Counselor's Corner
Written by Your School Counselors and School Psychologist
Welcome to the Counselor's Corner-your one-stop shop for information related to your collaborative student services team!
Meet Your Student Services Team
Betsy Vega, K-3 School Counselor elizabethm.vega@cms.k12.nc.us
Joycelyn Bryant, 4-6 School Counselor joycelynd.bryant@cms.k12.nc.us
Crystal Reece, 7-8 School Counselor crystal.reece@cms.k12.nc.us
Courtney Faithfull, School Psychologist courtneyb.faithfull@cms.k12.nc.us
Website: http://schools.cms.k12.nc.us/waddellHS/Pages/Default.aspx
Location: E E Waddell Language Academy, Nations Ford Road, Charlotte, NC, United States
Phone: (980) 343-5815
Welcome Back Parents and Staff!
Last year, the Student Services Team created the Counselor's Corner newsletter in order to provide updates to parents and staff, as well as address concerns/topics indicated on the parent and staff surveys we administered. We hope to continue that this year and will be updating our newsletter once a month.
Chamelion's Journey-Grief Camp
Chameleon’s Journey™ grief camp is an overnight grief camp for children and teens coping with the death of a family member or other significant person in their life. It is based on a journey of discovery by a chameleon that lost a special friend.
The grief camp revolves around activities that provide opportunities to express grief and other emotions through music, drama, writing, and visual art. Recreational activities are also part of the camp, allowing grieving campers to meet the important need for physical activity. Campers are supported in a confidential, safe, and caring environment and they come away from camp with an increased knowledge of the grieving process. They also develop new relationships to help them realize that they are not alone in their grief.
Chameleon’s Journey is provided free of charge and is made possible through the generous support of community members and civic organizations.
Click the link below to access the brochure. Upon returning the completed brochure, a registration packet will be sent to you. All applications must be postmarked by September 22, 2017. For more information, call 704.375.0100 or visit hpccr.org.
EmpowHERment Summit
Below includes a flier for the annual EmpowHERment Summit. This is an opportunity for girls grade 6-12 to participate in an enrichment summit on Saturday, September 16th. If you know of any children who can benefit from this program, please share.
Visit the link below for additional details.
Welcome to Waddell, Ms. Nelson!
Tanna Nelson is joining Waddell for the fall semester! She is a School Counseling intern under Mrs. Bryant. Ms. Nelson will be working with the 4, 5, and 6th grades until December. Ms. Nelson is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate in the state of North Carolina. She has a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA, a Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and Play Therapy Certificate from the University of North Carolina- Charlotte. She will receive her School Counseling Certificate from UNC Charlotte in December 2017. Ms. Nelson speaks Spanish and worked as a School-Based Therapist last school year at Oaklawn Language Academy.
Ms. Nelson is originally from Iowa and moved to Charlotte five years ago. She enjoys traveling and has gone to over 15 countries! She spent four months in Barcelona, Spain (2012) and Cochabamba, Bolivia (2015), and loves trying new things. Ms. Nelson participates in five different sports throughout the year: soccer, flag football, basketball, volleyball, and Gaelic football. Painting and scrapbooking are her creative outlets. She unwinds by going hiking, to the beach, or watching movies.
Character Trait of the Month
RESPECT is the character trait for the month of September. Respect is showing high regard for self, others, and property. Respect includes cooperation, listening, to understand others and mutual support.
Ways families can demonstrate RESPECT at home:
•greet each day with a new attitude and positive outlook
•state parental expectations clearly
•be consistent with family rewards and consequences
•allow for teachable moments
•be present (demonstrate mutual respect by listening to one another without a device being present)
•explore different cultures/ interests
•volunteer as a family in the community
Books to check out at your local Library about RESPECT:
•David Goes to School by David Shannon
•The Recess Queen by Alexis O'Neill
•Loser by Jerry Spinelli
•Pink and Say by Patricia Pollaco
•The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
•Bloomability by Sharon Creech
Helpful Tips from your student services team
SELF-IMPROVEMENT MONTH
Take some time to improve yourself. Set goals to help you on the path to making a better you.
