Counsellor's Corner

As the holiday season approaches, we all experience this time of year in different ways. I hope this season you are able to slow down, reconnect, and enjoy meaningful moments with your loved ones.

Why Family Time Matters

Spending quality time together as a family:

💙 Builds stronger emotional connections.

💬 Enhances communication and problem-solving skills.

🎉 Creates traditions and memories that children cherish for a lifetime.

Family Time Activities

Looking for ways to connect with your family this holiday season? Here are some ideas:

🎨 Create Together: Make holiday decorations, ornaments, or a scrapbook of family memories.

🎁 Give Back: Volunteer as a family, create care packages, or donate items to a local charity.

📚 Share Stories: Read holiday stories together or share your favourite childhood memories.

🍽️ Cook Together: Involve everyone in preparing a holiday meal or baking festive treats.

❄️ Explore Outdoors: Visit local parks, go for a winter walk, or check out holiday light displays.

Mindful Family Moments

Amid the holiday excitement, it’s important to find moments of calm:

🧘 Practice Mindfulness: Take a few minutes each day to breathe deeply together.

💬 Check In: Ask each family member how they are feeling and listen without distractions.

💤 Prioritize Rest: Ensure everyone is getting enough sleep, even during busy holiday schedules.

Enjoy a Stress-Free Holiday Season

The holiday season can be joyful, but it may also bring stress and challenges for families. To help you navigate the season, Strathcona County offers valuable tips and resources:

🔹 Tips to Reduce Holiday Stress
🔹 Finding Support Over the Holidays
🔹 Tips for Families to Prevent Holiday Stress
🔹 Free Activities and Events in Strathcona County

For more information, visit the Strathcona County Stress-Free Holidays page to explore practical advice and discover free, family-friendly activities in our community.

Let’s make this holiday season a time of joy, connection, and well-being for everyone!

We are holding a Food Drive with all donations going to the Strathcona County Food Bank. Students are welcome to bring in food items up until December 15. There is no obligation to participate.

Here are the items most in need:

• Plain Cheerios and low-sugar cold cereals

• Whole grain crackers

• No-sugar-added canned fruit and fruit cups

• No-sugar-added fruit juice, large tetras

• Kids canned pasta

• Ready-to-serve soups and chili

• Toilet paper

If you are looking to volunteer or donate to the Strathcona Food Bank, please use the following link.

Alberta Health Services offers free mental health resources and virtual mental health education sessions for parents and caregivers who support children and youth. There are also sessions for adults looking to support their own wellness. The December series is on Building Executive Functioning Skills.

Building Executive Functioning Skills:

• Part 1: The Impact of Executive Functioning
• Part 2: Supporting Executive Functioning Development

With students being online more and more, it’s important that parents/guardians are informed. Saffron has put together some great resources.

The local Family Resource Network is a partnership between Strathcona County's Family and Community Services, Boys and Girls Club, and Big Brothers Big Sisters. The FRN offers free programs and services for families with children and youth ages 0-18 years, including:

• Programs to support healthy child development
• Reliable parenting information
• Connection to other local resources

Family and Community Services offers Counselling and Solutions Navigation support. FCS offers walk-in, virtual, and over the phone counselling using a pay what you can afford model. You will be connected to the next available counsellor. The Solutions Navigation team will listen and help you figure out solutions to challenges in your life. Navigation is free to access.

To access these services, call 780-464-4044 or visit them on the second floor of the Community Centre at 401 Festival Lane. Use the following links for more information.

We are continuing to focus on bringing co-regulation strategies from our Reset Room into our classrooms. Building these patterned, repetitive, and rhythmic activities into our day helps to steady the bottom part of our brain, allowing our cortex to be activated, which makes learning easier! Here are two new co-regulation strategies this month.

Kids Help Phone-1-800-668-6868 or Text CONNECT to 686868

Community Resources-211 or Text INFO to 211

Mental Health Helpline-1-877-303-2642

Crisis Text Line- Text CONNECT to 741741

Health Link-811

Income Support-Alberta Support Centre 1-877-644-9992 or 24 Hour Support 1-866-644-5135

Family Violence-Find Support-Call or Text 780-310-1818

Talk Suicide Canada-Call or Text 988