Nicholson Stars Counselor

The Counselor's Corner

Dear Parents,

Everyone here at Nicholson has been busily preparing for our upcoming CRCT tests that will begin Wednesday April 23rd.  Our first through fifth grades will test the 23rd through the 25th on Reading, Language Arts, and Math.  Third through fifth grades will test on April 28th and 29th on Science and Social Studies respectively. 

In classroom guidance I have been working with first through third grades on test stress.  I have explained that some level of stress is beneficial, because it will make them more alert so their test performance is likely to improve.  However, I explained that too much stress will not help.  I explain the stress as butterflies in their stomachs, heart beating fast, and sweaty palms.  The students and I then discuss some strategies that will help to alleviate the stress when it happens or before it occurs.  We talked about basic test taking strategies, such as getting 8-10 hours of sleep each night, eating a healthy breakfast, getting to school early, thinking and talking positively, taking deep breaths to calm themselves, etc.  I reassured the students that they had been working all year to prepare for these tests, and that no one expected them to answer all questions correctly.  I explained that their parents, teachers, and everyone do expect them to do their best and try their hardest.   

On Wednesday April 16th Mrs. Insogna and I hosted a parent workshop entitled "A Guide to Successful Test Taking."  We were so pleased that the workshop was well attended.  During the workshop we stressed testing tips such as maintain as stress-free environment on testing mornings as possible, remind your child to do his or her best, and reassure your child that you are confident he or she will, and get your child to school early on test mornings so that he or she will have time to go through their morning routine before testing begins without feeling rushed.  Parents, as you know the CRCT tests are important, and we certainly want our students and children to succeed; however we do not want to create an environment where they feel unnecessary stress.  Please just encourage them to do their best.  At the conclusion of testing if your child does not feel that he or she has done his or her best work, reassure your child there will be many other opportunities during their academic career to succeed.  Parents, as always if I can be of any assistance to you, please do not hesitate to call me at 770-928-5573, or my e-mail is jean.mosley@cobbk12.org.       

The Counselor's Corner

Dear Parents,

Everyone here at Nicholson has been busily preparing for our upcoming CRCT tests that will begin Wednesday April 23rd.  Our first through fifth grades will test the 23rd through the 25th on Reading, Language Arts, and Math.  Third through fifth grades will test on April 28th and 29th on Science and Social Studies respectively. 

In classroom guidance I have been working with first through third grades on test stress.  I have explained that some level of stress is beneficial, because it will make them more alert so their test performance is likely to improve.  However, I explained that too much stress will not help.  I explain the stress as butterflies in their stomachs, heart beating fast, and sweaty palms.  The students and I then discuss some strategies that will help to alleviate the stress when it happens or before it occurs.  We talked about basic test taking strategies, such as getting 8-10 hours of sleep each night, eating a healthy breakfast, getting to school early, thinking and talking positively, taking deep breaths to calm themselves, etc.  I reassured the students that they had been working all year to prepare for these tests, and that no one expected them to answer all questions correctly.  I explained that their parents, teachers, and everyone do expect them to do their best and try their hardest.   

On Wednesday April 16th Mrs. Insogna and I hosted a parent workshop entitled "A Guide to Successful Test Taking."  We were so pleased that the workshop was well attended.  During the workshop we stressed testing tips such as maintain as stress-free environment on testing mornings as possible, remind your child to do his or her best, and reassure your child that you are confident he or she will, and get your child to school early on test mornings so that he or she will have time to go through their morning routine before testing begins without feeling rushed.  Parents, as you know the CRCT tests are important, and we certainly want our students and children to succeed; however we do not want to create an environment where they feel unnecessary stress.  Please just encourage them to do their best.  At the conclusion of testing if your child does not feel that he or she has done his or her best work, reassure your child there will be many other opportunities during their academic career to succeed.  Parents, as always if I can be of any assistance to you, please do not hesitate to call me at 770-928-5573, or my e-mail is jean.mosley@cobbk12.org.       

The Counselor's Corner

Dear Parents,

During the past three weeks, I have continued to focus on career education in kindergarten through third grades.  The intent of the lessons in kindergarten and first grades is to introduce the concept of careers and the many career choices that are available.  In classroom guidance this concept was introduced via games where the students had to match the career with job duties.  In second and third grades, the focus was on assessing the students' interests to determine what career field they might want to think about.  Last week in our lesson, the students were given an opportunity to explore their chosen career online to determine job duties, education required, pay, and future available opportunities for the career. 

This week in kindergarten classroom guidance we are discussing  feelings.  I am reading My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss, and the students and I are discussing how we associate colors with our feelings, such as happy and yellow, red and angry, and blue and sad.  The students are then asked to color the feelings that represent how they usually feel in a day.  As time allows the students who would like to share their work with their class do so. 

