Maryville School Counseling
August 2015
Welcome to School Counseling!
Changes to the 2015-2016 school counseling programs:
- Groups for early intervention students will begin Monday, August 17. Information slips should be going home during the first few days of school.
- New to Maryville 1-5th graders will be invited to a Lunch Bunch to introduce them to our wonderful school.
- Andrew Harris from Stage One will be coming the week of August 24th to work with our 4th and 5th graders on a short term residency on empathy. I am hoping to sit in on it, steal ideas and implement them myself with the rest of the school.
- Classroom guidance will (hopefully) take place every 3 weeks, rather than once a week. Last year teachers indicated they wanted more classroom guidance, but felt every two weeks was too much. Every three weeks seemed like a pretty logical compromise between 2 and 4 weeks :)
- Individual counseling will take place on an as needed basis, but continued work with students referred last year will wait until a few weeks into school.
- More data will be collected to evaluated the effectiveness of the school program.
School Counseling Services for Students
Individual Counseling
Students, parents and/or teachers may request that students meet with the school counselor. These meetings can be held on a regular basis (weekly, monthly, etc.) or on a drop in basis. Unless a child is threatening to hurt themselves or someone else, exact conversations and specific information will not be shared with any one.
Students come see the counselor for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to:
- Divorce
- Death in the Family
- Self Esteem
- Friendship concerns
- Incarceration of a loved one
- Anger Management
- Anxiety
- Academic support
Group Counseling
A variety of counseling groups are always going on at Maryville. Groups allow for students to connect with other students that are going through or have gone through similar situations. Groups usually last for 4-6 weeks.
Below is a list of possible small groups that will be offered this school year.
- Friendship
- Social Skills
- Dealing with Divorce
- Healthy Habits
- Anger Management
- Learning Good Choices
- Grief
- Study Skills
Small groups can also be held during lunch in what is referred to as "Lunch Bunch."
Lunch Bunch may be held once or multiple times with the same students. This is for students who need positive interaction with their peers or a "brush up" on expectations. Lunch Bunches are also used as rewards for students who are making good choices at Maryville.
At the beginning of the year, Lunch Bunches are great ways for new students to make new friends or learn more about their classmates.
Classroom Guidance
See below for more information on classroom guidance.
ADDITIONAL SERVICES
Outside of individual and group counseling, as well as classroom guidance, I also host Lunch Bunches and leadership opportunities for the students of Maryville. Lunch Bunch meetings may be held for quick, informal refreshers on expectations or social skills. Lunch Bunches are also held for new students to get to know their classmates, as rewards and just because I love interacting with our Patriots as much as I can!
Leadership opportunities include book clubs, service projects and student involvement in creating Maryville policy and procedure. These opportunities may call for student volunteers, teacher referrals or students may even be selected at random. A new focus will be placed on creating leadership moments for our Patriots during the 2015-2016 school year. More information will be available on e-news and Facebook.
OUTSIDE RESOURCES
I have access to many outside resources if you believe your student or their family may be in need of more intensive services. These include, but are not limited to:
- Mobile Assessments
- Counseling/ Therapy Services (in and out of school)
- Groups at Maryville from outside agencies
- After school groups and clubs
Classroom Guidance
Here are the Seven Habits:
Habit 1: BE PROACTIVE
I am a responsible person. I take initiative. I choose my actions, attitudes and moods. I do not blame others for my wrong actions. I do the right thing with out being asked, even when no one is looking.
Habit 2: BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND
I plan ahead and set goals. I do things that have meaning and make a difference. I am an important part of my classroom and contribute to my school's mission and vision. I look for ways to be a good citizen.
Habit 3: PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
I spend my time on things that are most important. This means I say no to things I know I should not do. I set priorities, make a schedule and follow my plan. I am disciplined and organized.
Habit 4: THINK WIN-WIN
I balance courage for getting what I want with consideration for what others want. I make deposits in others' Emotional bank Accounts. When conflicts arise, I look for Third Alternatives.
Habit 5: SEEK FIRST TO UNDERSTAND, THEN TO BE UNDERSTOOD
I listen to other people's ideas and feelings. I try to see things from their viewpoints. I listen to others without interrupting. I am confident in voicing my ideas. I look people int he eyes when talking.
Habit 6: SYNERGIZE
I value other people's strengths and learn from them. I get along well with others, even people who are different from me. I work well in groups. I seek out other people's ideas to solve problems because I know that by teaming with others, we can create better solutions than anyone of us can alone. I am humble.
Habit 7: SHARPEN THE SAW
I take care of my body by eating right, exercising and getting sleep. I spend time with family and friends. I learn in lots of ways and lots of places, not just at school. I find meaningful ways to help others.
If you would like more information on the habits, you can visit the Franklin Covey website at http://www.theleaderinme.org/. I also have additional copies of the Seven Habits of Effective Teenagers if you wish to read a copy. This is the recommended version for schools interested in implementing the Seven Habits.
How can a school counselor help me?
- You need resources. I have social stories you can read to your class. I have behavior management books. I have games and toys and fidgets.
- Your class needs a specific lesson. Does your class struggle with manners or teasing? Did something occur that they need help processing? I can help with that. I can do special whole class guidance, or I can take a small group.
- You need volunteers or assistance. I love to come in and read or help with special projects. I love to attend poetry readings or see projects be presented.
- You want to brag on something awesome your class did. I love to celebrate with teachers and students.
- You have a student who needs some reinforcement. Some times students need to hear the same thing from multiple sources before it sinks in. Let me know and I will help reinforce.
- You have concerns about 1 or more of your students. Let's talk it out together, or maybe I can schedule some lunches or one on one sessions with a student you are worried about.
- You need ANYTHING!
ABRI Data
Last year, Maryville students earned fewer referrals than the previous three years:
2011-2012: 107
2012-2013: 85
2013-2014: 106
2014-2015: 74
This is because of teachers and their hard work and dedication in teaching and re-teaching the expectations.
The buses are the biggest problem area, but we are working on combating that by holding several PBIS trainings with bus drivers and making mandatory "re-teaching" days of the bus expectations. Please feel free to teach bus expectations in the classroom, especially before dismissal.
PBIS and ABRI mark success with what they refer to as the "triangle chart." In successful schools, 80% of the student population should be great, meaning 1 or fewer referrals for the year. Regular, school wide expectations and teachings address the needs of these students. The yellow portion of the triangle should include 15% of your student population who earn 2-5 referrals. These students need more intense teachings of expectations. The red portion of the training should include 5% of your population. These kiddos have earned 6 or more referrals and need a lot more assistance.
Last year our triangle included 86% of our students in the green and 4% in the yellow. We did not have a SINGLE student in the red. . .which is AWESOME! During PBIS district walk throughs, Central Office also ranked Maryville higher than any other school in the district. We were the only school to earn 100% on our walk through. I know we are going to do just as well (if not better) this year. I will provide more information on the walk throughs when we know the date for those.
Data Collection
Twice a year I will send out a data report on my program (mid year and end of the year.) If you would like to see any of these reports form last year, please let me know. I will also be conducting pre- and post- assessments on group work, individual and interventions. If you would like to see any of these data or have questions, just let me know.
Additionally, I read a GREAT article about what a pain data can be, but also how incredibly useful it is. If you would like to read this (it's only 5 pages) let me know.