Counselor Connection
November 2019
Welcome to Stonewall Middle School's School Counseling Department Website!
If this is an emergency, please visit the Counseling Department immediately (or during the next school day). Parents should email their students' counselors to set up an appointment.
Useful Phone Numbers:
- Suicide Hotline: 1.800.784.2433
- PWC Police Department Non-emergency Number: 703.792.6500
- ACTS Helpline: 703.368.4141
- Crisis Text Hotline: 703.940.0888
Important Information
Need to see a counselor? Click on one of the links below to request an appointment with a school counselor.
Mrs. Hamilton (6th Grade Professional School Counselor) hamilts@pwcs.edu
Mr. Simenauer (7th Grade Professional School Counselor) simenaur@pwcs.edu
Mrs. Jefferson (8th Grade Professional School Counselor) jefferet@pwcs.edu
Ms. Breski, Director of School Counseling, breskidm@pwcs.edu
Mrs. Barclay, Professional School Counselor & Social Worker, barclacs@pwcs.edu
Mrs. Escobar, Counseling Secretary
Schedule Changes
Schedule changes that will be processed for a mistake in the student's schedule. The Counseling Department. Students are required to take exploratory arts classes each school year and due to limited seating in those classes, we will not process requests for changes with exploratory/encore classes. Students will have the opportunity to take between 2 and 4 of those classes each school year so by the end of their middle school career, our hope is that they have the opportunity to experience a variety of classes.
To set up at a time to speak with your grade level school counselor about this, please sign up using the school counseling department iPad located in the main office.
If you have any concerns, please contact the Stonewall Middle School's Counseling Department at 703.361.3185 or by email.
Mix It Up at Lunch Day
Stonewall Middle School students participated in Mix it Up at Lunch Day on October 22, 2019.
Mix It Up at Lunch Day is an international campaign that encourages students to identify, question and cross social boundaries.
Thomas Jefferson HS Information
TJHSST is a FCPS regional governor's high school (grades 9-12) for students interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). Come learn about the programs, classes offered and student life. Also get detailed information about Admissions and Application for 8th grade students.
Important Dates:
Monday, September 2 -- Applications available online – 4:00 pm
Friday, September 27 -- Application Deadline - 4:00 pm
Saturday, November 9 -- Test Day
Friday, November 15 -- Accommodations, Make-Up and Alternate Test Day
Saturday, November 16 -- Inclement Weather date for Test Day on November 9
High School Specialty Program Information
Stonewall Jackson High School is hosting a high school specialty program night on Monday, October 22, 2019 at 7:00 p.m - 9:00 p.m.
The following high schools will be represented to include Battlefield, Brentsville, Patriot, Stonewall Jackson, Colgan, Forest, Gar-Field, Potomac, and Woodbridge). This is an opportunity to find out about all high school specialty programs in PWCS.
Colgan High School Center for Fine and Performing Arts Application deadline is December 9, 2019.
The High School Specialty Programs Application deadline in February 1, 2019 at 4:00 p.m.
Click on the link below to directly access PWCS High School Specialty Program Opportunities website.
November 13, 2019 is World Kindness Day
10 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS
1. Get Organized
2. Don't multitask
3. Divide it up
4. Sleep
5. Set a schedule
6. Take notes
7. Study
8. Manage your study space
9. Find a study group
10. Ask questions
Enrollment, New Students, and Transfers
Click on the links below for registration forms and other information. You may come by and pick up the forms at our school ahead of time or print and complete these forms at home. Please bring the completed forms with you to your registration appointment.
Attendance
Stonewall Middle School now has a dedicated attendance to call in daily absences. The new attendance line number is 571.71.4233.
When calling, please be sure to leave your full name, relationship to student, the student’s full name, and the reason for the absence.
When your student misses school due to an absence and has seen a doctor, please bring a note when returning to school.