In first grade I am doing an activity that will help them to prepare and do their best work on our upcoming CRCT tests.  The students act out certain things such as, eating a healthy breakfact, thinking before answering, listening and following directions, and working at a medium speed.  As each activity is role-played, the other students guess what is being depicted.  As each activity is identified, we discuss it and how it can benefit their performance on the CRCT tests.  Parents, please encourage your child to try hard and do his or her best on the tests, but also reassure your child that you know they have worked hard and are ready for the testing.  Please ensure that your child arrives at school early on test mornings; certainly prior to 7:50 a.m.  Children perform better if their mornings are not rushed and are as stress free as possible. 

Parents, Mrs. Insogna and I are doing a workshop at 7:45 a.m. on Wednesday, April 16th in the media center.  The purpose of the workshop is to offer suggestions for successful test taking.  We certainly hope that you will be able to attend.  CRCT testing will begin April 23rd for all students.  First and second graders will conclude their testing on Friday, April 25th.  Third and fifth graders will continue testing through Tuesday, April 29th. 

We certainly hope that everyone has a happy, fun-filled, relaxed spring break and returns to school ready to show how much has been learned this year.         

The Counselor's Corner

Dear Parents,

During the past three weeks, I have continued to focus on career education in kindergarten through third grades.  The intent of the lessons in kindergarten and first grades is to introduce the concept of careers and the many career choices that are available.  In classroom guidance this concept was introduced via games where the students had to match the career with job duties.  In second and third grades, the focus was on assessing the students' interests to determine what career field they might want to think about.  Last week in our lesson, the students were given an opportunity to explore their chosen career online to determine job duties, education required, pay, and future available opportunities for the career. 

This week in kindergarten classroom guidance we are discussing  feelings.  I am reading My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss, and the students and I are discussing how we associate colors with our feelings, such as happy and yellow, red and angry, and blue and sad.  The students are then asked to color the feelings that represent how they usually feel in a day.  As time allows the students who would like to share their work with their class do so. 

In first grade I am doing an activity that will help them to prepare and do their best work on our upcoming CRCT tests.  The students act out certain things such as, eating a healthy breakfact, thinking before answering, listening and following directions, and working at a medium speed.  As each activity is role-played, the other students guess what is being depicted.  As each activity is identified, we discuss it and how it can benefit their performance on the CRCT tests.  Parents, please encourage your child to try hard and do his or her best on the tests, but also reassure your child that you know they have worked hard and are ready for the testing.  Please ensure that your child arrives at school early on test mornings; certainly prior to 7:50 a.m.  Children perform better if their mornings are not rushed and are as stress free as possible. 

Parents, Mrs. Insogna and I are doing a workshop at 7:45 a.m. on Wednesday, April 16th in the media center.  The purpose of the workshop is to offer suggestions for successful test taking.  We certainly hope that you will be able to attend.  CRCT testing will begin April 23rd for all students.  First and second graders will conclude their testing on Friday, April 25th.  Third and fifth graders will continue testing through Tuesday, April 29th. 

We certainly hope that everyone has a happy, fun-filled, relaxed spring break and returns to school ready to show how much has been learned this year.         

The Counselor's Corner

Dear Parents,

On February 26th Mrs. Sally Dwelle, our Area Lead Teacher, and I conducted a parent workshop on CRCT testing online preparation.  We certainly hope the parents who attended found the workshop helpful in assisting their children practice online.  The administration of the CRCT will begin April 23rd.  Parents were also given general testing tips such as ensuring your child gets plenty of rest the nights before testing, encouraging your child to eat a filling, nutritious breakfast, getting your child to school early to reduce stress, and talking to your child about doing his or her best during testing.  Parents, please encourage your child to try hard, but not to be stressed.  Certainly Mrs. Insogna and I will be sharing more information about upcoming testing, and parents please contact us with any questions you may have.  We can be reached at 770-928-5573. 

Last week in second and third grade guidance, I focused on peer pressure and making good choices.  I stressed that as students get older, they will have more pressure from their friends to make choices, and those choices could be good or bad.  We discussed that if our friends or peers attempt to get us to make decisions that are not safe, wise or healthy, we must remember our decision making steps.  Those are DBCC which means: (1) (D)   What is the decision to be made?   (2)  (B) Brainstorm ideas or solutions.  (3)  (C) Consider the consequences of each idea.  (4)  (C) Choose the best alternative.  The students and I discussed that they must always think about the situation, and decide "what is the safest and best choice for me?"  We also talked about good peer pressure, and I pointed out they we usually think that peer pressure is bad, but that it can be positive if we make a good choice based on the influence of our friends. 

