Truman PR/EL Counselor Corner
Mrs. Denise Massey and Ms. Terri Welborn
News from Ms. Welborn and Mrs. Massey
Truman Assistance Programs (deadlines approaching)
- School Bell Clothing Program (CONTACT by OCT. 15th)
- Friday Backpack student weekend food assistance
- Thanksgiving Food Baskets (CONTACT by NOV 2nd)
- Christmas Gift Assistance (CONTACT BY NOV 2nd)
- Truman Clothes Closet: Gently used clothes and shoes that are available to students as needed.
Community Assistance Programs
Below is a list of agencies and sites that are able to provide your family with needed supports:
Sharing Tree is stocked with clothing, household items and basic necessities:
Family Support for Christmas:
- Christmas Connection Application
- The Christmas Store Application Last date for online Application is Oct. 25th.
- The Salvation Army You do not need an invitation code.
Counseling Support Groups
At Truman Elementary we will be starting the following support small groups soon. Small groups are comprised of 7-8 students and meet once per week for 6 to 8 weeks at a time that is most convenient for students. Please contact Ms. Welborn twelborn@norman.k12.ok.us or 366-5980 if you would like for your student to be part of one of these groups.
- Worry Warriors: Understanding and managing worries / anxious thoughts and feelings.
- Divorce Care: Understanding and coping with divorce and changing families.
- Self-Control Boot Camp: Understanding and practicing impulse control and self-regulation skills for success in all environments.
Small groups for Friendship and Grief will be coming a little later.
At Truman Primary we will also be starting small groups soon! Small groups are comprised of 3-6 students and meet once per week for 6 to 8 weeks at a time. I will work with the classroom teachers to find a time they will not miss direct instruction. Please contact Mrs. Massey denisem@norman.k12.ok.us or 366-5950 if you would like for your student to be part of the following small group:
- Worry Small Group: Find your inner superhero to manage your worries! These 8 highly-engaging, fun lessons will help your students identify worries and learn and practice calming strategies and coping skills to deal with worry. Your students will love finding their own inner superheroes and forming community with peers through these worry group activities.
Share Your Shelf Food Drive Oct. 26-30
Monster Dash / Red Ribbon Spirit Week Days
healthy choices all week long!
There are a few school-wide rules that will be enforced to keep all students safe. This includes: no props or weapons and faces should be free of paint, makeup and costume masks. Students are still expected to wear proper face covering due to pandemic COVID-19. Please remember that costumes should be appropriate for school and respectful of race, religion and ethnicity.
Take a Break From Screen Time
Home Connections
How can we best use technology at home? This short article talks about a few boundaries that are helpful to think about when using technology with young children. This article talks about preschool ages but I think it’s applicable for Pre-K - 2nd grade students.
http://families.naeyc.org/uncharted-territory-10-technology-tips-preschool-parents
Attendance
A flexible attendance policy will be in place this year, as students, teachers and staff are expected to stay home if they do not feel well. The district’s fever policy will continue to be enforced, and individuals with a temperature above 100.4 will not be permitted at school. Additionally, a virtual attendance policy will be in place for remote learning, as required by the Oklahoma State Department of Education. School principals will work with families under the guidance of our Executive Directors of Elementary and Secondary Schools to ensure appropriate attendance codes are used for absences related to COVID-19.
During periods of remote learning, we understand some students may not have the opportunity to participate in remote learning activities during the allocated times. All students will be counted present unless the student does not a) submit at least 90 percent of assignments b) log in and attend at least 90 percent of scheduled lessons or c) is not on track to pass the course. At least one of these must be met to ensure students continue to be counted present during remote learning. (NPS - Safeguards at School)
Truman News
October is Bullying Prevention Month!
Every October, we celebrate Bullying Prevention Month. All month long we will be talking with students about how to recognize, report, and refuse bullying.
Bullying can impact mental health, physical health, and academic performance. At Truman Primary and Elementary, we do many things to eliminate and prevent bullying from happening. As a part of the counseling program, we teach the Second Step Bullying Prevention curriculum to every student.
Did you know you can help your student practice what to do if bullying occurs? Research shows that having discussion with your student about what to do if bullying occurs not only lowers bullying rates but also decreases the negative effects of bullying. You can check out the Second Step resource below for more information.
The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin
Llama Llama and the Bully Goat
The Recess Queen
The Tease Monster
The Invisible Boy
Weird, Dare and Tough
Noteworthy News
Red Ribbon Week and Jogathon will be October 26-30.
Share Your Shelf Food Drive is October 26-30!
Check-In with Mrs. Massey
Denise Massey - Truman Primary School Counselor
Mrs. Massey is the school counselor at Truman Primary. She graduated with her Bachelor's from the University of Oklahoma and her Master's from the University of Central Oklahoma. Mrs. Massey enjoys gardening, musicals, Sooner football, OKC Thunder basketball, and playing with her puppies.
I believe it is my job to serve as a resource for you. If you have any needs or concerns, please reach out.
Email: denisem@norman.k12.ok.us
Website: https://sites.google.com/view/trumanprimarycounseling/home
Phone: 405-366-5950
Share Your Shelf Food Drive is October 26-30. This food drive directly benefits the Norman community by providing them with food.
Terri Welborn ~ Truman School Counselor
Email: twelborn@norman.k12.ok.us
Website: https://sites.google.com/norman.k12.ok.us/truman-school-counseling-site
Location: 600 Parkside Road, Norman, OK, USA
Phone: 405-366-5980