Wildcat Counseling Corner
September 2021
Welcome Back Wernli Wildcats!
It is exciting to start a brand new school year with all of our Wildcats! We enjoyed getting to see everyone during our Meet the Teacher Night and during our classroom pop-ins. Greeting new friends and old friends was a great way to start off the school year.
What's Happening In Guidance?
What time is it? It's Kelso Time! During our upcoming lessons, we are reviewing the size of the problems that we encounter, and how to use Kelso's Choices to be a problem solver for small problems! This program teaches students the life skill of conflict resolution, in order to help foster a problem solving mentality throughout their lives. Kelso reminds students that they are "smart enough and strong enough" to solve a conflict. If it is a big problem, we discuss that they should talk to an adult that they trust. Encourage your student to practice these conflict resolution strategies at home as well, and share how you even as an adult you use them.
Kelso's Choices:
- Share and Take Turns
- Talk It Out
- Walk Away
- Ignore It
- Tell Them to Stop
- Apologize
- Make a Deal
- Wait and Cool Off
- Go to Another Game
At Home
Helping Students With Beginning of the Year Worries
At the beginning of the school year everyone takes a while adjusting to a new schedule, new classmates, new teachers, and sometimes a new school! We understand that this can be a difficult transition for our kiddos, and sometimes students take a little bit longer to adjust.
Below are some strategies to use at home to help ease them into the school year.
- Practice deep breathing at home and on the way to school
- Use imagery to visualize a safe and peaceful place when feeling overwhelmed or worried
- Practice positive self-talk and affirmations
- Destroy the worry by writing it on paper and "stomping" it out, tearing the paper up, or brushing it off their shoulder
- Give your child something small to touch that reminds them that you love them and are thinking about them
- Stick to a routine, so they know what to expect with a goodbye ritual playing an important part of the morning
- Don't forget that it takes time to ease big worries
- Take some time to relax after school
Sources Used:
Making a Coping Skills Bag At Home
How to Make a Coping Skills Bag | Suicide Prevention | Cook Children's JOY Campaign
Books To Read At Home
Coming up in October!
Each night in the United States, an estimated 600,000 people live on the streets. This October, we want to show that even a small act of love, such as donating a pair of new socks and a package of new underwear, can make a big difference in the lives of our neighbors who are homeless. Please donate any size of new socks or underwear (still packaged) at our drop box in the foyer during the month of October. We will be taking these donations to NISD Threads.
Your School Counselor Are Here To Help!
Mrs. Breda
Servicing Grades: Kindergarten, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th
Ms. Garza
Servicing Grades: ECSE/PK, 1st, 5th