This week in kindergarten and first grade I have focused on career education in classroom guidance.  I ensured that the students understood the meaning of the word "career."  We then engaged in an interactive activity where the students asked questions to determine the name of specific careers.  The students enjoyed learning about different careers, and I pointed out that coming to school and doing your very best each day was important to any career that you chose.  I ended the lesson by asking the students what they wanted to be when they grew up, and it was such fun to see how excited they became as they shared future career choices, such as doctor, teacher, baseball player, police officer, etc.  I certainly could see that your children are looking to the future.  Parents, it is such a pleasure to work with your children at Nicholson.  My goal is to partner with you and your child to remove all barriers to academic excellence.  Please do not hesitate to contact me at any time I can be of assistance.

The Counselor's Corner

Parents,

The week of February 4th was National School Counselors' Week.  Your students certainly made Nicholson's school counselors feel appreciated.  The cards, books, and posters were loving reminders of the reason our profession is so rewarding and fulfilling. 

The week of February 11th I focused on decision making skills in second and third grades.  I explained there is a step by step process in decision making, and the first step is to know the decision that has to be made.  Then secondly we brainstorm ideas, then consider the consequences of each idea, and finally choose the best alternative.  The students and I discussed each step, and if time allowed, the students worked in small groups where they were given situations and had to use the outlined steps to make the best decision.  At the conclusion of the lesson, the students said in unison a rhyme that included the letters DBCC which are to serve as a reminder for each step in the decision making process.  Parents, ask your second and third graders to tell you about DBCC. 

This week in classroom guidance in kindergarten and first grades, I will focus on feelings, facial expressions, and body language.  As time permits, some students will be given cards that have feeling words on them.  The students are to role play the feeling with the appropriate facial expression and body language.  Other students will guess the feeling, and as a class, we will discuss how the students knew the feeling.  I plan to conclude the lesson by stressing that the appropriate expression of feelings is very important, and we also need to know how our friends are feeling so that we can help and support them.  Parents, as always, please contact me via phone or e-mail if you have any questions or concerns about your child.  I always look forward to having the opportunity to partner with you to remove barriers to your child's academic success.      

The Counselors' Corner

Dear Parents,

Last week in classroom guidance in second and third grades, I focused on appropriate responses for students if they are in negative situations such as having someone call them names, taking something that belongs to them without asking, or someone not speaking to them.  I stressed that we all can become frustrated or annoyed at times, and it is necessary that we deal with our feelings in a respectful way.  I explained the "I Message," and that this provided us with a respectful way to say how we feel, the reason we feel that way, and what we want the other person to do.  The students were given opportunities to practice stating an "I Message" using different scenarios, and I stressed that this gives us and others involved an opportunity to talk about our feelings, as well as what happened and and it also gives the other person an opportunity to explain his or her side of things. 

This week in classroom guidance with kindergarten and first grades, I am focusing on friendship skills.  I will use stuffed animals to explain that that there are different kinds of friends.  For example I use a monkey to demonstrate that friends who are like monkeys are always silly.  I explain that it is okay to have silly friends and to be silly at times, but there are times when we need to be serious.  I also use other animals such as a shark to demonstrate hurtful behavior and a snake to demonstrate behavior that cannot be trusted.  I stress to the students that our behaviors can affect how our friends treat and relate to us. 

Parents, please join us on the evening of February 21st at 6:30 p.m. in the media center for a presentation by Ms. Lorena Beltran from the Latin American Association on Emergency Preparedness.  Also on the evening of Tuesday, February 26th at 6:30 p.m. Mrs. Insogna and I will train parents on using the online CRCT preparation program.  This will assist you in helping your child prepare for this very important assessment April 23rd through May 2nd. 

Parents, it is an honor and pleasure to serve you and your students.  My role as a school counselor is to remove barriers to learning.  Please do not hesitate to contact me at anytime I can be of assistance to you or your child.  I can be reached at 770-928-5573, or my e-mail is jean.mosley@cobbk12.org.      

The Counselors' Corner

Parents,

We certainly wish to extend our gratitude to Dr. Patti Agatston from the Cobb County School distrist Prevention/Intervention Center.  Dr. Agatston was with us the evening of January 17th to share some helpful information and strategies that will assist us in keeping our children safe as they explore the Internet. 

It is so hard to believe that we have already celebrated the 100th day of school.  During our 100 Club celebration, it was so inspiring to see our students honored for their accomplishments.  Congratulations to our students and parents as well as you all worked to support and assist your child in accomplishing his or her goal.  The students who were not recognized will have other opportunities to be honored on spirit days as they reach their goal.  So, continue to encourage and support them.

