Counselor Connection
November
Hats off to Veterans
Students can pay $1 on Monday, November 8th, to wear a hat in honor of our Veterans. The donations will go to and be presented to a local veterans organization at BCS's Veteran's Day Assembly, which will be held on Thursday, November 11th, at 9:00 a.m. in the high school gymnasium.
Christmas for Kids
Bryan City Schools will again be participating in Mix 98.1’s Christmas for Kids Program. This is a joint fundraising effort sponsored by the radio station Mix 98.1 and the Herman Hesselschwardt Detachment #758 of the Marine Corps League. Every year this campaign provides nearly 5,000 children from Defiance, Williams, Henry, Paulding, and Fulton counties with Christmas presents. This will be Bryan City Schools ninth year participating in the project and all the monies donated will be kept in Bryan and Williams County.
Christmas for Kids at Bryan Elementary will be Monday, November 15th through Friday, November 19th. Donations will be collected daily in each classroom as well as in the office. Mix 98.1 will be having a live-drive broadcast from Bryan Elementary School on Monday, November 29th, from 7:00-9:00 a.m.
This is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn the positive feelings that come from helping others, and a great way to kick off the holiday season! Every child deserves a Christmas and with your help we can accomplish this very special goal. Thank you very much for helping our kids here in Bryan and in Williams County!
Fifth Annual Survivor of Suicide Event
The Four County ADAMhs Board and the Four County Suicide Prevention Coalition is hosting a Survivor of Suicide Event. This event is an opportunity for those who have experienced the loss of a loved one to suicide, to gather together to fine comfort and gain understanding as they share stories of loss, hope and healing. Those who support a survivor are also welcome to attend. Please see the attached flyer and registration information. Participants can register both online and via the mail.
Talking to Kids About Alcohol
Research shows that parents are the #1 reason young people decide not to drink. So, start talking to your children about alcohol before they start drinking—as early as 9 years old. Even if it doesn’t seem like it, they really do hear you.
The State of Mental Health in America
Mental Health America (MHA) is committed to promoting mental health as a critical part of overall wellness. We advocate for prevention services for all, early identification and intervention for those at risk, integrated services, care and treatment for those who need them, and recovery as the goal. We believe that gathering and providing up-to-date data and information about disparities faced by individuals with mental health problems is a tool for change. Click the link to learn more about the State of Mental Health in America.
The Power of Words: Treating Word Choice Like Salt
Most people have heard the saying “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Well, that is a big LIE!
Words are being used more than ever to hurt people in the world today. Have you ever said something that you wish you could take back? We all have. In fact, there have been times when that little voice in my head has advised me, “Don’t say it, you’re going to regret it…” and I still spoke those words. Usually, an argument begins when I could have avoided it with words of kindness or no words at all.
Positive or negative, WORDS are powerful! When someone says something unkind or unloving to us, it’s very difficult to forget. When someone lashes out in anger, we find ourselves flashing back to those words in our minds even years later. Yes, we can forgive others but that does not always erase the power of the words said to us.
With the permanence of words in mind, “Garbage in, garbage out” can be helpful in managing the words we speak. So many kids consume a diet of cultural garbage (music, social media, home environment, etc.) that it will soon become part of their vocabulary and speech. I am not able to keep my students from hearing/listening to every negative influence, but I can emphasize the importance of self-regulating appropriate boundaries and how the input affects output.
I like to use the apostle Paul’s instruction (Colossians 4:6) to keep the words we speak “seasoned with salt.” Having children think of their words as salt is a good way to help them identify the many situations where their words can be used for positive.
Salt enhances the flavor. A pinch of salt can bring out all the wonderful flavors around food. The same is true for words. It doesn’t take much, but positive words can enhance a conversation through compliments and respectful responses.
Salt melts ice. People can sometimes be cold when speaking to each other. Do our words help melt the ice or add to the chill? Remind children if they are given the cold shoulder by someone, they can try to warm things up with kind words.
Salt was once used to slow infections. Remind kids when they hear rumors or gossip about others, it can spread like an infection. Help them understand they have a choice to either refuse to participate or use their words to spread the rumors (infection).
Salt preserves. Kids can definitely see how our world is moving further away from love and kindness toward each other. Encourage kids to ask themselves if their words are preserving their morals of good character as well as treating others with respect.
