NSHS Counseling Department
The Season of Gratitude
Sitting With Discomfort
For those of us born and raised before Emotional Intelligence had been defined, we may have been taught - implicitly and even explicitly - that certain emotions are taboo. Think of intense emotions like anger, shame, guilt, and fear - how do we develop the skills to manage these feelings? Most of us were never explicitly taught the emotional skills to tolerate discomfort. Fortunately, on the other side of discomfort is a roomier comfort zone. In learning to confront the emotions that scare us, we can learn to accept and even embrace an uncertain path.
None of us is immune to unpleasant feelings. Resilience is about managing those feelings productively. How well can we utilize the emotional literacy skills of Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing, and Regulating our emotions as we approach unsolved problems? Will we be emotion scientists who seek to understand our discomfort or emotion judges who fear unpleasant emotions?
One tool that can always support our sense of well-being is to express gratitude for the blessings we do enjoy. I am thankful for so much - for my family, friends and loved ones; for good health; for a job that feeds my soul; for a counseling staff and colleagues in roles all across the building who care deeply about nurturing students.
Wishing you peace -
The Counseling Center in 6167
The Center is currently hosting an Align & Shine group each morning from 8:25-8:55 to offer a mix of calm, quiet structured and unstructured activities to students looking for an opportunity to ease into their school day. This is a drop-in group open to all students.
Also currently ongoing are to Stress Less skill-building groups offered during WIN 1 and WIN 3. If your student is interested in a Stress Less group they should contact their counselor to express their interest.
Beginning after Thanksgiving counselors will be hosting additional activities and groups ranging from coloring as stress relief to learning to be an emotion scientist; from viewing and discussing representations of mental health issues in movies to playing word and board games; from managing the wait for college decisions to seeking a sense of purpose. Offerings will be shared to all students on Schoology and will be visible on the Counseling Center google calendar. Any student with a directed study, free block, or canceled class is welcome to attend these sessions.
Offerings for the weeks of 11/28 and 12/5 include: Additional Session May Be Added - Please check the Counseling Center calendar for updates!
- Kindness 101 - Monday, November 28, 10:35-11:40, B Block - Mr. Kershaw & Ms. Segal - Join Mr. Kershaw and Ms. Segal for some inspiration and good feels courtesy of CBS' Kindness 101 series.
- Coloring for Stress Relief - Tuesday, November 29, 10:20-11:35, B Block - Ms. Veley - Join Ms. Veley for a fun and relaxed Coloring for Stress Relief session in The Center (6167).
- Be an Emotion Scientist! - Wednesday, November 30, 11:15-1:05, D Block - Mr. Rubin - Explore what it means to be an "Emotion Scientist." How can we be curious about even the most challenging of emotions to better understand ourselves and our relationship to the people and communities in which we live?
- Managing the Waiting Game - Friday, December 2, 9:00-10:15, C Block - Mr. Lewis - For many seniors, the weeks between submitting college applications and receiving decisions from college are an emotional rollercoaster. Join Mr. Lewis to engage in the present with peers sharing the stressful experience of waiting on college decisions.
- Navigating Life's Stresses, Big and Small - Monday, December 5, 10:35-11:40, B Block - Ms. Style - Are you looking for concrete strategies you can implement to help manage your stress more effectively? Join Ms. Style for some real talk about the challenges of being a teen and how you can cope with stress more effectively.
- Mindfulness: What It Is (and Isn't) - Monday, December 5, 1:30-2:35, D Block - Mr. Hardiman & Ms. Choi - Have you ever wondered what Mindfulness is? Join Mr. Hardiman and Ms. Choi to view a portion of Netflix's series on the practice of Mindful Awareness and how you can incorporate strategies into your life.
- Coloring for Stress Relief - Tuesday, December 6, 10:20-11:35, B Block - Ms. Veley - Join Ms. Veley for a fun and relaxed Coloring for Stress Relief session in The Center (6167). This session will take place concurrently with Ms. Brown's Play Doh Power Hour.
- Play Doh Power Hour - Tuesday, December 6, 10:20-11:35, B Block - Ms. Veley - Come get your hands dirty and work our some stress creating with Play Doh. This session will take place concurrently with Ms. Veley's Coloring for Stress Relief.
- Coloring and a Movie - Tuesday, December 6, 1:25-2:30, G Block - Ms. Limmer - Join Ms. Limmer for a movie and coloring in a relaxed setting in The Center (6167).
- Mindfulness: What It Is (and Isn't) - Wednesday, December 7, 1:10-2:25, E Block - Mr. Hardiman & Ms. Choi - Have you ever wondered what Mindfulness is? Join Mr. Hardiman and Ms. Choi to view a portion of Netflix's series on the practice of Mindful Awareness and how you can incorporate strategies into your life.
- Be an Emotion Scientist! - Friday, December 9, 1:10-2:25, F Block - Mr. Rubin - Explore what it means to be an "Emotion Scientist." How can we be curious about even the most challenging of emotions to better understand ourselves and our relationship to the people and communities in which we live?
Seniors...
A substantial number of seniors participated in "encore" senior seminar lessons this past week in advance of January college deadlines. If you (or your student) are still unsure of future plans, you are encouraged to reach out to your school counselor to explore your options. If you are seeking additional information or support to guide your post-secondary planning, please contact your counselor. And as always, you can find a wealth of information on the College & Career Center google site.
Juniors...
Junior Parent Night, the rollout of of post-secondary planning for juniors and their families will take place Thursday, January 19, 2023 at 6:30 pm. We hope to see you there. If you’d like to preview any topics between now and then, please feel free to peruse the College Planning Guide online.
Ninth Graders...
Counselors will soon meet with their ninth graders in seminars for the second time to assist them in their continued transition to the high school. This session focused primarily on getting to know the academic and social emotional support resources available at Newton South and understanding that accessing these resources when needed is a habit employed by effective and successful learners.
You are encouraged to call your child’s counselor at any time with any questions or concerns you may have as your child starts his or her high school career. We want to help to make this a most positive and productive period of growth for your children.
Newton South School Counseling
Website: https://sites.google.com/newton.k12.ma.us/nshs-school-counseling
Location: Newton South High School, Brandeis Road, Newton, MA, USA
Phone: (617) 559-6500
Twitter: @NSHS_Guidance