Last week in classroom guidance in kindergarten and first grades, I focused on friendship skills.  The students and I discussed how hurtful it can be to be excluded or left out of play with friends.  We talked about the behaviors and actions we would like to see in our friends.  The students then designed his or her best friend and wrote the characteristics that he or she would like to see in that friend.  We discussed traits such as helpfulness, caring, trustworthiness, and kindness.  As time permitted, the students shared their work with their classmates.  I concluded the lesson by stressing that if we want our friends to treat us with kindness, we must treat them the same. 

This week due to the conference schedule, I am not doing guidance, but I will resume in second and third grades the week of January 28th.   

The Counselors' Corner

Dear Parents,

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season that was filled with love, laughter, and happiness.  I wanted to make you all aware that I have a new last name; my name is now Hill rather than Mosley. 

As I make guidance plans for the remainder of the year, we will focus on personal/social, academic, and career planning as we complete the guidance curricula for the 2007-2008 school year.  This week in guidance I am teaching what it means to be empathic.  The intent of the lesson is for the student to be able to feel what another is feeling if he or she sees that another student has been excluded.  The students participated in an activity where small groups were formed, but two or three students were not included in the groups.  I discussed with the students how they felt when they found others that were a part of their group, and how the students felt when they realized they were alone.  The students then wrote about what made them feel lonely, and then we brainstormed what would make them feel better, and what they wanted others to do for them when they were lonely.  I stressed to the students that we all had an obligation to treat others the way we wanted to be treated. 

Parents, next week we will be sharing some very needed information with you.  Dr. Patti Agatston from our Prevention/Intervention Center will be with us on Thursday, January 17th at 6:30 p.m. to discuss cybersafety and cyberbullying.  I know that everyone will agree that during this age of technology we need to learn how to protect our children from negative online encounters.  Dr. Agatston is very informed in this area, and we are privileged to have her with us.  We will meet in the cafeteria, and everyone is welcome. 

Parents, anytime that you have any comments or questions about anything on my blog, I would welcome your calls or e-mails.  I can be reached at 770-928-5573, and my e-mail is still currently Jean.Mosley@cobbk12.org.    

Counselors' Corner

Dear Parents,

As you know, we have just concluded our very successful canned food drive.  Thank you so much for your generosity.  All donations were given to MUST Ministries for distribution in our community.  Our STAR Tree shines with beauty in our front lobby.  It is decorated with very special stars that describe a needed item to be given to children in our school community.  Please consider selecting a STAR that you and your children can work on together.  Simply select a STAR, purchase a gift, and return it to the front office unwrapped by Friday, December 7th. Our character word of the week is gratitude.  What a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate to your children your gratitude for what you have by giving to others. 

Ms. Mosley's guidance lessons in November have focused on the importance of having a positive attitude and bullying for second and third grades and tattling for kindergarten and first grades.  Ms. Mosley stressed that our attitude is determined by the way we look at any situation.  We can choose to be angry and place blame or feel sorry for ourselves, or we can choose to find good in whatever is presented.  Also in an effort to make students aware of their responsibility to themselves and others, a lesson was taught on bullying.  The focus was to identify the differences between a muscle, mouth, or friend snatcher bully.  We discussed that a muscle bully hurts physically, a mouth bully hurts verbally, and a friend snatcher bully hurts emotionally.  Ms. Mosley explained that bullying occurs if the hurtful behavior continues repeatedly.  She also discussed with the students that if they are bullied, they need to go to an adult they trust for help.  We also talked about the role of the bystander, and that is each student has the responsibility to assist any student that he or she perceives to be victimized.  In kindergarten and first grades, the guidance lesson distinguished the difference between tattling and telling.  Ms. Mosley explained that tattling is done to get another classmate in trouble, and telling should be done when someone is hurt or about to be hurt.  She emphasized that we always should tell in those circumstances.  Parents, please reinforce these concepts with your children.  As you know at Nicholson, our number one priority is that all students will have a safe learning environment each and every day.

In Mrs. Insogna's fourth and fifth grade guidance lessons this month, she has focused on coping with problems that may arise in a student's life. She and the students discussed that some problems are simple and can be resolved by changing something that we do. We used playdough to demonstrate this type of problem. We also discussed problems that we have no control over.We used rocks to demonstrate that you can not fix these types of problems by just changing something.We discussed the concept of coping and what that means to each student. We used circle thinking maps to brainstorm ideas of what different students use as coping strategies. Each child shared what they do when they feel frustrated, sad or angry.  The students' shared that illness, death, moving, and unemployment are just some of the things that they must learn to cope with in life. Your students were so mature, thoughtful and respectful as we discussed these issues. I was so proud of them. I want to congratulate parents on what fine young people you are raising. That is cause for celebration!