Gateway School Counseling
December 2022 Family Newsletter
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Gateway School Counseling Resource Brochure
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This Month at Gateway
Gratitude & Mindfulness Lessons
These lessons will help students understand the importance of gratitude and mindfulness. Through activities, students will learn how they can practice gratitude and mindfulness in order to improve their mental health. Ask your students what they are leaning about gratitude and mindfulness.
Here are so activities you can do at home:
1) Take a few minutes and practice gratitude with Mindfulness Yeti through this directive video.
2) Be intentional with your time and set aside time for enjoyable family activities.
3) Go on a walk and focus on what you see and hear.
4) Enjoy a meal together. Focus on the taste and the smell.
Semester 1 Review Lessons
Throughout this semester, we have covered a variety of topics during guidance lessons. In September, lesson themes focus on the basic skills needed for success in the classroom. October lessons focused on feelings including identifying emotions, comfortable vs. uncomfortable feelings, and sharing our emotions. Students also learned the importance of body safety with emphasis on making healthy choices. November’s lessons helped students continue to identify emotions and assess their feelings in their bodies and minds. During this unit, students worked on developing coping skills and practiced gratitude. As the semester comes to an end, we will continue to review materials and build our coping skills throughout December.
Introducing Sammy, Gateway's School Dog
Please contact Mrs. Buglewicz-Miller with any further questions or concerns!
Help at Home
Special Education Day & International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Feel free to watch the following videos with your students to educate them on the things that make these students just like them and how they are different.
Autism:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mh75_u0uR8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbwRrVw-CRo
Down Syndrome:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCCUIsct8Bw
ADHD:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGVAiTozTBA
Dyslexia:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11r7CFlK2sc
Treating Others with Kindness:
(uses sensitive language) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uVoyyNJKys
These are some stories that you can read or listen to with your students:
Just Ask https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4sGcaA6bFk
The Invisible Boy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNHc2XCultQ
Uniquely Wired: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br-Y-ntf6Ss
Emmanuel's Dream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBhTOSyXi2o
Wonder: Book and movie adaptation
Preparing for Long Breaks
Winter Recess can be an opportunity to enjoy quality family time. If you are looking for ideas to do as a family during break, we have created a list of ideas below!
1. Color a coloring page completely
2. Cut paper snowflakes
3. Build a fort and do a family activity inside! (Movie, reading, craft)
4. Build a snowman (real or a craft)
5. Donate old toys & books to a local charity or daycare
6. Make a gingerbread house
7. Do a puzzle
8. Write a thank you letter for a favorite gift or to a person you are grateful for
9. Go on a flashlight scavenger hunt
10. Make a magazine collage
11. Stay in pajamas all day
12. Play games
13. Go on an outdoor scavenger hunt
14. Drink hot chocolate or another favorite treat
15. Look at photos from the year
16. Do a year-end interview
17. Try making a new recipe
18. Look at holiday lights
19. Play a board game
20. Have a movie night
Middle School Transition
Middle School Open Houses
2023-2024 School Selection Forms will go home with your child after Winter Recess. We will share more information about school selection and our School Selection Forms on our January newsletter.
Bluestem Family Visits
Holiday Resources
Holiday Community Programs
Holiday Community Programs
Holiday Community Programs
Holiday Community Programs
Coat Drive
United Way
Winter Clothing Support
NEW! Family Workshops
Before we schedule our first workshop, we want to hear from you! Please fill out the following survey to help us pick a topic, day, & time for our first workshop.
Panera Bread Program
This year, Gateway Elementary is participating in the Panera Bread Day-End Dough Bread program. Through this program, Panera, LLC is proud to share their unsold bread and bakery products with 501 (c) (3) non-profit organizations in addressing the need for food distribution in efforts to help fight food insecurity in communities.
This opportunity is made possible by the Midtown Neighborhood Alliance. Midtown Neighborhood Alliance, a nonprofit organization of 17 neighborhoods in Midtown Omaha has partnered with Panera, LLC for over 15 years. The partnership has allowed for various organizations and schools to receive Panera food for families. Gateway is one of the participating schools. We are grateful for this program.
If your family needs any additional support with food, please contact either Kelsey or Ali using the information below.
Resources
Nebraska Family Helpline
1-888-866-8660
Safe 2 Help
531-299-SAFE (7233)
Your Life Your Voice
Call: 1-800-448-3000
Text: "VOICE" to 20121
Chat: yourlifeyourvoice.org
Email: YLYV@boystown.org
Download the "My Life My Voice" app!
Contact Us
Ms. Ali McGovern
Email: alison.mcgovern@ops.org
Phone: (531)299-9529
Mrs. Kelsey Buglewicz-Miller
Email: kelsey.buglewiczmiller@ops.org
Phone: (531)299-6939