Salt is best used in small amounts. Remind kids to keep their words positive, respectful, and brief. Just a few kind words in a difficult conversation can increase the chance that the listener will be responsive to what we say and give them more space to speak. Remember: quick to hear and slow to speak.
The words we speak are an overflow of what’s in our hearts.
Kip Jones, Boys Town Press Author and School Counselor
How to Talk to Your Perfectionist Child
Has this happened to you? You hear your child yelling from the other room: “Argh! This Lego piece doesn't fit!” “What’s wrong?” you ask. “I can’t get this part to fit!” they say super frustrated. You examine the blocks (and instructions) and realize they made a mistake...about 5 pages back in the manual. Uh oh, you think. They are not going to like this.
You say gently, “I think you misplaced something several steps back.” “Do I have to take all of this apart?” they ask. “Yes, so you can fix it,” you say. And there it comes... the tears welling up in their eyes...
Helping children focus on learning from mistakes instead of ignoring them or giving up is a crucial life skill. No one likes to make mistakes, especially children who struggle with perfectionism. But focusing on learning from mistakes is so helpful to children who struggle with perfectionism. With that in mind, you sit down with your child and help them tackle the Lego project again. “Let’s retrace your steps and see where the mistake happened. This will help you avoid it next time.” Your child feels better. They know you’re there to support them, even when mistakes happen.
Alexandra, Big Life Journal
Catcher's Corner
Catcher has been busy supporting our students at school and in their extracurricular activities. He takes pride in supporting students' social and emotional needs and to providing a positive outlet to students each and every day.
You can find updates and photos of Catcher on his Facebook Page@ bcs-Catcher
Mental Health America
Our mental health is in constant flux and ebbs and flows on a daily basis. Many things can impact this including our physical health. The connection between our physical body and our mental health is important and may be something worth exploring when thinking about staying mentally healthy. Learn more about whole health and what you can do to improve your overall wellness by visiting Mental Health America.
For additional information on Mental Health America:
STOP!T APP
STOPit provides students with an easy app to safely and anonymously report anything of concern to school officials. STOPit empowers students to stand up for themselves and others while giving our school the insight we need to keep students safe. Students can report bullying/cyberbully, inappropriate student/teacher relationship, violence threat, hazing, weapons possession, drugs/alcohol, and substance abuse.
The BE Code to enter for the STOPit App is: BES004002
National Online Safety
The internet has transformed the ability to access content. Many apps that children use are dependent on user-generated content which can encourage freedom of expression, imagination and creativity. However, due to the sheer volume uploaded every day, it can be difficult for platforms to regulate and moderate everything, which means that disturbing or distressing images, videos or audio clips can slip through the net. That’s why we’ve created this guide to provide parents and carers with some useful tips on keeping children safe online. Visit the National Online Safety website for an additional resources on how to keep your children safe.
Community Resources
Many families may have concerns that extend beyond the educational needs of their children. If you need help finding resources in our community such as food, financial assistance, health care, and mental health services, please let us help you.
Williams County Resource Guide
Williams County Health Department
Northwest Ohio Community Action Coalition
JFS Financial AssistanceMental Health Resources
Williams County Resource Guide
Williams County Referral Resource Guide
Ohio Mental Health Resource Guide
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Council for Behavioral Health
Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction
Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation
Four County Suicide Prevention Coalition
Suicide Prevention Life Line: 800-273-8255
Crisis Line: 1-800-468-4357
Substance Abuse Prevention Resources
Ohio COVID-19 Resources
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released a new set of online tools to help teens, kids, and parents deal with the mental and emotional impacts of COVID-19. Videos and comic strip-style illustrated stories — in both English and Spanish — guide kids and parents through classic cognitive behavioral therapy techniques and skills that can help them cope and develop healthy ways of dealing with stressful situations.
Important Contact Information:
Behavioral health related questions: covid19BH@mha.ohio.gov
COVID-19-related OTP questions: OTP_COVID19@mha.ohio.gov
Housing questions: COVID19Housing@mha.ohio.gov
Telehealth questions: COVID19BHTelehealth@mha.ohio.gov
COVID Careline 1-800-720-9616.
November
November 4: Parent Teacher Conferences
November 9: Parent Teacher Conferences
November 9: End of first Trimester
November 11: Parent Teacher Conferences
November 12: Teacher Workday
November 22-26: Thanksgiving Break