Mrs. Miller's Counseling News
Twin Oaks Elementary - UPDATED 5/16/2022
Outdoor School in the beautiful Oregon woods!
Twin Oaks Families:
Last week, I had several not-so-pleasant encounters with water - a torrential downpour at Outdoor School on Thursday, and a flooded basement on Friday (when our water heater failed). Add to that COLD showers over the weekend, as we waited for a plumber to arrive on Monday, and my relationship with water has turned quite chilly. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that the valley is soaked and green. It will certainly help keep the summer fires at bay a little longer, but come on now...it's mid-May...a few sunny, warm days seem like a reasonable request.
In spite of the rain, Twin Oaks' 5th graders persevered through all kinds of weather to enjoy a wonderful 3 days at Camp Lutherwood. I had the pleasure of joining them each day for a shortened stay. As I watched our students interact with Oregon's beautiful forest, I felt overwhelmed with a sense of peace. What better place to be, rain or shine, than communing with nature in the Oregon woods? Completely unplugged from the internet and our devices!
Many fond memories came to mind as I explored the area along with the kids...my own days as a camper and counselor at Camp Namanu, along the Sandy River...countless camping trips with my family around Oregon and California...songs and s'mores by the campfire...muddy hiking boots, damp rain slickers, the smell of the forest as you drink in the thick oxygenated air...
This song kept running through my brain:
"Peace I ask of thee, oh river. Peace, peace, peace. When I learn to live serenely, cares will cease. From the hills I gather courage. Visions of the things to be. Strength to lead and faith to follow. All are given unto me. Peace I ask of thee, oh river. Peace, peace, peace."
When I take my next HOT shower, I'll be singing the same tune!
What's happening in School this week: I am taking a short hiatus from teaching counseling lessons in classrooms to focus on important paperwork, and planning for the last few weeks of school. I will only be in Mrs. Kenney's First Grade classroom this week to pilot a unit of study from the Great Body Shop - a comprehensive health program that will be our new health curriculum adoption in the fall. I plan to be back in all classrooms again next week, on my regular lesson schedule.
We have our last Conscious Discipline Parenting Series PARENT NIGHT this week on Thursday, May 19th. If you are still interested in joining, it's not too late. Simply mark your calendar for May19th, and come to the Zoom session. Also, email me, so I can get the FREE PARENTING BOOK to you ASAP. Please see the information and Zoom link below.
COUNSELING ROOM MASK POLICY: My room has two excellent air purifiers, and I try to keep the area very safe for all who enter. For students who wear masks, I will continue to wear a mask when meeting individually with them in the Counseling Office.
Featured in this newsletter issue: Weekly Message, Outdoor School Pictures, School Counseling Lesson Overview, Conscious Discipline Parent Series Information, Problem-solving/Time Machine examples, Classroom Counseling Lesson Schedule, How to Access Mrs. Miller Online, Parenting and Community Resources.
REMEMBER, I'm available via email and office phone Monday-Friday. Don't hesitate to reach out to me with individual needs. I'm here to support you! My email is: miller_de@4j.lane.edu. My direct office phone is: 541-790-3442. If you need to reach me outside of business hours, feel free to text or call my Google Voice number at: 541-972-3347.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Miller
Free Parenting Book for every participant ~ by Becky Bailey, Ph.D.
~~~~~~ Child Center Offers FREE ~~~~~~ Parenting Problem Solving Classes!
CLICK LINK BELOW for INFORMATION
MOBILE FOOD PANTRY INFORMATION
Food for Lane County and 4J will be hosting a weekly mobile pantry at each region. Each distribution will be offering a variety of pantry staples, bread and produce. Questions? Please contact us at 541-790-6880. Food for Lane County y el distrito de 4J llevaran acabo una distribución de alimentos de la despensa móvil semanalmente en cada región del distrito. En cada distribución se ofrecerá una variedad de productos para la despensa como pan, fruta, vegetales, arroz, frijoles, etc. ¿Peguntas? ComunÃquese al 541-790-6880.