Folks Counselor Connection
2023-2024 Fourth Nine Weeks (3/18-6/6)
Happy May!!!
WOW!!! It's hard to believe that we are in the last 9 weeks of this school year! As we get closer to the last day of school, please continue to encourage your students to work hard and finish the year strong! Don't hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or need resources to help support your Stallion over the summer.
Contact your counselor for course selection changes for next year! Deadline is June 6, 2024!!!
Last Name A-E: pilar.rincones@nisd.net Phone: (210) 398-1626
Last Name F-J: angelica.perez@nisd.net Phone: (210) 398-1627
Last Name K-Q: sheena.martinez@nisd.net Phone: (210) 398-1625
Last Name R-Z: diana.hernandez@nisd.net Phone: (210) 398-1628
Grading Reporting Secretary: norma.esparza@nisd.net Phone: (210) 398-1632
2024-2025 Course Changes
Student course request letters for the 2024-2025 school year were sent home with our students in late April. This letter advised you of the courses your child selected for the following school year. To request a change to the courses selected, students (with a parent signature for approval) must complete the bottom portion of the letter and return it to the COUNSELING office as soon as possible, but no later than the last day of school, June 6, 2024. Elective choices are not guaranteed. We will try to accommodate all change requests; however, due to availability, changes may not be possible.
PBS Future Lab 7/8 #8800(Public & Business Services Related Careers)
STEM Future Lab 7/8 #8810 (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math Related Careers)
***These electives are currently CLOSED***
Electives that require an application are closed due to application deadline expiration date.
SUMMER 2024 CADV - HEALTH
Summer Reading Resources for Advanced ELA
Here are some great resources to help your child find a great book to read this summer! If your child is in advanced ELA, he or she may choose any book that they want. Students should be prepared to discuss the book and complete a project. Questions?
8th grade: darlene.pena-clark@nisd.net
7th grade: elysia.carrizales@nisd.net
6th grade: annette.alcaraz@nisd.net
Librarian: frances.ingram@nisd.net
Folks MS ELA Coordinator: lauren.west@nisd.net
Need help finding the right book?
Good Reads Choice Awards:
Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction
Best Middle Grade & Children’s
Reading Lists from the Texas Library Association
American Library Association Award Winning Books
Coretta Scott King Book Awards
Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers
Great Graphic Novels for Teens
Events from this nine weeks:
Mindful March
Students participated in our Lucky To Be Mindful counselor initiative and showed us how they practice mindfulness everyday! Many lucky Stallions got to spin our wheel to earn prices for answering a mindful question!!!
CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION & AWARENESS MONTH
National Child Abuse Prevention & Awareness Month recognizes the importance of communities working together to help families thrive and prevent child maltreatment. Great work is being done in our state but during this important time, we’re reminded that child abuse is just that…preventable. We all must work together to educate others about child abuse in our community.
If you feel that a child in our community is being abused or neglected, please call:
Texas Child Abuse hotline @ 1.800.252.5400
ChildSafe San Antonio @ 210.675.9000 https://www.childsafe-sa.org/
Cardboard Kids are more than two-foot-tall cardboard figures. They represent one of the thousands of children that are abused and neglected at the hands of adults in our community each year. They start the conversation, not only by creating a visual symbol for children to identify with but also by providing valuable tips for caregivers on how to talk to their children about child abuse and neglect.
What began with 5,800 cardboard cut-outs in 2014 grew to over 120,000 distributed every year and displayed throughout the community at schools, businesses, organizations, homes, and community locations.
Folks students from our different school clubs/organizations were able to decorate a Cardboard Kid in groups to display on reveal day, Thursday, April 7th 2023.
Folks Total Solar Eclipse 2024
Our Folks counselors and 6th period office aides were totally ready to watch the solar eclipse of 2024!!!🌚🆒🌒
Before Total Eclipse
After Total Eclipse
Month of the Military Child
Purple is a color used to represent all of those who have served - Active Duty, Reserve, National Guard, and Veterans. Purple combines each branch’s colors into one: the Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard all use shades of blue, the Army uses green, and the Marines use red.
