This is my favorite time of the year!

Goodbye humidity! Hello evening walks or weekend hikes and, oh yes, SEC football! This is a great time to get outdoors and spend time with your family.

Did you know school counselors design and deliver school counseling programs that improve student outcomes through individual counseling, group counseling or classroom instruction? As the school counselor, the most efficient way for me to reach students is through classroom instruction, here at school and with virtual classes on Zoom. The goal of classroom instruction is to provide developmentally appropriate lessons in grades PK-4 that promote academic, personal/social and career development. Lessons are based upon needs assessments and school data that is collected from the previous school year.

This year, students in Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and 1st grade will participate in a variety of activities that promote social/emotional growth. Students in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade will participate in the GoZen! Program, which is a social and emotional learning program designed to help build resilience. Before, during, and after watching the animations with the school counselor, students will engage in classroom discussion and activities to build their coping skills. The following topics will be covered over the next few months:

Module 1: What is worry?

Module 2: How does worry affect your body?

Module 3: How does worry affect your thinking?

Module 4: Watch out for thought holes! (recognizing thinking distortions)

Module 5: The 5Cs Technique (5 easy steps for recognizing and changing inaccurate thinking that causes us to worry too much)

Module 6: The FARR Method (a mnemonic for remembering what

technique to use when)

Even if your child does not currently worry, they will still benefit from GoZen!, as they will become more aware of how their thoughts influence their feelings and behaviors. As adults, we are aware that stress, pressure, and challenges are part of everyday life. The skills that your child will learn in this program will be useful in many situations for years to come.

If you have any questions about these activities or programs, please feel free to contact me.