LIFE IN THE MIDDLE ~ APRIL 2021 ~
A Mental Health and Wellness Newsletter from CMS Counselors
IMPORTANT DATES
April 20 - 7th Grade STAAR Writing Test (rescheduled) More info to come
April 16 - Professional Development Afternoon/Asynchronous Learning Afternoon
April 30 - Professional Development Afternoon/Asynchronous Learning Afternoon
Rescheduled STAAR 7th Grade Writing
We will be sending emails to all F2F parents and all DVA parents soon. Please be looking for these emails.
As a BIG FYI to our DVA parents, there will be NO testing on April 13th. We will include a link to a Sign Up Genius for DVA parents to again sign their student up for testing on the 20th. Thanks for your patience and understanding.
Need to Request a Change to 2021-22 Course Selections?
As we continue to make plans for the 2021-22 school year, please submit any requests or concerns via the CMS Course Concerns Prior to August 2021 Google form only. At this time, we are only accepting requests for changes to CORE classes (Math, Science, Social Studies, or Language Arts) or YEARLONG electives. No changes can be made at this time for semester elective requests. The form can be found on our CMS Website --> Counseling Tab --> Schedule Concern/Request Change 2021-2022 tab or can utilize the link: CMS Course Concerns Prior to August 2021.
The Google Form is the most efficient process, so it important to ONLY submit requests via this form. We cannot accept requests for change via phone or email to the Counseling office or secretaries.
Online Dangers
Parents Play A Key Role In Alcohol Awareness
It is important to know that parents play a significant role in preventing and dealing with alcohol and drugs. Fostering healthy and responsible attitudes, talking openly and honestly, encouraging supportive relationships, fostering the development of positive interests and showing children that their opinions and decisions matter, are all ways to help prevent the use of alcohol and drugs.
In fact, research has shown that kids who have conversations with their parents and learn a lot about the dangers of alcohol and drug use are 50% less likely to use alcohol and drugs than those who don’t have such conversations.
It can be challenging to develop the communication skills needed to talk with your children about drinking and drugs, but it will be well worth the effort you put into it, as you get to know your children a little better and help them build the coping skills they need to handle the anger, stress, peer pressure, loneliness and disappointment that are part of being an adolescent.
Teachable Moments
KEY TALKING POINTS
- Listen Before You Talk -- Encourage Conversation: As parents we want to have “all the answers.” And, sometimes we are so anxious to share our wisdom or our opinion that we don’t take the time to listen. For kids, knowing that we are really listening is the most important thing we can do to help.
- Talk to Your Child and Ask Open Ended Questions: Talk to your child regularly – about their feelings, their friends, their activities – and listen to what they have to say. As much as you can, and sometimes it’s not easy, try to avoid questions that have a simple “yes” or “no” answer.
- Be Involved: Be involved in your child’s everyday world. Get to know your child’s friends and continue to educate your child about the importance of maintaining good health – psychological, emotional and physical.
- Set Expectations, Limits and Consequences: Make it clear that you do not want your child drinking alcohol or using drugs and that you trust them not to. Talk about possible consequences of drug and alcohol use, both legal and medical, and be clear about what you will do if the rules are broken.
- Be Honest and Open: Care about what your child is going through as they face and make decisions that will affect their lives now and for the future.
- Be Positive: Many parents have discovered that talking about alcohol and drugs with their children has built bridges rather than walls between them and have proudly watched those children learn to make healthy, mature decisions on their own.
- Family History: Both research and personal experience have clearly documented that addiction to alcohol and other drugs is a chronic, progressive disease that can be linked to family history and genetics. So, if you have a family history of problems with alcohol or drugs, be matter of fact about it, as you would any other chronic disease, such as heart disease, diabetes or cancer.
The Value of Peace for Students
If we can equip kids with the skills that they need to be human beings who build healthy relationships and solve problems in ways that value the inherent dignity of others, our world will benefit now and in the future.
How to Create Peace for Students
- Model kindness and empathy. ...
- Repair, don't punish. ...
- Create a democratic space. ...
- Use experiential learning. ...
- Give a voice to the excluded. ...
- Encourage collaboration. ...
- Discuss controversial issues. ...
- Integrate service learning.
Social Awareness
Social awareness is defined by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) as, “the ability to take the perspective of and empathize with others, including those from various backgrounds. [It is] the ability to understand social and ethical norms for behavior and to recognize family, school, and community resources and supports.”
What Skills are Associated with Social Awareness?
Based on the above definition, there are several skills that are associated with social awareness. In order to demonstrate this aspect of Social Emotional Learning, students need to develop awareness and abilities related to each of the following skills:
- Perspective-taking: Perspective-taking involves the ability to look at and understand a situation or concept from an alternate point of view.
- Empathy: Empathy is defined as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. A common saying associated with empathy is to “put yourself in his/her shoes.”
- Respect for others: Students are asked to treat each other with kindness.
How can my child meet with their counselor?
1. Teacher Referral
2. Parent Referral
3. Self Referral
We meet with students for many reasons:
1. Academic - Performance, struggles, test taking strategies, study skills etc.
2. Friendship/ Peer/Social Concerns
3. Personal Concerns
4. Behavioral Concerns
5. Stress/Anxiety
6. Responsive Services - meeting their immediate needs and concerns
If you have a concern and you would like for a counselor to meet with your child, please contact your child's grade level counselor via email or phone.
Thank you!
CMS Counseling Staff
7th Grade Counselor
Allison.Adams@southlakecarroll.edu
Jane Kea
8th Grade Counselor
Paula Lynn
7th /8th Grade Counselor
Paula.lynn@southlakecarroll.edu
Website: http://cmscounselor.edublogs.org/
Phone: 817.949.5400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CMSDragonsCounselors/