Counselors Care
February 2021: Friendship & Connection Edition
Gifted and Talented Testing Continues until March
Mindful Moment
Keeping Our In Person & Virtual Students Engaged & Connected
Virtual LearnersCan Connect with Friends By:
* Making Personalized Valentines or care packages to drop off at friends' houses/apartments with their parent
*Schedule Play Dates to Zoom, FaceTime with their friends
*Play at a park together with Masks like at school
*Go on a scavenger hunt in the neighborhood
*Write letters and draw pictures to share with their friends as a surprise
*Make yard signs and draw on the sidewalk to leave notes for friends and neighbors
*Playing online games together
*Going on walks with family or pets together outside
*Holding a watch party for a family movie night
When Things Get Difficult:
Encourage your kids to think of coping skills to help when they have big feelings. Ms. Kirichenko & Ms. Winn teach coping skills in our guidance lessons. Exercising, jumping on a trampoline, getting creative by crafting, spending time outside or with pets, stretching, connecting with loved ones by phone or video chat, asking for a break, breathing deeply, drinking cold water, listening to music, having a healthy snack and dancing are some of our students' favorites! Which are your student's favorite coping skills? Ask you child about the guidance lesson on Friendship in Pk-2 and Stress and Healthy Coping Skills in grades 3-5. Encourage your child to come up with solutions for their conundrums. What do they thing might work?
If your students are still having trouble, reach out to your school counselor, Ms. Kirichenko, for ideas to support them. Elizabeth.Kirichenko@hayscisd.net.
What is the best recipe for a friend?
Guidance Lesson Topics
Ms. Kirichenko taught our PK-2nd grade students about healthy friendships and how to determine what is a friendly or unfriendly behavior. Ask them what they would put in their recipe for a good friendship!
In grades 3-5, Ms. Kirichenko, taught 100 healthy coping skills to help our kids handle stress. Ask them about the coke can experiment! What happens when we bottle up all of our stress and emotions? How can we help ourselves when we feel stressed?
Up next, our PK-2 students will learn about the importance of diversity and accepting differences. Our 3-5th graders will learn about resilience and grit.
Read our past newsletters here:
NES Counselors Care Newsletter #1: Family Support During Distance Learning Here
NES Counselors Care Newsletter #2: What We Can & Cannot Control Here
NES Counselors Care Newsletter #3: Healthy Coping Skills Here
NES Counselors Care Newsletter #4: Positively Re-frame Your Thoughts: Here
NES Counselors Care Newsletter #5: Gratitude Here
NES Counselors Care Newsletter #6: Helping With Big Emotions Here
NES Counselors Care Newsletter #7: SEL & Guidance Lessons At Home Here
NES Counselors Care Newsletter #8: Summer Fun & Resources Here
NES Counselors Care Newsletter #9: November 2020 Here
NES Counselors Care Newsletter #10: December 2020 Here
NES Counselors Care Newsletter #11: January 2021 Here
SEL Lessons & Cloud 9
Here are the Schoology SEL access codes:
PreK: 3KQV-XPBP-RP54H
K: SQ9B-88PM-HXBTQ
1st: DZPW-TFWM-GH2RT
2nd: H9RV-52XF-R4H6Z
3rd: DNQ3-2NXB-SW9HB
4th: 2SQZ-X5F3-XB9FK
5th: FHR7-TT68-V6TW6
Cloud 9 World Counseling Lessons:
https://www.cloud9world.com/user
LOGIN:
Username: hays-student
Password: c9wStudent *Capital S
How to reach your school counselors
Elizabeth Kirichenko
Counselor, MA, LPC
Elizabeth.kirichenko@hayscisd.net
Distance Learning Office Phone: 512-256-6464
Michelle Winn
Counselor, M.Ed, LSC
512-268-8501 ext:47050
Recipient of 2010 ADL “Excellence in Education” Award
Recipient of 2018-19 HaysCISD Elementary Counselor Ambassador Award