WES COUNSELING NEWS
WELLINGTON ELEMENTARY COUNSELORS
May 11- May 15
WES Counseling Office Information
Mrs. Stewart: stewarts@lisd.net
Office Hours: Monday-Friday 9-11am and 1-3pm
Grades: KG, 2 and 4
Mrs. Kroenert: kroenertt@lisd.net
Office Hours: Monday-Friday 9-11am and 1-3pm
Grades: 1, 3 and 5
Request Form for Counseling Assistance
Parents- If you need to reach out to us for counseling services or assistance, please feel free to call, email, or submit this Google Form and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
***Please remember, in the event of an emergency, always call 911***
Video Messages from Mrs. Stewart & Mrs. Kroenert (and friends)
Wellington Counselors Weekly Guidance Lessons
Join us each week for our Guidance SMORE and lesson to help students continue to grow their Social Emotional Learning skills!
Weeks 7&8 Virtual Career Day
- Our first video is our very own local Flower Mound Virtual Vehicle Career Day
- Next is a S'More with lots of fun videos highlighting with career day speakers
The Size of Problems
Worry and Keeping a Clear Mind
Help Us to Help You
LISD Elementary Counselors District Newsletter
Need even more Social Emotional and family pointers? Feel free to peruse the news with our LISD Elementary Counselors Guidance SMORE and the Behavior Interventionist SMORE!
Behavior Interventionist SMORES:
April 27-May 1:
May 4-May 8:
May 11-15:
Student Assistance Counselors/Social Worker SMORES:
April 13-17:
April 20-24:
April 27-May 1:
May 4-May 8:
May 11-18:
TO OUR WES FAMILIES:
Dear Wildcat Parents,
Please know how much we all miss being at WES during this time of school closure. We miss seeing all the smiling faces! The WES staff is thinking of every single student and their families as we continually adjust to our new normal! We are so thankful for our WES family and hope you feel that we are all in this together!
During this time, our number one priority is the wellbeing of our students and families. Teachers are reaching out directly to ensure you and your family are doing okay, and see what type of assistance you may need while school is out. But more than anything, our teachers want to hear the voices of our students! We are already missing the daily interactions we have with them. If there is anything you need in the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out to us and we will see how we can help.
Free Meals
Click here for a list of locations serving free breakfast and lunch to any child age 0-18 years. As of March 26th, there will be a total of 10 locations! Please refer to this link for the latest updates on food and locations.
Additional Helpful Resources
Additional services available to assist families during this time of need.
Internet Assistance
If you need assistance with internet, here are some resources to help!
FAIRNESS CHARACTER TRAIT RECIPIENTS
Each nine weeks, we focus on one of the six pillars of character traits. During that time, the teachers nominate the students who exemplify these traits the most or the best during that timeframe. This past nine week's trait was FAIRNESS and those that demonstrated it best are below.
KINDERGARTEN:
· Kessley McCord-Ebeler: Kessley always is willing to be with any students for group work/games and always plays games fairly, and takes turns well.
· Luke Guillen-Hurst: Luke makes sure that everyone has a chance to participate. He will speak up for those who may have been overlooked or haven't had their turn.
· Parks Hall-Giraldo: Parks works well with others and gives everyone a chance to join in.
· Elizabeth Sorenson-Hodges: She is always aware of everyone’s feelings and wants to make sure that everyone is included.
· Jude Saftstall -Hernandez: Jude includes others and plays fairly with others.
FIRST:
· Remy Houde-Fackler: Remy includes others and always allows others a turn.
· Zander Saults-Kallail: Zander is a sweet boy and very much a rule follower. He always follows directions and helps others to do the same.
· Emil Stoimenov-De Luna: Emil tries to include everyone and is always kind.
· Emma Hatton-Tidwell: Emma is kind, caring, thoughtful, but above all, she is fair. She will work with her partners and find solutions to make sure everyone has equal responsibility. She considers her friends’ me feelings when interacting. Emma, Sra. Levano and I are so proud of you!
SECOND:
· Jett Stewart-Gustafson: Jett works hard to keep good relationships in the classroom. He takes good care of our room. He is always one of the first ones to help at the end of the day whether it is picking up trash or stacking chairs. He plays football every day and I have never seen that group argue. They always play well together. Jett is a great student.
· Emme Stephenson-Webb: Emme always has a positive attitude! She helps her partner or team when they meet a challenge or need support or encouragement. She'll say things like..."That's okay, we get another chance", or "You don't lose, when you try your best."
· Ajay Mathukumalli-J. Hernandez: Anytime Ajay sees that someone needs something, he is the first to make sure they have what they need. Ajay is great when working with a partner because he shares and takes turns. We have loved having Ajay in our classrooms this year.
