Student Services October Updates!
By: Ms. Elder, School Counselor
October is National Bullying Prevention Month!
This month at Midway, student services is taking a stand to #StompOutBullying by promoting kindness and respect throughout our school culture amongst all staff and students.
On Tuesday, October 3rd, students and staff were a wonderful sea of blue as we kicked off National Bullying Prevention Month. The National Stomp Out Bullying campaign uses the color blue to kick off its monthly campaign each year because in many diverse cultures, blue brings peace and it conveys importance and confidence. Thank you to everyone who participated in our countywide #BlueUp day!!
Mindfulness Toolbox
What is a Mindfulness Toolbox?
- Mindfulness: awareness of one's internal states and surroundings
- Mindfulness Exercises promote healthy ways of coping with big feelings, such as worry, frustration, sadness, or stress
- Allows us to pay more attention to the present moment, connect with our mind, body, and feelings, and feel in control of our actions and responses
- Mindfulness Toolbox: A bank of mindfulness exercises students can use and practice to promote healthy and helpful coping strategies and self-regulation
Pumpkin Breathing
- This month, students are learning the mindfulness exercise of Pumpkin Breathing
- Taking deep, intentional breaths using a visual aid can help someone when they are in an escalated state calm back down
- By focusing on deep breathing, the mind can tell the body to take control of the feeling, overcome it, and allow the person to be ready to learn
- We can promote mindfulness at home and at school by practicing deep breathing exercises with our students when they are in states of escalation due to worry, anger, sadness, panic, etc.
Word of the Month: RESPECT
Monthly Lessons
- Each month, I go into each classroom to promote social emotional learning and effective behavioral skills such as character education, bullying prevention, conflict resolution, healthy coping skills, and more!
- This month, our word is Respect!
- Respect means treating others how you want to be treated
- After each lesson, the students are able to tell me what respect means, discuss how we can be respectful to one another at school, and apply knowledge of respect during a respect game!
- By modeling respect for our students, we can promote respectful behaviors schoolwide!
Upcoming Events for Student Services
October 18th - Unity Day!
- Wear orange for Unity Day!
- As we continue National Bullying Prevention Month, we will encourage staff and students to wear orange to celebrate Unity Day on Wednesday, October 18th, 2023
- We celebrate uniting for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion to prevent students from being bullied
October 23rd-27th - Red Ribbon Week!
- Throughout this week we will be promoting Red Ribbon Week activities throughout classrooms and the school.
- Red Ribbon Week is a National Movement to educate students about living a drug-free life and promoting responsibility for current and future-self.
- Keep an eye out for postings regarding these activities for students to participate in!
Contact the Counselor
Ms. Elder, School Counselor
Hello! I am your school counselor, here to provide student support and advocate for student success. I am also the 504 Plan Coordinator for Midway. Feel free to reach out using the contact information provided below.
Alexis Elder
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