Kathy Forrest - Stone Mill Guidance Counselor

Stone Mill ES Guidance Counselor
Kathy Forrest

Character Counts!
Monthly Pillar of Character
CARING

"Hugs can do great amounts of good for children." - Thomas Edison

COUNSELOR INSTRUCTION

During the months of November and December, I will be going into the 5th Grade classrooms. Each weekly lesson will focus on an individual pillar taken from the six Pillars of Character in the Character Counts! Program. The students will have five character education lessons as well as one drug education lesson.

The 4th Grade students will receive a semester of instruction which focuses on conflict resolution. The name of the program is POWER. This program presents a problem-solving model through a multi-modal approach. The students will learn to utilize interpersonal communication skills through oral discussion, writing activities, role-playing, and creative expression. The length of instruction is 45 minutes per week. Mrs. Strade and Mrs. Steinberger's classes will have lessons during the first semester.

During the months of November and December several small groups will meet once a week for 30 minutes. The groups will focus on the following topics: social skills, self-advocacy, and cultivating friendships.

FROM THE COUNSELOR

The conclusion of the first grading period is the traditional time for parent/teacher conferences. The parent/teacher conference is a good time for effective communication between parents and teachers. I have compiled some questions that you might want to discuss with the teacher at the conference:

What do I want the teacher to know about my child?

What skills will my child be expected to master this year?

What is the most important thing I want to learn from this conference?

What can I do to support my child's learning?

What is the most effective parent/teacher communication tool?

How does my child feel about school?

Is there anything happening at home that might affect my child's learning or behavior at school?

In what areas does the teacher think my child needs to improve?

How can I work with the teacher to help my child have a successful school year?

How will my child's progress be evaluated?

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES TO DO WITH YOUR CHILD

At dinner have everyone in the family bring an interesting idea to share.
Talk to your child about the election process and the importance of voting.
Make a schedule for watching television. Plan some family activities to substitute for watching TV.
Go to the library and take out a mystery book.
Flash cards are a great way to memorize or review math facts.
Talk about how you use numbers in your house -- setting the oven timer or reading a thermometer.
Talk to your child about ten successes that he/she had this week.
Setting the clocks back is a good time to discuss fire safety with your child and changing smoke detector batteries.
Pick an interesting landmark. Discuss what direction it is from your house.
Give your child a hug today.