· Hudson Vaughn-Zamorano/Ryan: Hudson does a great job of taking all his classmates into consideration while playing games, working on projects, or out on the soccer field. He works hard to be fair to all those around him. We are proud to have watched Hudson grow this year!
THIRD:
· David Villarreal-Russell: David is an exemplar student as far as behavior, work ethic, and respect. He is always on task and respectful. David brings a positive balance and calmness to his friends and is aware when things are not fair. He is willing to speak up for his friends or himself if something is not right. We are thankful to have David in class and always be helpful and kind to his classmates.
· Evelyn Powell-Littleton: She is always the peacemaker and thinks of other while doing group or partner work.
FOURTH:
· Esha Sreemanthula-Barnett/Underwood: Esha treats others with fairness and is a kind and hard-working student.
· MJ Holcomb-Hall/Brookbank: MJ handles every situation with grace and kindness. He treats each person he comes in contact with fairly. He accepts positive and constructive feedback gracefully.
· Rachel Gaven-Barth. Rachel in a kind and hard-working student. When working collaboratively, Rachel listens to others with an open mind, is honest, plays by the rules and includes everyone in activities. She is a model student and a JOY to have in class.
· Parker Brann- Deering: Parker is a great example of "fairness" in our classroom and on the playground. He always follows the rules and is a great role model for others. Parker has a strong sense of right and wrong and he strives to make situations fair and even for everyone. Congratulations Parker!
FIFTH:
· Rory Goldmann- Garlington: Rory is a kind student and always a team player that tries to always include others.
· Rebecca Henderson-Deneumostier: Rebecca cares about others and always tries to play by the rules.
· Theo Miller-Mont: Theo is an awesome team player. He includes everyone and truly cares about others.
· Laura Bacic Koga-Hanson: Laura has the biggest heart. She is a friend to all and will invite others to join so no one is left out. Laura is understanding and knows how to play by the rules and makes sure everyone is on the same page.
Our next character trait is CITIZENSHIP. Look for those winners toward the end of May.
Resources for Parents & Students about Coronavirus
Parents- here are some great ideas to calm worries and explain what we're going through, created by the Highland Village Elementary Counselor, Ms. Walter. Please preview before using with your kiddos and adjust as you see fit. There are even some daily activities to help students process through this difficult time!
LISD Overview of Resources on COVID-19 for Families
Please see the link below for all of the latest information from LISD on the COVID-19 situation.
Calming Website
IDEAS FOR THINGS TO DO OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL
Sometimes it can be hard to come up with ideas that are fun, kind and available to do during this challenging time. These ideas can even get the kiddos smiling!
- Sing a happy song!
- List all the things that make you happy.
- Call or FaceTime friends, Grandparents, or relatives just to say hello.
- Write positive messages on Post-It Notes and place on mirrors in your house.
- Make Peace Rocks. Paint rocks with kind words and place them around town to delight your neighbors
- "Chalk your Walk"- use sidewalk chalk to write positive messages on your driveway or sidewalk for neighbors and workers to see as they pass by.
- Make a poster to display to your neighbors and community workers sharing positivity and happy thoughts.
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Practicing Self-Regulation of Emotions at Home
At WES, we have Calm Down Spots, Corners or kits in most every room and a Sensory Trail in the hallway for students to access when they need to regulate their emotions. You can put some of the same steps in place at home to continue to provide these resources for your child! Work together as a family to create a Calm Down Spot and find items online (Amazon is great) or around the house that could work as calm down tools to put at the spot. Below are some suggestions for what to add and a pdf of the instruction sheet so the kids know what to do.
Choose a spot with plenty of room, but in a visible location
-Print out or make your own copy of the Calm Down Spot sign
-Find some comfy seating options- like a beanbag, carpet square, or folded blanket
-Prepare a Calm Down Kit with squishy (stress ball), stretchy (something elastic), and twisty (like a Tangle toy) sensory tools. You can add fidgets your child prefers as well, but no electronics. If you're ok with it, you can add paper to draw/ journal on and writing utensils as well as Play-Doh for squishing and sculpting.
-Use a timer! You can use a timer on the microwave, on your phone, or purchase a small timer. Our GRE Calm Down Spots each have a 2 minute sand timer for the kids to use.
In place of our WES Sensory Trail, make time in your daily schedule for movement breaks! Put on a dance video, do yoga, ride bikes, walk the dog, or do exercises! Getting out in the sunshine (while following safety precautions) is a great way to process through strong feelings while helping our bodies to stay healthy!
If you'd like to re-create a Sensory Trail at home, posted below are pictures of the exercises on our WES Trail. On YouTube, you can find a variety of examples of Sensory Trails or get creative and turn an empty space in your home, yard, or garage into one! You can also purchase gym floor tape from Amazon to create aTrail but painter's tape or masking tape would work just as well. Write out descriptions of what the kiddos should do at each spot and model by going through the exercises together!