School Counselor Connections
November 2020
Roxanne Contreras-School Counselor
Dear Cedars Family,
November is National Gratitude Month! We have so much to be thankful and grateful for.
Guidance Lessons this month will be on Acts of Kindness and Gratitude.
Self Care week is November 16-22, please take care of your physical and mental health.
If you are interested in requesting or donating a Thanksgiving Meal with Operation Turkey please see information on newsletter. We honor and thank all veterans for serving our country. Happy Veterans Day-November 11, 2020. Thanksgiving is right around the corner and its one of my favorite holidays! Please stay safe and I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Please feel free to contact me.
A counselor referral link is below.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Contreras
Cedars International Academy, North Interstate 35 Frontage Road, Austin, TX,
512-419-1551
HELLO NOVEMBER
Kindness Challenge
Pathway 2 Success
Making a Kindness Challenge
Encourage students to complete a kindness challenge by actually doing each of the activities throughout the week.
Best of all, this is something you can do again and again by coming up with new lists of kind activities. You could even have a challenge every single week or month.
Make it extra exciting by adding a special reward at the end of the challenge. Just randomly select one winner who completed the challenge and give a special reward, like sitting in the teacher’s chair or getting to choose the movie for the end of the week.
Teaching Kindness
NATIONAL GRATITUDE MONTH
National Gratitude Month is an annual designation observed in November.
Gratitude is more than simply saying “thank you.” Gratitude’s amazing powers have the ability to shift us from focusing on the negative to appreciating what is positive in our lives. Practicing daily gratitude gives us a deeper connection to ourselves, the world around us and to our Creator.
Everything in our lives has the ability to improve when we are grateful. Research has shown that gratitude can enhance our moods, decrease stress and drastically improve our overall level of health and wellbeing. On average, grateful people tend to have fewer stress-related illnesses and experience less depression and lowered blood pressure, they are more physically fit, they are happier, have a higher income, more satisfying personal and professional relationships and will be better liked. Grateful kids are even more likely to get A’s in school.
If everyone practiced daily gratitude, we could change ourselves and the planet for the better. Everyone would be much happier. Love would grow and hate would decrease. And the world would know true peace.
What are you waiting for? Give gratitude a try! You’ll be happier you did.
To participate in the FREE 30 Day Global Gratitude Experiment, go to www.agratefulplanet.com
Operation Turkey will deliver meals on Thanksgiving Day — Thursday, November 26, 2020.
If you request a meal, you can expect delivery between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Each plate represents a meal for one individual containing, turkey, stuffing, vegetables, pie, and a drink. They will be accepting meal requests until 11:59 PM on Friday, November 20th.
Thank you for your service!
CLASSROOM CONNECTIONS
Who is your role model?
Wrapping up November in the classroom, we take a look at National Inspirational Role Models Month. Since the Thanksgiving holiday gives the students a couple days with family, there’s an opportunity to discuss the people we admire.
Students don’t often get the opportunity to find out how someone became a doctor or an artist, a volunteer at Meals on Wheels or a librarian. It might surprise them to hear how some of the important people in their lives became who they are and it might surprise us to find out who our students see as role models.
Sharing on social media isn’t required, learning is. But if you do, please use #NDCClassroom to share on social media.
LESSON 1 – Student Questionnaire
Discuss with your class what a role model is and who their role models might be. Print off the questionnaire and allow the students to explore the virtues of a role model. Younger students can create a collage from old magazines to illustrate the characteristics and personality their role model should have. This assignment can be a group project or one that’s sent home to work with the parents. See lesson 2 for more.
What qualities are necessary for a role model
Describe the kinds of activities your role model would be involved in.
What kind of temperament does a good role have?
How would your role model handle a difficult situation?
List the role models in your life.
Lesson 2 – Role Model Questionnaire
Students interview their role model to learn more about how their inspiration came to be the person they are today.
1. Who inspired you to be who you are today?
2. Did you always want to be a ______________?
3. How did you become a ____________?
4. What advice would you give someone who wants to be more like you?
*** Remember to thank your role model and tell them how they have inspired you.
Family Connections
Family Stories
FAMILY STORIES MONTH
Family Stories Month rolls around in November just in time for the holidays. When families gather it’s an excellent time to share stories and learn about family history. Throughout the month Family History Month encourages you to record or listen to stories from relatives of all ages.
Start thinking of the questions to ask family members. While you’re jotting down those, be ready for some memories of your own to get stirred up. There are numerous anecdotes of adventure, travel, and romance in our family’s past. Whether we spin a humorous tale or an epic history of a whole branch of the family, record the information in a format that can be shared with future generations.
Prepare for Sharing and Preserving Family Stories
- Prepare a list of questions, or memory prompts to share with family members during family gatherings.
- Before family members arrive, email a list of questions for them to review. It will give them a chance to come up with memories to share.
- Ask family to write their memories in story form to share. Offer to compile them in a book form for family members as the family memoir.
- During the gathering, individuals can share their memories. Don’t be surprised if someone remembers events differently!
Enjoy the time with family and making more stories to share during Family Stories Month!
HOW TO OBSERVE #FamilyStoriesMonth
Share your stories and find ways to preserve them for future generations. Enjoy the retelling of them over and over. Use #FamilyStoriesMonth to post on social media.
How to raise a resilient child with strong coping skills
New Ways November 2020
November 2020: Daily actions to help you find new ways of moving forward
[Based on the key of Trying Out: Keep learning new things]
Self Care Week is November 16-22
SELF CARE IS IMPORTANT
For Teachers: Building Resilience Starts with Self-Care
Support and Resources
Support & Resources
Holiday Assistance Program
https://foundcom.org/holiday-assistance-program-longhorn-catholics-friends/
Get Help | Central Texas Food Bank
Austin coronavirus: City expands COVID-19 rent assistance
For more information visit www.austintexas.gov/RENT
Latest Austin Texas Rent Assistance Programs
https://www.rentassistance.us/ci/tx-austin
General Assistance And Referral - TACAA
https://tacaa.org/general-assistance-and-referral
Resources for Renters: Help Paying Your Rent/Utilities ...
http://www.austintexas.gov/page/resources-renters-help-paying-your-rentutilities
Utility Assistance - Travis County
https://www.traviscountytx.gov/health-human-services/individuals-families/utility-assistance
Travis County assistance programs - Need Help Paying Bills
https://www.needhelppayingbills.com/html/travis_county_assistance_progr.html#:~:text=Zion%20Church%20Community%20Assistance%20Center,(512)%20478%2D7243.
Emergency assistance Travis County | Austin
https://www.needhelppayingbills.com/html/emergency_assistance_travis_co.html
Military and Veterans Resources
https://militarybenefits.info/resources/
Legal Help - Resources for New Immigrants
https://library.austintexas.gov/nip/legal-help
Mental Health for Children
ttps://www.austinchildguidance.org/
Mental Health Resource from Texas State University
Visit the TxSSC Mental Health Resources for Schools FolderSpecial Education
Resources for Families of Children with… | Texas Parent to ...
www.txp2p.org › resources › resources
National Domestic Violence Hotline
RESOURCES FOR VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
Domestic Violence | Survivor Resources | Live Your Dream
www.liveyourdream.org › get-help › domestic-violence...
https://www.traviscountytx.gov/dro/helpful-resources
COVID-19 Resources for Individuals and Families | USDA-FNS https://www.fns.usda.gov/disaster/pandemic/covid-19/resources-individuals-families
Supporting Families During COVID-19 | Child Mind Institute
https://childmind.org/coping-during-covid-19-resources-for-parents/
Resources for Helping Kids and Parents Cope Amidst COVID-19