Karcher. My husband is one of the STEM teachers at Karcher so many of our students get to have him after they leave Waller. When I'm not Ubering my children around to all their events, I love to read, watch the Brewers, travel and enjoy my daily Starbucks drink! :)
Throughout the school year, I will send a Quarterly Counselor newsletter as well as information for upcoming events and assemblies we plan for the whole school as needed. Please see the information below about "What is a School Counselor" to find out more about my role here at Waller. You can also contact me through email or phone at the information below.
Mrs. Melinda Hoffman, School Counselor
Office: 262-763-0185 EXT: 2004
Email: mehoffman@basd.k12.wi.us
What is a School Counselor?
What is a School Counselor?
School Counselors are educators licensed to address all students’ academic, career, and personal/social development needs. This is done through individual and small group counseling, classroom lessons, teacher/staff/parent consultation, school-wide programs, and crisis intervention. School counselors are not therapists. Our role is to help support students in different ways to allow them to be the best that they can be in school.
What can students talk about and/or work with Mrs. Hoffman on?
I can help with many important topics and concerns such as new student transitions, friendship, bullying, study skills, anxiety, self-esteem, academic trouble, divorce, grief, stress and coping, as well as a variety of other needs.
How can students request to see Mrs. Hoffman?
Students can request to talk to me through their parents, teachers, filling out a self-referral form (available in each classroom), through her Google Classroom form, or by asking me directly.
If my student talks to Mrs. Hoffman will I know?
I always encourage students to talk to their parents about any problems or struggles they are having, because the more people to help, the better! Oftentimes problems are not BIG problems, rather just big to the student. Sometimes students just need someone to listen so they can move on with their day! That being said, if a student ever comes to the counselor with a big struggle/problem or if anyone is ever being hurt, parents/guardians will be contacted.
Does Mrs. Hoffman work in my child’s classroom?
Yes, as your child’s school counselor, I will be in your child’s class teaching age appropriate guidance lessons once a week or once every other week for 30 minutes. We will have several themes that focus on helping your child develop and work on good character traits, help them learn more about themselves, and work on being a good friend and classmate.
Small Group Counseling
Students may participate in the following groups:
Anxiety & Coping Skills
Motivation & Effort
Conflict Resolution
Academic Improvement
Girls or Boys Group (self-esteem, female empowerment, positive relationships, behavior)
More information will be sent out in October about signing up for small-groups.
Calming Strategies
Every classroom has a calm down corner that students can go to if they need a break to get their mind and body focused. This is not a spot to get out of doing work and there are expectations to follow while in the calming corner. If students need a longer time to calm themselves, they might come to my office for an additional break. The goal is to always get students back to class and learning as quickly as possible.
Community Circles
Every class has circle rules they agree on to follow and then all students get a turn to answer our morning question, which is on our daily announcements. This gives each each child a voice to share their thoughts in a quiet and calm way while having everyone's attention. Some questions are super silly and fun like "what's your favorite food?" and some questions could be more serious like "name a way to show kindness towards others." Students are always allowed to pass, but most students are very excited to share and feel included. I will be joining classroom community circles through out the year, it's a great way for me to get to know more about our students and them about me! Make sure to ask your child about Community Circles!
Back to School Ups and Downs
The Waller Pledge
Students say this pledge every morning after reciting The Pledge of Allegiance
The Waller Way
We discuss these four important rules daily!
Wally
Wally is our School Mascot and travels around to different classrooms through out the year! The kids love including him in all their activities and learning (Yes, even our 4th and 5th graders!).
Contact Info
School Counselor
Email: mehoffman@basd.k12.wi.us
Website: www.basd.k12.wi.us/schools/waller/
Location: 195 Gardner Avenue, Burlington, WI, USA
Phone: 262-763-0185
Facebook: facebook.com/wallerelementaryschool