News from Student Services
Nature Hill SMORE Addition
News from Student Services
Nature Hill Student Services Staff:
Brenda Barker, 6-8th School Counselor barkerb@oasd.org
Peihua Reinke, 5-6th grade School Counselor reinkep@oasd.org
Nicole Mara, School Social Worker maran@oasd.org
Heather Olwig, School Psychologist olwigh@oasd.org
Student Services Request Link:
Parents/Guardians, please share this link with your student(s). The purpose of this link is to allow students to request a meeting with one of the student services team members. This link is a confidential link that will only be viewed by the student services team. If you have concerns or would like to request that your child is seen by one of the SST members, please send an email to the individual you wish to connect with.
Link to request form: https://forms.gle/cBkR8SBZxP17a6pV8
Welcome New To the District Students!
Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/92684121712?pwd=b2pRU0g1UmFBa09jK2JlMW0xanN5QT09
Meeting ID: 926 8412 1712
Passcode: D4Rn8T
Grab and Go Meals for OVLC and Purple/Gold
All students in the OVLC and Purple/Gold students can order breakfast and lunch for their virtual school days. Meals are packed based on the number of virtual school days your child will have each week and families can pick up those meals every Monday at Oconomowoc High School. Families will be charged for meals through their child’s Skyward Family Access account based on their student meal status, whether free, reduced or standard price.
In order to obtain these meals you must:
1) Order from this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdWQFBlm-5sSaGVYsgfDsgxd_cHXUT4CLEGDrJJBGJlCznF8w/viewform
2) Submit your student’s order before 2:00 p.m. on Fridays so their meals are available the following week.
3) Pick up meals on Mondays, between 4:00-6:00 p.m. for the entire week
- OVLC students will receive meals for the entire school week.
-Students in grades 5-12 will receive meals for 2 or 3 days, depending on how many days they have virtual learning at home that week.
4) If a holiday or non-school day is on a Monday, meal pick up will occur on Tuesday, between 4:00-6:00 p.m.
5) If a school week is shortened because of a holiday or non-school day, the number of meals will be adjusted accordingly.
Weekly Family and Student Dares
If you would like to learn more about this curriculum feel free to browse this website: https://characterstrong.com/
Returning To School Resources and Tips (Face-to-Face or Virtual)
Link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hqHG-SqyQMwnMn0emfJEPGQVre0UW9BItjtHXbLm7GA/edit?usp=sharing
This document focuses on virtual learning tips and tricks. Whether your student is purple/gold or fully virtual, these ideas are a great tool when setting your student up for success!
Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R0wwBLmLJ6Ry5v5QoNo9yEE9Yfd9apK8rQTZ6WC7yx8/edit?usp=sharing
Parenting During a Pandemic
These are certainly unprecedented times folks. For as long as MOST of us have been alive, we have never had to endure a period of such chaos that has been filled with so much anxiety and discord. Being a PARENT during these times, adds a whole other layer of issues. Let’s face it… we were never really prepared for all that parenting brings us AND NOW… this? Yikes! Sorry, trying to throw a little levity amongst the strangeness of it all. Actually, what I am trying to point out is, with so many things being ‘out of our control’, we have to ask ourselves, what can we control? There isn’t much we can do to change what is happening in the world today, but we CAN, as parents and individuals, try to gain better control over our own thoughts and actions. With all of the unknown factors at this time, it is very easy to be worried about what the future will hold. It is also very easy for our thoughts to get away from us. At times like these, it is important to practice mindfulness. In other words, we need to try our hardest, to focus on taking one day at a time and come to an acceptance that we simply CAN'T control everything. We might feel a little scared and unsure here and there, but try not to resist that..it is perfectly normal. You may also find, when you stop resisting these feelings, you will actually feel LESS anxious!! While it is difficult enough to navigate these feelings on our own… parenting through them, can be EXTREMELY challenging. We don’t want to be a ‘scared’ parent. We all want to be the strong parent that our kids look up to during difficult situations, but sometimes, this may be more than we are able to give! Please know that this is okay. The bravest thing a parent can do sometimes is to show your children that, even as adults, we have periods when we are scared and unsure, but we are going to keep moving forward…one step at a time. This is teaching resiliency in its greatest form! Along with creating a balanced mindset during this period, it is also important to try our best to maintain a healthy lifestyle. As the great saying goes, ‘Actions speak louder than words’.. We are our children’s best teachers/role models...because of this, leading by example is very effective. A few examples of this are:
- Get enough sleep
- Take all of the correct safety precautions (such as washing hands, wearing a mask etc)
- Eat right. It's too easy to grab for the ‘comfort foods’ a little too often right now..am I right?!
- Get outside in the fresh air.
- Even if the gym isn’t open, find ways to get some exercise and safely socialize.
- Try hard to not turn to substance for relaxation…try yoga, meditation, deep breathing exercises etc.. instead.
- Seek out professional help when the anxiety and/or stress is just too much.
The items listed above are only a few ways you can show your children healthy coping mechanisms, there are others that you can do for yourself and your family that will have the same impact. Be gentle with yourself and be patient as a parent. This is adifficult time, yes, but it also has great potential to be a wonderful teacher..but only if you choose to see it this way. We are all in this together. In a time when we can feel SO scared, isolated and alone, let’s do our best to show our kids something different. Let’s take this ‘opportunity’ to become stronger, less divided and better than before. We not only owe this to our children, we owe it to ourselves.
Written by: Karen Kujawski, Lighthouse Project/Support Coordinator
Support and Information for Parents
Lighthouse Project Outreach/Support Coordinator Karen Kujawski
262-364-8730
Support and Information for Young Adults:
NAMI Waukesha Youth Outreach Coordinator
Lexi Sandoval
Call/Text 262-993-6903 lexi@namiwaukesha.org