Dragon Connection
Carroll Senior High School, Counselors' Newsletter
September 2021
Hello 2021-2022 School Year
We want to welcome all Dragons back to school this year. There is something exciting about a fresh start, isn't there? There is a feeling of hope and excitement as we look ahead towards the future. We are excited about restoring connections, building relationships, and creating an environment where all students feel safe, supported, and encouraged so that they can thrive in all academic endeavors.
The Carroll Senior High School Counseling Office is dedicated to serving you! Let’s work together to make this a wonderful and memorable year at Carroll Senior High School.
This newsletter contains important information about upcoming programs including Mental Health and Wellness, Event Dates, SAT and ACT testing dates, and so much more.
Carroll Senior High School Calendar
https://www.southlakecarroll.edu/Page/124#calendar175/20210812/month
September 13th - Curriculum Night 5:30-7:00
September 11th - ACT Testing 7:00 am
September 22nd - Parent Coffee with the Counselors 10:00 am Cafeteria
September 24th - Homecoming
Core Essential Trait for August: Wisdom
Wisdom and Students??
While often the word wisdom makes us think of knowledge that comes with time, this month's application of the word helps us to see that wisdom can be quite simple: it is about both finding out what you need to do, and then applying that knowledge and doing it.
Helping your child know how to find out what to do is a great first step. Make sure they have adults and peers in their life to point them in the right direction, just as you would.
Taking Action
This can be more difficult than it seems for students - finding out what to do can be somewhat internal, but taking action requires risk. Making sure you have a safe space for your child to do what they know is right will be key to developing wisdom. How can you encourage and celebrate wise choices and wise actions?
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WISDOM:
For parent reflection:
• Who are some adults that your child could learn wisdom from?
• What peers does your child have that helps make wise decisions?
• When do you need to seek counsel and build wisdom before taking action?
With your child:
• When is it easy to be wise?
• When do you have trouble showing wisdom?
• What holds you back from doing the right thing?
• When you aren't sure of the right thing to do, how do you find out?
• Who in your life can be a resource when you need to know what to do? What adults? What friends?
Core Essential Trait for September: Initiative
Taking Initiative is doing the right thing without being told. Students who take initiative are self-starters, proactive, and are persistent in overcoming difficulties that arise in pursuit of a goal. Showing initiative can be a scary and exciting experience. The more you put yourself out there, the more chances you have of getting better grades, making friends, or earning trust with teachers. Furthermore, showing initiative early in life can help forge leadership skills and other talents as you grow and adapt.
How do you show initiative in school? Getting yourself involved in classroom discussions, asking and answering posed questions, putting forth extra effort into projects or homework, and making sure to engage in clubs and afterschool activities is a great way to show initiative in school.
Identifying Our Strengths In Order To Build Success!
Tips for Success This School Year
We want to take time this year to cultivate and deepen relationships and design opportunities where adults and students can connect, heal, and build their capacity to support each other. We understand that it's important to create safe, supportive, and equitable learning environments that promote all students’ social and emotional development. We look forward to a wonderful year ahead!
Starting a new school year in uncertain times can bring many emotions, including anxiety. Anxiety is a common feeling of nervousness or worry. When those feelings stop your children from having fun or doing normal activities, they may need help reducing their anxiety.
How to Help
- Breathe. Practice calming breathing together by taking slow, deep breaths.
- Challenge negative or irrational thoughts by having your children ask themselves questions such as “What evidence is there that makes this thought true or not true?” or “If it did happen, what could I do to cope?”
- Plan. Help your children prioritize and break down tasks into smaller, doable steps.
- Be calm. Model confident and calm behavior for your children.
- Establish an at-home routine. Schedule time for homework, fun, meals, and a bedtime routine.
- Support a healthy lifestyle. Provide healthy meals and time for physical activity. Maintain an appropriate curfew so your children get enough sleep.
- Identify thoughts and name emotions. Describe to your children what you observe and ask in a clarifying manner if that is what is occurring. Asking if, rather than telling what, your children are feeling helps them develop greater ability to name and tame their emotions. For example, “I see you frowning and not talking much. Are you feeling sad?”
- Communicate. Set aside time to talk one-on-one with your children. Connect emotionally by listening and giving eye contact. Validate concerns and avoid lecturing.
- Get help. Talk to teachers about any concerns you have about your children. If you are concerned your children have an anxiety disorder, talk with a counselor, doctor, therapist, or other mental health expert.
