The Counselor CARE-ier
February 2024
Random Acts of Kindness
Last week (February 14-20th) was Random Acts of Kindness Week. Although the week has passed, we challenge each of you to practice kindness every day. The smallest act of kindness can mean the world to another person so please share the love and remind others to do the same. Remember, we never know what another person may be going through, so be kind and give others the grace and support we all deserve.
Community Resources
FREE TAX HELP
Another Life Foundation and VITA are partnering up to offer FREE income tax preparation assistance to individuals and families with a household income of $60,000 a year or less. Fill out the intake form to submit with your tax documents. You will also need to bring with you a copy of your ID, a copy of your SS Card, all tax documents and a voided check (if you want direct deposit). Drop off documents for preparation at: VITA Tax Location, 5050 Edison Ave., Suite 217, Colorado Springs, CO. 80915.
Colorado VITA has several other locations offering tax preparation help. Find a location near you. If you exceed this limit, you can file your own taxes for free online at MyFreeTaxes.com if you made less than $79,000.
Mission Medical Center
This non-profit organization provides free healthcare services including primary care, behavioral health, dentistry, vouchers for free glasses, and more. Their goal is to ensure that everyone can access healthcare regardless of their ability to pay. You can request an appointment HERE.
Class of 2024
Preparing for Graduation
- We are looking for one senior to sing the National Anthem at the Senior Breakfast and the Graduation Ceremony. If you are interested, please send Mrs. Swann an email (katy.swann@d49.org) letting her know. We will have auditions in early April; interested students will be notified of the exact date/time.
- We are looking for two seniors to speak at the Graduation Ceremony. If you are interested in speaking, please submit your type-written speech (3-5 minutes) to Mrs. Swann (katy.swann@d49.org) on or before April 17th. The graduation committee will review all submissions and select two speakers.
- Everyone should have completed all the things from the Senior-to-do list by now (submitted your senior picture & your senior quote for yearbook, submitted senior slideshow photos for graduation ceremony, & purchased your cap & gown). Thank you!
Scholarships
Now is peak time for scholarship applications. Be sure you are applying! Here is a great website with a list of local scholarship opportunities. Scholarship opportunities are forwarded to your student email from time to time, and there is a bulletin board in the counseling center where a variety of Scholarships are posted. Come check it out.
Career & College Readiness
YouScience
You've completed YouScience.... now what? Take a look at your results (parents should check them out too)! There is a lot of great information in the report. You can learn all about "YOU" and how the way you see and process things affects you at home, work, and school. Having a better understanding of yourself is beneficial for all things moving forward. The report provides you with words and phrases that describe you. This is a great tool as you fill out scholarship applications, job applications, build your resume, etc. Lastly, there is a great career exploration tool in there, too. This is a great place to start if you are still unsure of what you want to do after high school. This tool matches you to many different career pathways that would be a good fit for you based on your natural aptitudes (things you naturally do well). Mr. Mike Masino, Choice and Success Advisor, can help you look through your results and answer any questions you may have.
Upcoming Career Exploration Competition
PPBEA is excited to host a Career Exploration Competition from March 1st - April 30th, 2024! Students will apply for and complete job shadows, informational interviews and watch recorded interviews through PPBEA.org. Students will need to submit a completed reflection survey after the activity to be entered to win one of three $200 gift cards. The top school system and teacher will also receive prizes. To learn more, head to the PPBEA website. Mr. Masino, our Choice & Success Advisor is here to support you with any questions you may have about the PPBEA website.
Career Exploration Opportunities
Did you know that each D49 high school has a Choice & Success Advisor dedicated to helping students with career exploration? Mr. Mike Masino is the Choice & Success Advisor for The Campus and he has been busy this semester finding great opportunities for our students. He has already taken students to a couple of site visits, and is always working on finding more opportunities. Here are some upcoming site visits your student might be interested in:
- 3/1 Judicial Site Visit
- 3/5 UCCS Health Simulator Visit
If your student is interested in attending a site visit, they should talk to Mr. Masino to see if space is still available and to obtain a permission form. Mr. Masino's office is located in room #179 and can be reached by email at michael.masino@d49.org.
Social Emotional / Health & Wellness
Social Media & Self-Doubt
Social media can be fun, exciting, even helpful. But for some teens, all those pictures of awesome vacations, perfect bodies, and great-looking lives can fuel self-doubt. How can parents help teenagers have a healthier relationship with their social feeds?
Keeping teens from falling into the social media trap is harder than it sounds. Parents can start by taking it seriously. Social media plays a huge role in teenage life. Many teens never knew a world where social media didn’t exist. For them the things that happen online — fights, break-ups, likes, mean comments — are very real. When you talk about it with your teen, let them know you take their feelings seriously. For example you could say: “That comment was pretty mean. I’m sorry that happened. How are you feeling about it?”
Encourage teens to take what they see on social media with a (large) grain of salt. Asking questions can help. For example, are their friends are really the people they seem to be online? And is your child the person they seem to be online? Why does getting likes feel good? Do they feel better or worse after looking at social media? Check in regularly and if you notice your child is feeling down, ask them if their feed is helping or harming.
If you’re worried that social media is taking a toll on your child, family “unplugging” can help. That means everyone (yes, parents too) agrees not to use social media for a few days. It can help to set a goal to work towards during your detox. For example, learning to knit, or watching a series of movies as a family. Check in regularly, and notice how you feel without the social feed. If kids report feeling better, you could make the unplugging a regular thing.
In the end, remind your teen that your goal is to help them feel happy and safe. Understanding how they are affected by what they choose to do, online and off, will help.
(Article written by Rae Jacobson and is shared from the Child Mind Institute; Childmind.org. To read the full article click HERE)
Character Traits
The New York Times reported that in 1985, 18 percent of college freshmen said they “felt overwhelmed by all I had to do.” By 2018, that number had surged to 41 percent. Leading one in four college students to become diagnosed with or treated for mental health disorder in the prior year, one-fifth of all students surveyed have contemplated suicide (Michele Borba, 2021). It is apparent that to be successful, people must also be resilient and have grit.
Character traits and personality traits are equally as important, if not more so, in being a successful and happy human than the journey one takes to get there through academic or career achievement. It is important to note that so much goes into being a successful person. Although grades and test scores matter, as students navigate their career and academic paths, whether it be the choice of attending trade school, military, apprenticeship, or college, that’s not the only thing that matters. Having character traits where individuals score high on empathy, self-confidence, self-control, integrity, curiosity, perseverance, and optimism or scoring high on personality traits is vital to human growth and development. We must strive to focus on character and personality building, as these are the foundational stepping stones to true human success.
Reference: Michele Borba. (2021, March). Thrivers. The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine.
Health & Wellness Expo
Come check out this awesome event! Open to all D49 students and families!
Need Help?
If you need help please never hesitate to reach out using these confidential services below. Colorado Crisis Services and the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is for you to use for yourself if ever in need and Safe-2-Tell is a place you can share a concern about someone else.