We had a great time getting back into the swing of things here in the counselor cottage...AKA room 10! Students were re-introduced to the role of a school counselor. It is so important that students know the roles of the adults in the building so they know who to go to when they need help, so they access the correct resources. I look forward to some amazing goal setting lessons with all the grade levels in the next few weeks!
I am so excited that we have begun our bi-weekly guidance classes in the counselor cottage! We have reviewed what a school counselor's job is, our procedures, what mindfulness and why we practice mindfulness, and career clusters! Look for more information to come home with your child soon!
I cannot begin to tell you how much I love my job! I wake up everyday so thankful that I get to hang out with amazing children, dynamic teachers, delightful instructional aids, dedicated custodians and my unbelievable administrative team. This morning, the first day of school, I received so many gifts...hugs galore! But, I also received this kindness kit from one of my students. The amount of thoughtfulness in our students cannot be matched, nor can it be duplicated. I am humbled and so grateful! Much love to you all! I LOVE the first day of school!!! It never ceases to amaze me how much the kids grow and change after having only seen them two months ago! One of my favorite things to do...see who has lost a tooth over the summer! Anyhow, we are off to a great start and I am so looking forward to seeing all of you next week in my classroom as we begin guidance classes. Since my primary job, as a school counselor, is not to teach, but to provide individual and small group counseling, we have classes, in my room, every other week. The week the students do not have classes with me, they will be with Mrs. LeFevre in the stem lab. Super exciting! Here is the schedule:
Week 1 (K-2): Monday-9-9:45 Mrs. Scott, 9:50-10:35 Mrs. Penny, 10:40-11:25 Mrs. Keeler Tuesday-9:50-10:35 Mrs. Leadbetter Wednesday-9-9:45 Mrs. Jones, 9:50-10:35 Mrs. Morrison, 10:40-11:35 Mrs. Johnson Thursday-9-9:45 Mrs. Campbell Friday-9-9:45 Ms. Tate, 10:40-11:25 Mrs. Barrett Week 2: Monday-12:45-1:30 Mrs. Martin Tuesday-11:55-12:40 Mrs. Murray Wednesday-8:05-8:50 Mrs. Theen, 11:55-12:40 Ms. Priolo, 12:45-1:30 Mrs. Kerns Thursday-8:05-8:50 Ms. Mills Friday-8:05-8:50 Mrs. Grizzard, 11:55-12:40 Mrs. Brochetti, 12:45-1:30 Mrs. Hall If you have any questions about what our topics we focus on in our classes, please don't hesitate to reach out to me at any time! Happy First Day BACK!!! Mrs. Donaldson We are so excited to have all of you join our WHES Statesmen family! If you were at the new student orientation, you may have seen my powerpoint presentation, where we discussed keeping in touch with the school system through Blackboard E-Connect. If you did not, here is the link to the powerpoint with general info about the school!
No, this is not a post about The Price is Right! It is, however, a request for information from you, as parents and guardians here at WHES. We want to have the best School Counseling Program we possibly can and it is vital to hear from all our stakeholders. We have surveyed the teacher and students. Now, we want to hear from you, our parents. So, if you wouldn't mind taking a few minutes to fill this short survey out, we would be very appreciative! Here is the link:
Parents,
If you are like me, I struggle maintaining a balance with keeping my child safe and making sure I allow my child freedom to learn from her mistakes. Because, let's face it, we need to let our children fail sometimes. At this point, as my daughter enters middle school, I am looking for as many resources as I can to make sure that I can help her in regards to social media. I love the website Common Sense Media. I get weekly emails from them and always find amazing resources each time I hear from them. Recently, they included information about how to help your child if they are being bullied on Instagram. It is absolutely worth the short read! Check it out! All Parents of Future Chickahominy Chargers...I have a letter from Mrs. Stanford, lead senior teacher for 6th grade about Charger Camp:
Parents, We’re excited to welcome our newest Chargers to CMS! Our annual Charger Camp will be held on Wednesday, August 14, 2019. Students need only to attend 1 session. Sessions are offered 8:00-10:35am or 12:30-3:05pm. For attending, students receive their first official Charger gear - a free T-shirt! To register, please visit: http://bit.ly/CMSChargerCamp19 Thanks! Stacy Stanford Senior Teacher CMS [email protected] Parents...we are also sending home the paper registration 4/24/19. Sign will happen until the end of the school year. Sign up today!!! We have been so fortunate to have some amazing Career Cafe Speakers this year! Today, we were joined by Mrs. Childress, mother of Mckinzie in Kindergarten, as she talked about her job as a Hospital Care Manager. We learned she has a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and a Master's Degree in Public Health. She is an amazing communicator and taught us all about eating health! We are learning so many important things here at WHES that will help us in the future! Thanks so much for spending your day with us, Mrs. Childress!
We had a fantastic time learning from Mrs. Letter, mother to Caleb, Daniel and Katrina, what it is like to be an author! Her journey to get where she is now is truly inspirational and absolutely obtainable! A few of our kids even asked her to read some of her writings to give them feedback. If you get a chance, check out her book, A Passion for Kindness, Tamara Letter. It is fantastic!!!
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Sara Donaldson, M.S.WHES' Professional School Counselor Categories |
The mission of Washington-Henry's Elementary School’s Counseling Program is to provide all students with a comprehensive school counseling program centered around a nurturing and supportive environment in which all students gain knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed for academic, career, and personal/social development to become life-long learners, problem solvers, and responsible individuals.
WHES School Counseling Department Information