“Purple Up! For Military Kids” is a day for Department of Defense Education Activity communities to wear purple to show support and thank military children for their strength and sacrifices. Let's all wear purple on every Monday in April to show support for our military families!!!
We are so grateful for the resilience and sacrifice our military kids make each and every day.
May Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, dedicated to prioritizing our well-being and promoting open conversations about mental health. At Folks, we recognize the importance of mental health and its impact on our lives. This year’s theme, Where to Start: Mental Health in a Changing World, reminds us that dealing with life’s pressures can be overwhelming, and everyone deserves to feel supported and empowered to seek help when needed. Throughout May, we will host various events and initiatives to raise awareness, encourage self-care, and connect you with resources.
Mental Health Month is about raising awareness and driving positive change for everyone’s mental health. It’s also a chance to talk about mental health, how we need to look after it, and how important it is to get help if you are struggling.
The Counseling Department recognizes the importance of taking care of our mental health and has placed a poster outside of the cafeteria and the gym with quotes on different topics that can be used as a reminder to take care of ourselves. Stallions took a moment to “TAKE WHAT YOU NEED!” as we work on finishing this school year strong.💙💪💙 Let’s make May a month of mental health awareness, support, and action at Folks Middle School!
Stallions Visited our Mental Health Awareness Table
On Wednesday, May 15, 2024 the Folks Counseling Department hosted a Mental Health Awareness Table in front of the cafeteria. Students and staff stopped by our table to show us their favorite coping skill or perhaps learn a new skill that helps one feel better.💚
Folks Teachers Mental Health Awareness Scavenger Hunt💚
Thank you to our fabulous teachers who participated in our Mental Health Awareness Scavenger Hunt and to our PTA for donating prizes! Your willingness to take a break and reset your minds to bring you back to calmness in our busy world embodies what mental health awareness is all about--Change begins with AWARENESS!!!
Mental Health Wellness Resources
AWARD CEREMONIES
We're excited to announce that grade level award ceremonies are on their way! We are so proud of all our students who have been working hard to finish STRONG! Parents are welcomed to attend our award ceremonies which will take place in the Folks competition gym. Please look below for your grade level and day and come celebrate with us.
6th grade Awards
7th grade Awards
8th grade Awards Night
🎓 Folks Senior Walk 2024 🎓
Folks is hosting our first Senior Walk this year on Wednesday, June 5th at 2:30pm.🎓
Graduation is just around the corner, and a right of passage for many high school seniors is returning to their alma mater for a Senior Walk. This cherished tradition allows graduating seniors to have the chance to revisit the halls of their elementary or middle school campuses, while also giving their younger peers a glimpse into their future.
Summer Learning in Northside
Summer – A time to refresh, renew, refocus, recharge!
NISD offers a wide variety of Summer School courses, including a number of enrichment courses and camps that allow students to explore and have fun while learning something new.
NISD offers a wide variety of courses, including regular high school summer programs for remediation and acceleration, programs for middle and elementary school, and state mandated programs.
Mega Food Bank @ Gus Stadium Dates
The registration link for the next Mega Food Bank @ Gus Stadium on Friday, June 14 from 8:30 am till 10 am has been released. The link is: https://freshtrak.com/register/event/222256
Once the link is full it will close. Families may always be referred to www.freshtrak.com to find other food resources.
The following dates are confirmed for future Mega Food Banks at Gus Stadium:
Friday, June 28, 2024
Friday, July 12, 2024
Friday, July 26, 2024
Friday, August 9, 2024
Friday, August 30, 2024
Friday, Sept 6, 2024
Friday, Sept 20, 2024
Friday, Oct 4, 2024
Friday, Oct 18, 2024
Summer Fun in San Antonio
SUMMER IS HERE!!
Wow, what a year! Your Folks counselors are so PROUD of our amazing students, and we are privileged to work with our Stallion community! We cannot thank you enough, parents, for making your children a priority. We wish everyone a safe and restful summer, and we cannot wait to see you in the 2024-2025 school year!!!
And to our outgoing 8th graders--May you continue to achieve all of your dreams and aspirations as you begin your high school journey!!