First Week Back

Back to school in full force! Last week, we hosted a Welcome Back to School Assembly. During the assembly we informed students of our school mascot and school wide expectations. Most importantly, we explained what expectations are! One of the expectations we practiced was the auditorium. Procedures, such as entering, exiting, and clapping. As a reward, the students were read a letter from a mysterious person and then to guess who it was from. Without hesitation, the students screamed GeRRRy (our SWPBIS mascot) and out he came. The money our staff raised to get the mascot costume was so worth it. The kids were amazed and so excited, as were we. The assembly was also an opportunity for the students to meet our staff members, new and old.

 The rest of the week consisted of teaching expectations of all areas within the school. This is an important first step in implementing SWPBIS with fidelity. Luckily, we have staff that really support and understand the plan, so we were able to teach 80% of the lessons to all classrooms this past week. This is a HUGE task, but worth it if done correctly. There is no guessing game for how to behave within the building, it is TAUGHT.

 In addition to teaching lessons and taking care of beginning of the year paperwork, phone calls, nervous students, I was able to host two lunch bunches for new students. I meet the new students by grade. This is one of my favorite tasks as a counselor, being that I was once a new student. I remember wondering if any staff knew that I was a new student, and being concerned with acclimating myself. I want students to feel appreciated and welcomed, as well as taken care of. The students receive an invitation to have lunch in my office. We do introductions, and then play the question game. Each person in the group has to ask a question as a way to get to know more about each other. After the question is asked, each student provides an answer. After, the students complete this worksheet that I found on pinterest. I took their picture and will put the picture and worksheet on the wall introducing our new students! I also gave them a note, mint, and bookmark in a baggy. I hope they feel a part of our school and know who they can come to if they are in need! .

New School Year...New Goals!

Today was the first inservice day at my school.  It was great!  We are in our third year of our School Wide Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports Plan (SWPBIS) and made some big changes.  Thanks to the collaboration with a counselor in my district, the Urban Educator, I feel it will be very successful this school year.

We got rid of our big acknowledgement system from the past two years, and are now implementing Principal's 200 Club.  However, we are calling it GeRRRy's 200 club, which is our stuffed giraffe that is the face of our SWPBIS.  We are also using an acknowledgement system for our specialists teachers. Classrooms will be in the running to receive The Golden Ticket Award aka Class of the Month for that specific special.  They will be rated with a rubric and the class that earns the most points at the end of the month will be recognized at our monthly awards assembly.  They will receive a banner that says "Class of the Month" and an item that symbolizes that particular class painted in gold! Now I just need to find items that represent computer class :)

Today, two of us presented the components of SWPBIS and our GeRRRy program to the staff.  It's so important to inform to all staff, as each member is an important part in the success of the program.  We have full support from out administration, which is such an important component.  Our Principal even got her own giraffe to put in her office.  Now we have a GeRRRY, GeRRRy's Mom and DAD....and some cousins.  Real life.  Some of my days are spent telling fictional stories about GeRRRy's weekend, parents, and current whereabouts.

We spoke to our staff about the giraffe mascot uniform we are hoping to purchase for our school.  This would be a great asset to our program, as the giraffe will be visible in all areas, and really promote our program.  And the kids would go wild for it! We would like to have him at our assemblies, especially ones that teach school wide expectations.  ..(do you like how I talk about this stuffed animal as a person?)

When we showed the staff the picture of the costume, they literally started pulling out money and collecting it all without hesitation.  Our Home and School donated money to match.  I cannot explain how amazing a feeling it is having BEYOND the needed support from our staff.  They didn't hesitate and almost looked at me like duh! we'l all give money for it.  It says so much about how dedicated they are to the success of our school and making our environment enjoyable for our kids.  I don't think I'll forget that moment.

When having to present and introduce a system to be implemented, it can be met with resistance by staff.  It's hard to implement new programs, and at times I am hesitant about how it will be received.  Their actions completely erased any unknowns that I had, and will have with this plan.  I feel that we are genuinely working towards something to make our environment great for everyone, and it was so apparent today.

So we ordered the costume today, and it should be here in time for the first day of school!

This was such a great way to start the new school year...I'm really excited.

Here is a picture of our GeRRRy's 200 board...still in the works.

Do you have a SWPBIS? Are you a lead facilitator? What do you find to be successful for your program?

Character Trait: Integrity

In March, we celebrated Integrity.  For K-2, the focus was anger management.  3-6 was honesty.  I created a packet for anger management.  The packet addressed the following:

1. Anger rules
2.  What your anger looks like
3. Identifying triggers
4. Coping skills

I then used a science activity to symbolize what our anger looks like when we don't use our coping skills.  I poured vinegar in a water bottle and baking soda in a balloon.  I then wrapped the balloon over the top of the water bottle, tipped the baking soda in, and voila! The balloon "blew up."

The kids enjoyed this activity.  The anger packet is available here.

In grades 3-6, the focus was honesty.  I began the lesson discussing, integrity, doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.  We spoke about what their behavior should look like if I were to walk out of the room.  I did just that and moved myself away from the window for 10 seconds, listening for any noises.  The students took this task seriously, and were quiet and exhibiting positive behavior.  I also gave my purse to a student, and asked "if this student has integrity, what will he/she do with my purse?"  Answers were "nothing, watched it, held onto it, it should look like it did before you left it." Then we spoke about honesty and telling the truth.  I created a pros and cons list to lying.  I asked the first question, "how can lying help you?" and "how can lying hurt you?" Answers were, getting out of trouble, getting someone else into trouble" and the cons were "getting into more trouble, getting someone into trouble that shouldn't, causing an emergency"  The trick, there are no PROS to lying.  I asked students the first thing you might think of doing when you get caught in a lie, and they stated "lie again!"  So I used an activity that I found on pinterest called Water you covering up.  I filled the pan with water, and held up a quarter which represents a lie.  I dropped the quarter in and had a student observe the movement of the water.  The water moved throughout the pan and splashed up.  This represents that a lie effects everyone!