- Eat Healthier: If you want to live better, you need to take care of the body, first. You can have all the accolades you desire, but if the body is falling apart—success is useless. Instead of living for today, live for tomorrow as well.
- Find a Hobby: Is there a hobby or something you always wanted to do? Learning something new requires courage and pushes the boundaries. Finding a hobby doesn’t mean you need to be good at it. Try different activities like reading, cooking, painting, swimming, hiking, or martial arts to test what works for you. Having a hobby will help you recharge and make you happier.
- Travel: Like to travel? Take on the adventure of planning small trips, and go to cities you’ve never been to before. Self-improvement is about pushing boundaries, so get going! Traveling changes a small world into a vast adventure.
- Be a Mentor: Help someone reach their dreams and goals. It sounds counterintuitive, but when you focus energy in making your community a success, or help another person reach their desired destination, you will reap the benefits.
- Adjust Goals: Cut back on what is not working. This could be goals that still have not been achieved after many years. Maybe it is time to roboot or change the way the project was approached. Scaling back or revamping the business idea or dream could be what you need since old tactics are not working. Breathe new life into ideas by switching perspective and implementing another strategy.
- Be Yourself: Start today to be yourself no matter how much pressure you feel. Pressures from the traditional media, social media and peers can make us feel inferior. Self-love doesn’t need to be just two pretty words, it can be a reality. Confess that you are whole and making progress. Tell yourself you can achieve wholeness despite disappointment, or a painful past. Taking small steps to rebuild self-worth always pays in the end. If this is a struggle, talk with a trusted friend or professional.
Your Student Services Team
Betsy Vega
Ms. Vega is the school counselor for grades K-3. She is delighted to spend her 5th year at Waddell and 11th year as a school counselor. She earned her BA in Political Science from Birmingham-Southern College and her MA in Counseling from Wake Forest University. In her spare time, she enjoys taking dance and craft classes, traveling, and watching football and soccer with her husband, José.
Joycelyn Bryant
Mrs. Bryant is the school counselor for grades 4-6. This is her 2nd year at Waddell, her 6th year as a School Counselor, and 12th year as an educator. She received both her BA in Elementary Education and MA in Counseling from North Carolina Central University. Her and her husband, Ronnie, have a son, Caleb, and daughter, Christian, who keep them busy! In her spare time, she enjoys reading, traveling, and rooting on the Panthers!
Crystal Reece
Mrs. Reece is the school counselor for grades 7-8. She is thrilled to start her 11th year at Waddell! She has been a Counselor for over 25 years, the past 16 as a School Counselor for CMS. She earned her BA in Political Science and Communications from Winthrop University, and her M.Ed. in Counseling also from Winthrop University. She is the proud mother of two adult sons, one who is also an educator. In my free time, she enjoys spending time on a beach, traveling, and being with her husband, Wade. Her family is completed with a mini-Schnauzer, Shelby and Russian Blue cat, Gracie.
Courtney Faithfull
Mrs. Faithfull is the school psychologist for Waddell Language Academy and Tuckaseegee Elementary. She works at Waddell Language Academy every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. She earned her BA from UNC Charlotte, and she received her MS in Psychology and Specialist Degree in School Psychology from Winthrop University. In her spare time, she enjoys playing with her two dogs, volunteering with the Greater Charlotte SPCA, and attending local events/concerts with her husband, Corey.
Tanna Nelson
Ms. Nelson is a School Counseling intern under Mrs. Bryant. Ms. Nelson will be working with the 4, 5, and 6th grades until December. Ms. Nelson is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate in the state of North Carolina. In her spare time, Ms. Nelson participates in five different sports throughout the year: soccer, flag football, basketball, volleyball, and Gaelic football. In addition, she enjoys painting, scrapbooking, hiking, going to the beach, and watching movies.