Counselor's Corner

4th and 5th grade guidance

Dear Parents, as always it is a pleasure to work with your students. As you many already know our guidance curriculum focuses on three domains: academic, personal/social and career awareness. At present we are reviewing our Steps to Respect curriculum which teaches respect for self, peers and school property. Each student has been given opportunities to learn the school wide bullying definition; to understand the difference between appropriate and inappropriate school behavior;to practice assertive behavior in refusing bullying; to responsibly report instances of disrespectful student behavior. Each of our students knows that counselors are available to listen to any concerns that they might have as they go through the school day. We know students that practice and expect respectful behavior are better students. Our goal is always to provide a safe and challenging environment where students can improve their school performance on a daily basis. 

Fourth and Fifth Grade Guidance

Dear Parents, It has been a pleasure to meet with each of your amazing students during these past several weeks. We have been discussing the qualities and characteristics that we have in common and those traits that make us distinct from one another. We are focusing on the concept of respect for ourselves and our peers. Some students have the idea that being different is not o.k. I want to encourage each student to celebrate their unique qualities and to understand that they have so many resources to contribute to the class. We are also reviewing our anti bullying curriculum "Steps to Respect". It is exciting to see how much each of your students remember from our last year's discussions. They know the definition of bullying, how to identify bullying behavior and how to report it. They understand how important the role of bystander is and the power there is in positive peer pressure. When the group stands together to expect individuals to show respect a very positive classroom environment is created. It is a great place to spend the day learning and enjoying one another.

Welcome to 4th and 5th grade!

Dear Parents, a hearty welcome to you and your new 4th and 5th graders! For those of you with 5th graders you will remember me from last year. I enjoyed working with your children and look forward to spending time with them again this year. For those of you with 4th graders I wanted you to know that the services provided to your students are the same as those provided by Ms. Hill last year. I will be going into your student's classroom twice per month to present a guidance lesson which helps children learn some life skills. Our curriculum focus is on personal/social, academic and career development topics Our goal is to help your student to be academically successful in all subject areas. We want your students to be excited about coming to school, acquiring knowledge and growing as a person. I am also available to speak to your student in a small group or on an individual basis. I look forward to an amazing and academically productive year for your student.

4th/5th guidance

Our students have been working on the concept of respect for self and others for several weeks. As a result I am glad to report that fewer students are coming to my office to report that other students are treating them disrespectfully. In addition, students are implementing strategies that they have learned in class to advocate for themselves instead of immediately involving an adult. I hope you are seeing more respectful behavior at home as well as your 4th and 5th graders interact with siblings. The fifth graders have asked me to tell them about middle school and all that is involved in the transition. So this week we will begin to talk about the changes that they can anticipate physically, emotionally, socially and academically. They have shared with me that they now consider themselves rising 6th graders and no longer authentic 5th graders. I am looking forward to answering their questions and I am encouraging them to speak with you regarding any concerns or issues they may have regarding this change. For more information regarding this transition to middle school you can to to www.cobbk12.org; click on school counseling; click on fifth to sixth transition. After spring break 5th grade teachers will send home registration materials for you to sign. Remember that your student can not be registered for 6th grade unless all their immunizations are current.

Fourth and Fifth Grade Guidance

Dear Parents, It is exciting to see the lovely Spring weather finally reach us! Of course the season brings thoughts of new beginnings and fresh starts. As mentioned earlier our students have been focusing on respect for self, others and for school property. This week I am bringing closure to our discussions and I am reading a classic piece of literature by Hans Christian Anderson, The Ugly Duckling. I have asked out students to look at the story from a new paradigm, that of respect for self and others. I wanted them to understand that this theme in life has been around for a very long time. I also wanted them to draw parallels between the story and our Steps to Respect lessons. I wanted them to understand, again, how destructive saying disrespectful things and and engaging in disrespectful is to others. Children's literature is an amazing tool to use in getting simple, yet powerful truths across to children