If your student is going to be absent for a planned trip, this requires written approval from our Principal, Mr. Miller. Please send in a written request before any trip is scheduled.
Middle School Classroom Guidance
Technology Choices & Consequences
Pause Before You Post
High School Specialty Programs
Upcoming Classrroom Guidance
6th Grade: Introduction to Career Clusters (December)
7th Grade: Signs of Suicide-November 6th & 7th (During PE Classes)
Academic & Career Plans (November-December for S1 Career Investigations Classes)
8th Grade: The Future You (December)
7th Graders: Signs of Suicide Presentation; November 6th & 7th
Dear Parent or Guardian:
The adolescent years are marked by a roller-coaster ride of emotions—difficult for youth, their parents, and educators. It is easy to misread depression as normal adolescent turmoil; however, depression (among the most common of mental illnesses) appears to be occurring at a much earlier age. Depression—which is treatable—is a leading risk factor for suicide. In addition, self-injury has become a growing problem among youth.
To proactively address these issues, your student’s school is offering depression awareness and suicide prevention training as part of the SOS Signs of Suicide® Prevention Program. The program has proven to be successful at increasing help seeking by students concerned about themselves or a friend and is the only school-based suicide prevention program listed by SAMHSA for its National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices that addresses suicide risk and depression, while reducing suicide attempts. In a randomized control study, the SOS high school program showed a reduction in self-reported suicide attempts by 40% (BMC Public Health, July 2007).
Our goals in participating in this program are straightforward:
· To help our students understand that depression is a treatable illness
· To explain that suicide is a preventable tragedy that often occurs as a result of untreated depression
· To provide students training in how to identify serious depression and potential suicidality in themselves or a friend
· To impress upon youth that they can help themselves or a friend by taking the simple step of talking to a responsible adult about their concerns
· To help students know whom in the school they can turn to for help, if they need it
The Stonewall School Counseling Department will be running the SOS Program for the 7th grade students during their 3rd & 7th period PE class on Nov. 6th & 7th, 2019.
Following the video, the students will participate in a follow-up discussion and complete the response cards, indicating whether or not they need to talk to someone about themselves or a friend. Homeroom teachers, school social worker, school psychologist and counselors will be facilitating the process and providing support to students who may need it. The Student Services Department will be reviewing the response cards to identify any students who might need intervention. The students will be putting their names on the response cards in order to accurately identify any students who need assistance.
If you wish to review the Signs of Suicide program video you may access it by navigating to:
https://sossignsofsuicide.org/
Click the link that says “Parent Portal”
Username: pwcs-par
Password: screening
If you do NOT wish your child participating in SOS program in school, please complete the bottom of this form and return it to ______________ School to the attention of the Counseling Department. If we do not hear from you, we will assume your child has permission to participate in this program.
Sincerely,
_______ I do not give permission for my child, _______________________________, to participate in the SOS Program.
.
Parent signature_____________________________________
Please Note: This form only needs to be returned if you DO NOT wish for your child to participate.
Estimado/a padre/madre/tutor:
Los años de la adolescencia se caracterizan por ser una montaña rusa de emociones —son tiempos difíciles para los jóvenes, sus padres y los educadores. Es fácil malinterpretar la depresión como una perturbación normal de la adolescencia; sin embargo, la depresión (la más común entre las enfermedades mentales) parece estar presentándose a una edad mucho más temprana. La depresión —que es tratable— es uno de los factores principales de riesgo para el suicidio. Además, las lesiones autoinfligidas se han convertido en un creciente problema entre los jóvenes.
