Lieck Elementary Counselor Corner
November 2021
Counselor Message
Lieck Families,
We are so grateful to be able to spend time with all our lions. We enjoy seeing their excitement and love for learning as we teach our guidance lessons and interact with them on a daily basis. This time of year we show gratitude for being able to do what we do every day!
Mrs. Zigmond & Ms.Garza
Social Emotional Learning
Social and emotional skills are critical skills that help individuals develop a sense of self, improve confidence, understand emotions, develop positive relationships with others, improve social skills, strengthen decision-making skills, and much more. Several research studies have shown the positive impact social and emotional learning can have on kids and young adults.
Skills that are targeted in social and emotional learning:
Self-Awareness - strengths and challenges, building confidence, feelings, good character, growth mindset, positive thinking and hopes for the future.
Self-Management - planning, organization, self-control, managing emotions, coping strategies, perseverance and resilience.
Social Awareness - social expectations, social cues, respect, perspective-taking, empathy, kindness and compassion and appreciating diversity.
Relationships - friendship skills, healthy relationships, effective communication, working with others, compromising, dealing with conflicts and making up for mistakes.
Decision-Making - responsibility, core values, owning your choices, problem solving, ethical decisions, peer pressure and healthy habits
Family Fun
How many challenges can your family do?
Family Gratitude Jars
Gratitude Jar
You can teach your kids gratitude with a daily gratitude jar activity. Each day, ask your little ones to write down something they’re thankful for. The power of positive thinking can improve their mood and happiness.
To do this activity at home, you’ll need:
3 sheets of regular paper
Scissors
A mason jar
Pillar of Character: Citizenship
- Do their share to make their school and community a better place.
- They cooperate and work well with others.
- They respect and follow the rules and lead by example.
- They make good choices and encourage others to do the same.
- They stand up for others and for what is right.
Talking points for parents and kids to share:
What do good citizens do?
Share a time you were a good citizen. What did you do? How did you feel?
Share a time someone was a good citizen to you. What did they do? How did you feel?
For more information about the six Pillars of Character please visit:
https://charactercounts.org/character-counts-overview/six-pillars
Books About Citizenship
Junior Achievement in a Day
Self-Care and Mindfulness
Benefits of Mindfulness for Kids
- Teaches children to focus on the present moment
- Equips kids with skills to regulate their emotions
- Improves concentration
- Increases compassion and kindness
- Teaches kids how to manage stress and life challenges
- Enhances relationships
Try the "Go On A Safari" activity together with your child. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell? What do you feel? Just enjoy this peaceful time together to breath, relax, and refresh your mind and body.
Middle School Transition
We are here to support you and your child through this process. There will be many upcoming events like, elective night and transition camp for you and your child to participate in. We will also be starting our course selections the week after Thanksgiving Break. You will be receiving more information about course selection over the next several weeks. The middle school counselor will be coming to visit with the students and we will work with the students to enter their courses for 6th grade into the HAC system.
The 5th graders at Lieck are slated to attend either Bernal MS or Luna MS. Students will may also apply for one of our magnet middle schools, Jones Magnet School or Zachry Magnet School. Information will be forthcoming for those who wish to make a request for your child to attend a different middle school over the one they are currently slated to attend. For registration purposes, all course selections must be made for your child's designated middle school. If accepted into one of the magnet schools or approved to attend another middle school, all course selections will be automatically transferred. If you have any questions about this process, please contact the counselors.
NetSmartz: Cyber Safety for Kids
Into the Cloud™ is NCMEC’s flagship online safety product for children ages 10 and under. Using data from actual CyberTipline reports, each episode of season 1 focuses on a different element of online safety, from strategies for handling cyberbullying to recognizing and reporting unsafe/inappropriate interactions and content. Each month we will feature an episode for you to watch and discuss with your child.
For more information please click the link below.
Into the Cloud: Episode 2 - TMI
Lieck Counselors
Monique Zigmond
Counselors Care
@NISDWholeChild