March 2021 School Counselor Newsletter
Dear St. John Families,
Happy March! Can you believe we’re almost to the final trimester of the year? This year has been challenging in so many ways, but I have been so impressed with the resiliency shown by our students and families! As we look toward this final trimester, I’m very excited to begin my third trimester social-emotional learning (SEL) groups.
SEL groups are one of my key interventions to support students in kindergarten through fifth grade who need extra help with a particular social or emotional skill (e.g., emotional regulation, anxiety, coping skills, friendship, etc.). Groups are formed with 3-5 same-grade peers and meet for 30 minutes a week during the school day for 6-8 consecutive weeks.
If you believe that your child needs some additional social or emotional support and would like them to be considered for a group, please fill out this online form. The deadline to refer your child for the upcoming round of groups is Friday, March 12th.
Please note: I cannot guarantee a space for every student who is referred to my groups. However, I make every effort to get each student who is referred to me into a group rotation at some point during the school year. In the coming weeks, I will work with teachers to determine who will be in the upcoming round of groups, prioritizing students who need immediate support and those who were not able to participate in groups earlier this year.
In addition to my SEL groups, I continue to offer the following supports for all of our students:
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- Google Classroom (K-5th Grade): The theme in my classroom this month is Growth Mindset. All of the lessons and activities this month teach students what a growth mindset is and ways to cultivate one. Please contact me if your child is not in my classroom and you would like for them to be added.
- Virtual Calming Room (Middle School): Students are invited to check out my Virtual Calming Room. This site has many resources to support positive mental health, including: guided meditations and breathing videos, journaling prompts, yoga videos, and more.
- 1-on-1 Counseling (All students): I’m available to work with students as requested on a goal-oriented, short-term basis. Please email me to arrange this service.
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As always, if there’s anything I can do to support your child or family, don’t hesitate to contact me at cshaw@st-johnschool.org.
Warmly,
Ms. Shaw
March Resources
- Since the theme in my Google Classroom this month is Growth Mindset, I want to share a few resources to nurture a growth mindset at home. Feel free to print these off and display them!
- Sound Discipline is offering a 4-week class called Parenting In a Pandemic. The class will teach tools, strategies, and approaches to help with parenting during this extraordinary time. The first class is March 10th and you can learn more and register here.
- Delaney Ruston, the physician and filmmaker known for the “Screenagers” documentaries, wrote a great article on the importance of being hopeful and how we can help our kids develop a more hopeful outlook. This is a very timely article as we hit the one-year mark of COVID-related lockdowns and restrictions.
- If you’ve grown tired of getting the “Fine” response to “How was your day?” take a look at this list of 25 Ways to Ask a Child About Their Day. Hint: children often have more to say when we ask them more specific and concrete questions like, “Tell me about something that made you laugh today” or “When were you the happiest today?” Hope this sparks some great conversations! 🙂