KN Counseling Newsletter
May 2021
CHARACTER WORD OF THE MONTH:
If your child earned Student of the Month for Character for the month of April or May they will be recognized at the beginning of next school year. Be on the lookout for more details!
KNE - Amie Wheeler & WE - Andrew Leonard
Week 2:
K-4th - Summer Safety
5th - Middle School Transition
Upcoming KNE & WE Dates:
- KNE & WE 5th Grade Matchup - Friday, May 14th 11:00-2:00 @ Ike Skelton Park WAFB
A fun "get to know you" afternoon of lunch and games for ALL 5th graders!
- MAP Testing - May 3rd -14th (For grades 3rd -5th)
- Make up ELA on May 7th/Make up Math on May 14th
KNMS - Heather Wallace & Taylor Morrison
- 6th Grade - Monday, May 17th
- 7th Grade - Wednesday, May 19th
- 8th Grade - Tuesday, May 18th
Important KNMS Dates:
EOC Testing - May 3rd & 4th
MAP Testing - May 5th -14th
New Student End of Year Party (hosted by S2S) - May 25th during 8th Hour
Credit Simulation Graduation for 8th Graders - Date TBD
WANT TO KNOW MORE!?
Check out the KNMS Virtual Counseling Center (new this school year)! Click here to enter.
KNHS - Laura Kennedy & Melissa Steerman
Your KNHS Counselors are currently working with the Class of 2022 to finalize plans for their senior year!
- AP Testing - May 4th - 18th
- Senior Finals - May 10th-12th
- Freshman, Sophomore, Junior Finals - May 25th - 27th
- Graduation PRACTICE - May 13th @ 8a
- 2021 Graduation Ceremony - May 16th @ 2p
HOME DISCUSSION CHALLENGE - Test Anxiety
When we think of test anxiety, we often times see it as something that only effects teenagers taking the ACT or some other important exam. The truth is that even very young children can experience it. With the increase in tests and assessments at all grade levels, more and more children are experiencing symptoms of test anxiety.
Here are a few steps you can take to help your child tackle this problem:
1. ASK QUESTIONS TO CLARIFY - Often, the process of saying their worries out loud helps children work through their feelings. Understanding the thought patterns that trigger anxiety can help parents develop strategies to target specific concerns. Try asking these questions:
- How do you feel when you first see the test?
- What's your biggest worry about taking a a test?
- Do you feel worried when you think about a test or only when you see the test?
Questions like these help us to avoid assumptions about why kids feel anxious.
2. TEACH TEST-TAKING BASICS - Young children have very little experience taking tests. Kids may feel empowered simply by talking through basic strategies, such as reading the directions, asking questions about the directions, looking for questions they know they can answer, and passing over tricky questions for the moment.
3. TALK TO THE TEACHER - Some kids become overwhelmed by things like timed math computation tests or spelling tests because they look at the whole page instead of focusing on one answer at a time. The classroom teacher might be able to implement some simple solutions such as using a piece of paper to cover the majority of the page so that your child only focuses on one line at a time. Other kids experience anxiety when they look around and see everyone working quickly. They become distracted by the noise of the pencils scratching on the papers. A quick fix for this is a privacy shield at the desk or being seated in a separate area at the back of the room. Make sure to communicate your concerns with your child's teacher.
4. ENCOURAGE POSITIVE SELF-TALK - Cognitive reframing is a great way to help young children cope with their anxious thoughts. We can teach kids to "boss back" anxious thoughts by replacing negative thoughts with positive ones. So when their brain signals that something is too hard, they can say, "You don't worry me! I know how to do this!"
5. TEACH RELAXTION STRATEGIES - Visualization exercises are great for anxiety. Ask your child to close their eyes and identify a place they feel happy, confident, and relaxed. Encourage them to share details about the sights, sounds, and scents in their calm place. As they share, cue them to take deep breaths. Then on test day, remind your child to close their eyes and visualize their calm place.
6.BOLSTER CONFIDENCE - The bottom line is that test anxiety can feel like a confidence killer. Instead of focusing on the actual tests being taken, help your child find their inner strength in other ways. For many children, increasing outdoor play is a confidence booster as it challenges them to work through fears.
(Paraphrased from https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/six-ways-to-help-kids-tackle-test-anxiety)
Stay in touch!
KNE - Amie Wheeler - awheeler@knr8.org
WE - Andrew Leonard - aleonard@knr8.org
KNMS - Heather Wallace - hwallace@knr8.org
KNMS - Taylor Morrison - tmorrison@knr8.org
KNHS - Laura Kennedy (Last Names A-I) - lkennedy@knr8.org
KNHS - Melissa Steerman (Last Names J-Z) - msteerman@knr8.org
District Social Worker - Hailee Wickham - hwickham@knr8.org