4th and 5th grade

Dear Parents, We have spent the last several weeks focusing on respect for self, for others and for school property. In general students know that respect is an important value that they have learned about at home, however they are not always certain how to implement it in relationships with their peers. We have talked about many ideas central to treating others with respect: speaking the truth to others;telling others when we don't like how they treat us; realizing that we don't have to befriends with everyone but we do have to treat everyone with respect; good conduct on the bus is central to respect for one's peers; excluding others on purpose to be mean is disrespectful; making fun of someone's physical features is disrespectfull. We have talked repeatedly about the definition of bullying and used it as a guide line in determining what behavior is acceptable and what is not acceptable. We have also focused on the difference between tattle telling and reporting. Telling on someone to get them in trouble is tattle telling, but telling to keep someone safe if called reporting. We want all of our students to be wise reporters. We are also treating the concept of assertiveness instead of aggressiveness.I am pleased to report that students that said  they were being treated disrespectfully in the beginning of the year have been using positive strategies to advocate for themselves. They report that the disrespectful treatment by others has stopped. Please let me know if I can be of service to your student or to your family.

4th/5th grade guidance

Dear Parents, I love telling you what amazing children you have! They have been extremely interactive during our guidance lessons as we have continued our learning and discussions regarding respectful behavior towards ourselves, our peers and our familes. They agree that respectful behaviors and attitudes must be taught and and practiced regularly in order to become part of one's character. They have shared practical examples from their personal experience of times that they made right choices and times that they didn't. We discuss and consider if it were to be done over what a better way would be. They are maturing and growing as they are now able to work out peer conflicts without arguing or involving a teacher. They are confidentthat they have the skills to resolve conflict. I have asked them to be expecially vigiliant over the holiday break and to make certain that they treat their family, especially their siblings, with the respect that they deserve. I hope that you will see the difference in their interactions at home.

4th and 5th grade guidance

It is a great time of year, isn't it? I have enjoyed working with your students this term. Your students are a great bunch of kids! They are respectful, mannerly and great conversationalists! In our classroom guidance activities we have been focusing on respect as the foundation of all healthy relationships. Helping students understand their part in being respectful to others and the necessity of expecting others to be respectful to them has been challenging. Of course we know that friendships are extremely important to young people. It is important for them to recognize that everyone has rights and responsibilities, alternative points of view and individuall differences that impact their relationships with their peers. Our goal is to help them negotiate these issues and learn how to make and keep friends. I can assure you that you would be proud to see how wise they are and what good values they possess. These are the gifts that you have given your children. You are to be applauded!

  

Happy New Year

Welcome back to a great new school year at Nicholson! This year I will have the privilege of working closely with your 4th and 5th students.I am amazed at how much children grow over the summer months and how  mature they have  become in such a short time. I will be going into the 4th and 5th grade classrooms twice a month to teach a 45 minute classroom guidance activity. During the course of the year I will teach life skills lessons that will focus on academics, personal/social skills and career awareness. The overall goal of this instruction is to positively impact your student's achievement. During our Fall term I will be using the Steps to Success bully prevention curriculum in the classroom. I am excited about making our students aware of healthy choices in the area of friendships. Please feel free to contact me if you have any school related questions or concerns you would like to discuss. Please note that on Tuesday, September 31, @ 9:30 we will sponsor a brief parent workshop to share helpful study skills interventions to use with your student. I look forward to meeting each of you this year.

4th and 5th grade guidance

Our 4th and 5th grade students are such a wonderful group of young people! Parents are to be applauded for sending students to school with such a solid academic foundation.As I spend time in classes working with students I am amazed at their preparedness and willingness to participate in classroom discussions. They have very well thought out ideas and they are able to express themselves in an extremely clear way.

Fourth grade students are enjoying learning about relationships. We have studied the importance of having healthy friendships and strategies for improving self esteem. Our lesson this week focuses on positive peer pressure which seems to be a new concept for them. They understand negative peer pressure quite well, but have never considered that they could be the source of influencing their friends in positive ways. We discussed ways to influence others by our healthy attitudes and behaviors. We trust that practicing healthy attitudes and habits will have a positive influence on their ability to learn and their academic achievement.

Fifth graders are very interested in learning the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. We are discussing the attitudes and behaviors that help kids to become more successful in school and more responsible family members. We have learned: be proactive; begin with the end in mind; put first things first and think win win. Not only is it helpful for them to understand these concepts but it is important for them to practice these strategies in the classroom and at home. Our rising 6th graders can take these best practices with them to middle school and become students of excellence from the very first day. As always our goal is to prepare them to be life long learners.