YouScience
Great news! Your student now has access to YouScience - a tool that will help them discover where their natural talents and passions meet. We believe YouScience is a great way for students to learn more about themselves, explore high-demand careers that are a good fit for them, and gain a better understanding of how their unique talents are needed in the economy.
Through a series of engaging 'brain games,' YouScience measures aptitudes (natural abilities most important to career choice). We then translate those talents (combined with interests) into real world, high-demand careers.
YouScience has been proven to engage students effectively and provide the direction they need to make the most important education and career decisions.
The insights students get from YouScience are meaningful and actionable. We want parents to be in the know and able to engage their students in conversation about their results and plans for the future. We have provided some FAQs and conversation starters to help get them talking!
What is YouScience?
YouScience is an online assessment that uses 11 "brain games" to find where passions and talents meet. We then match each student to more than 500 high-demand careers to recommend the paths that best fit their natural abilities.
How is YouScience different than other tests?
Most career guidance relies on interest-only surveys, but YouScience goes beyond that to measure natural abilities. While interests can be limited by exposure and understanding, aptitudes are able to give a broader spectrum of options and opportunities. Most importantly, you will never see a score on a YouScience profile. There is no pass/fail or good/bad. Every student has talent - we want to help them understand what makes them great and how to make most of it.
Click the link below to learn more about YouScience and what it means for your student.
THE RESILIENCY PROJECT
We tend to idealize childhood as a carefree time, but youth alone offers no shield against the emotional hurts and traumas many children face. Children can be asked to deal with problems ranging from adapting to a new classroom to bullying by classmates or even abuse at home. Add to that the uncertainties that are part of growing up, and childhood can be anything but carefree. The ability to thrive despite these challenges arises from the skills of resilience.
The good news is that resilience skills can be learned.
Building resilience — the ability to adapt well to adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or even significant sources of stress — can help our children manage stress and feelings of anxiety and uncertainty. However, being resilient does not mean that children won't experience difficulty or distress. Emotional pain and sadness are common when we have suffered major trauma or personal loss, or even when we hear of someone else's loss or trauma.
STOPit Student Hotline
The STOPit Student Hotline is designed to help students, parents and community members anonymously report past, present and predicted concerns in our school community. Information about bullying, harassment, drugs, violence, weapons, theft, or any other potential threat to school safety should be reported.
Report concerns anonymously, anytime 24/7.
https://appweb.stopitsolutions.com/login
For more information please visit:
https://www.southlakecarroll.edu/site/Default.aspx?PageID=3384
A New Type of Help: Crisis Text Line
Text 741-741, ANYTIME YOU ARE IN A CRISIS
With today's teenagers living in the age of texting, the Crisis Text Line has noticed they feel more comfortable texting rather than calling into a helpline when they are in need of help. The great thing about this support is it is available 24/7 to anyone in any type of crisis. You can text confidentially between classes, in the middle of a situation without anyone knowing who you are talking to. Crisis counselors are on stand by 24/7 to help you from the heat of the moment to until you are calm.
Crisis doesn’t just mean suicide: it’s any painful emotion for which you need support.
SAT & ACT INFORMATION & DATES
Visit our CSHS Counseling Website for information on ACT/SAT Testing and More
Our Counseling Team
Serving Students Last Names A-D
mailto:tracey.flores@southlakecarroll.edu
Deborah Warner, M. Ed.
Serving Students Last Names E-K
mailto:deborah.warner@southlakecarroll.edu
Keri Bettencourt, M. Ed.
Serving Students Last Names L-Q
mailto:keri.bettencourt@southlakecarroll.edu
Tammy Grasmick, M. S.
Serving Students Last Names R-Z
mailto:tamara.grasmick@southlakecarroll.edu
Amy Welch, M. Ed.
Intervention Counselor - CSHS 504 Coordinator
mailto:amy.welch@southlakecarroll.edu
Counseling Office Support Staff
Deidra Mulloy
Registrar
Deidra.Mulloy@southlakecarroll.edu
Ann Fore
Receptionist
Patricia.Fore@southlakecarroll.edu
Shela Daniel
Secretary
Shela.Daniel@southlakecarroll.edu
Website: https://www.southlakecarroll.edu/domain/736
Location: 1501 West Southlake Boulevard, Southlake, TX, United States
Phone: 817-949-5813
Twitter: @CounselingCSHS