Next, I told the students they would have a chance to drop a penny into the pan with the goal to cover the quarter.  The penny represents a lie to cover up another lie.  The first time I did this, the first student came up and actually told a story of a time when he lied.  This became an addition to the lesson throughout the classrooms, and it appeared to be a therapeutic moment for them.  The stories were pretty interesting too!

As the lesson completes, it is apparent that the pennies are unable to cover the quarter, thus coming to the conclusion that you can NEVER cover a lie with another lie.

We shouted "honesty is the best policy" and about having the courage to tell the truth.  I asked students how they feel when they have to be honest about something that could get them into trouble, and common answers are "scared, nervous." I left reminding them that the consequences are less harsh then if caught in a lie!

Character Trait: Kindness...Bucket Fillers

This is probably my favorite lesson to teacher.  I love bucket fillers because the concept explains how to be kind in a concrete way.  Every student loves the bucket filler lesson.  Even when I think that the 5th or 6th will be bored with it, or "I've heard it before" I always get at least 5-6 yesss!!'s or smiles when doing it.  I have attached my lessons for all grades with the ASCA standards.  I am also attaching the worksheets I used with the different grades.

In each classroom, I brought a bucket with different colored beads.  I told the students these were their power beads, which gave them the power to fill someone's bucket.  We went around the classroom and allowed each student to fill someone's bucket.  It's a great self esteem booster and who doesn't love to be called out in a positive way?!

This is the worksheet I used with the k-2 students
This is the worksheet for 3-4
This is the worksheet for 5-6

And here are the lesson plans with ASCA standards!

K-2
3-6

Acts of Kindness Week

I have been so busy, but now I have so much to write about!  We celebrated Acts of Kindness Week a couple of weeks ago.  It was a cute week, and we did little things throughout the week to encourage, educate, and promote acts of kindness, as they are so easy and make such an impact!

I have attached the week's agenda, which I blew up and spread throughout the school.

On Monday, we had an assembly to review the activities, and kick off the Pennies for Patients fundraiser.  I showed a video about Pennies for patients to the students so they have a better understanding of the importance of the foundation.

I used bingo cards as a way for students to have a friendly contest to do a kind act.  The adults were also given this.

We also watched a bucket filler video to further explain bucket fillers as I hadn't gotten to all the classrooms for my monthly guidance lesson, which was Kindness; Bucket Fillers.  This video was really cute, and showed the "magic" of bucket filling.  I showed a different video to the 5th and 6th grade students.

We finished up with a video of the school staff telling an Act of Kindness story.  The staff had so many great examples, and I think it was good for the students to see us as human beings just like them!  I had about 15 staff members provide stories.

Starting on Wednesday until the end of the week, students and staff had the opportunity to purchase Kindness grams to send to someone at school or home.  We sold a decent amount, and I had so much fun delivering the grams and seeing the smiles on so many faces.  There were some great kindness grams, and one in particular stuck with me.  A student wrote "Thanks for keeping me out of trouble" and "thanks for helping me when I'm angry." That's what we as educators need to hear to keep us motivated and feel the impact of our work.

A big thank you to a special lady in my life who printed all of the kindness grams for our school :)

On Friday, I had teachers send two students that exhibit acts of kindness to me.  They wrote a kind act on a heart and then pinned it on the Grinch, which is hanging in our hallway.  Of course, a pinterest idea! Here is a picture.





 Here are the links to the videos.


bucket filler postcard

Pennies for Patients

5th and 6th bucket filler video

k-4 bucket filler video

National School Counseling Week

In typical fashion, I was a week late celebrating National School Counseling Week.  Better late than never, right? I decided to have a little display each day to be available for staff.  So here is what I did.

Day 1:  I made banana bread with a sign that said Let What you Love Be What you Do.  I then wrote a thank you card for the staff supporting the School Counseling Program.

Day 2:  Stress relief tips.  I found so many great resources from pinterest.  I have also read great things about lavender and how it can help with stress and relaxation.  I bought some lavender lotion from Bath and Body works and had it displayed at the front desk with information about lavender.  I also found a stress management model and made hand outs for staff to take.

Day 3:  I bought green and calm tea and put in a basket to take.  I also had a Keep Calm and Drink Team sign in a frame.

Day 4:  I brought in fresh strawberries and another cute sign I found on pinterest.

Day 5:  I tried to make a healthy oatmeal bake but it was gross.  I finished with a message on the morning announcements thanking staff for their support.

Here are some pictures of my displays.  Hope all of you counselors out there had a great week!

On a Scale of.....

One of my favorite counseling techniques is scaling feelings.  In an elementary school, I am constantly educating my students on feelings.  What is a feeling? Is it normal? What does it do to your body? What causes certain feelings?  When a student visits with me, I always ask how they are feeling as my initial conversation.  The students typically use my bear of feelings poster to help identify.  I then ask students on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the angriest, 10 being the happiest, what number they are.  The student visualizes in their head and provides me with a number.

I have been looking for a feelings scale all over pinterest and driving myself crazy to find one that I felt was simple and easy to understand.  When I couldn't find one I liked, I decided it was time to create my own!  So here it is...it was so simple to make.  Here is what it took:

10 pieces of red construction paper

Number cut outs from the $ store

Feelings Faces.  I used Teacherspayteachers

It took me about 15 minutes to make and put on my wall.  I'm really excited for my students to see it and use it!