Para tratar este problema antes de que se presente, la escuela de su hijo/a está ofreciendo una capacitación sobre concientización de la depresión y prevención del suicidio como parte del Programa de Prevención Signs of Suicide - SOS (Señales de Advertencia del Suicidio). El programa ha demostrado ser eficaz en cuanto a que cada vez más alumnos preocupados por sí mismos o por un amigo buscan ayuda y es el único programa escolar de prevención del suicidio listado por la Administración de Servicios sobre Salud Mental y Abuso de Sustancias (SAMHSA) en su registro nacional de programas y prácticas basadas en evidencia, que trata el riesgo de suicidio y la depresión a la vez que disminuye los intentos de suicidio. En un estudio de control aleatorio, el programa SOS demostró una disminución del 40% en la taza de intentos de suicidios autoreportados (BMC Public Health, julio de 2007).
Nuestras metas al participar en este programa son específicas:
Ayudar a nuestros alumnos a entender que la depresión es una enfermedad curable.
Explicar que el suicidio es una tragedia que puede evitarse y que a menudo ocurre como resultado de una depresión que no se trata.
Proporcionar capacitación a los alumnos acerca de cómo identificar una depresión severa y la posible tendencia suicida en ellos mismos o en un amigo.
Recalcar a los jóvenes que ellos pueden ayudarse a sí mismos o a un amigo simplemente al dar el simple paso de hablar con un adulto responsable acerca de sus inquietudes.
Ayudar a los alumnos a saber a quién pueden pedir ayuda en la escuela, si la necesitan.
El departamento de Servicios Estudiantiles de la Escuela Stonewall Middle realizará el Programa SOS para los estudiantes de 7th grado durante su clase del Segundo y sexto periodo (educación física) los días 6 y 7 de Noviembre.
Luego de un video, los estudiantes participarán en un debate y completarán las tarjetas de respuesta, indicando si necesitan o no hablar con alguien sobre sí mismos o en relación a un amigo. Los maestros de aula, el trabajador social escolar, el psicólogo escolar y los consejeros facilitarán el proceso y brindarán apoyo a los estudiantes que lo necesiten. El departamento de Servicios Estudiantiles revisará las tarjetas de respuesta para identificar a los estudiantes que puedan necesitar intervención. Los estudiantes pondrán sus nombres en las tarjetas de respuesta para identificar con precisión a los estudiantes que necesitan asistencia.
Si desea revisar el video del programa Señales de Advertencia del Suicidio, puede acceder al mismo yendo a:
https://sossignsofsuicide.org/
Haga clic en el enlace que dice "Portal para Padres"
Nombre de usuario: pwcs-par
Contraseña: screening
Si NO quiere que su hijo participe en el programa SOS en la escuela, complete la parte inferior de este formulario y devuélvalo a la Escuela ______________ a la atención del departamento de Consejería. Si no tenemos noticias de ustedes, asumiremos que su hijo tiene autorización para participar en este programa.
Sinceramente.
____ No autorizo a mi hijo, _______________________________, a participar en el Programa SOS.
Firma del padre/madre/tutor_____________________________________________
Nota: Este formulario solo debe devolverse si NO desea que su hijo participe.
Report Cards
Report Cards & Grades
The first marking period will come to an end of Friday November 1, 2019. Report cards will be sent home on November 12, 2019.
ParentVUE replaces Parent Portal that you may have used in the past. This new tool will give you access to your child's bus and class schedules, grades, attendance information, and more.
Parents can download the ParentVUE app or visit the website at: https://va-pwcps-psv.edupoint.com/PXP2_Login_Parent.aspx?regenerateSessionId=True/
Students will be working with school staff to set up StudentVUE so that they can regularly monitor their grades and assignments.
Helpful Links
Conference Day is November 5, 2019
Parent/Teacher Conferences
October was National Bullying Prevention Month
The Counseling Department organized Sabre's Time activities for Thursdays in October for National Bullying Prevention Month.
October 17th: Students & Staff wore hats to "Put a Lid on Cyberbullying"
October 24th: Students & Staff wore team jerseys/shirts to "Team Up Against Bullying"
October 31st: Students & Staff wore ORANGE for Unity Day to show that we are together against bullying and UNITED for kindness, acceptance & inclusion.