January 2022 School Counselor Newsletter
Dear St. John Families,
Happy New Year! I hope your family had a safe winter break and you were able to find moments of warmth, connection, and hope.
With the new year comes new Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) groups! SEL groups are offered at St. John to support students in K-5th grade who need extra support with a particular social or emotional skill (e.g., controlling feelings, coping with anxiety, friendship skills, etc.). Groups are formed with 3-5 same-grade peers and meet weekly for 30 minutes during the school day for eight weeks.
If you would like your child to be considered for a group, please fill out this online form. The deadline to refer your child for a winter group is Wednesday, January 12th. Please note that while I cannot guarantee a space for every student who is referred to my groups, I make every effort to get each student into a group rotation at some point during the school year.
As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me if your student needs some additional support. I am available to meet with students during the school day both in person and via Zoom.
Warmly,
Ms. Shaw
January Resources
- On January 18th, ParentMap is hosting a free talk with the highly regarded Dr. Edward Hallowell titled, “In Praise of Learning Differences: Focusing on Strengths and Abilities.” Dr. Hallowell will share how parents can help kids with ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning differences harness their unique strengths to be successful in school and life. Learn more and register here. Note, if you cannot attend this event live, ParentMap archives their talks on their Facebook page here.
- Growth Mindset is the SEL theme here at St. John this month. Enrich what your child is learning by listening to the Big Life Journal’s growth mindset podcast!
- The winter months can be a particularly blue time of the year for many. The post-holiday letdown combined with our dark and cold days can often lead to a decline in mood and motivation. To learn about how to distinguish between typical winter blues and something more severe, check out this article from Seattle Children’s Hospital—it’s packed with tons of great insights and resources.