THE VIPER VIEW
RMS Counseling Newsletter-st Quarter
No Place For Hate Winners (2017-2018, 2019-2020, 2020-2021, 2021-2022, 2023-2024)
No Place for Hate® is a school wide program that identifies hate and discrimination on campus and designs activities, campaigns, and programming to eliminate the hate.
RMS has become a No Place for Hate® Campus by:
- Building inclusive School and safe communities in which respect is the goal and all students can belong.
- Empowering students, faculty, administration and family members to take a stand against hate and bullying by incorporating new and existing programs under one powerful message.
- Sending a clear, unified message that all students have a place to belong.
Nov. 8- Students will sign the 'No Place for Hate' Pledge
Nov. 15- 'No place for Hate' poster contest entries due
Topic: How is RMS a No Place for Hate Campus.
CREST Award Winners (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
The RMS counseling team has been awarded the CREST (Counselors Reinforcing Excellence for Students in Texas) award by the Texas School Counseling Association for the 4th year in a row.
"Schools earn the recognition by demonstrating continuous improvement, leadership and engagement, and the role of their school counseling programs in students’ academic, personal/social and career development."
CREST is a continuous improvement document that allows a school counseling program to demonstrate effective communication and a commitment to obtaining results. CREST looks at the counseling program in five categories:
- Introduction to the School and the Role of the Professional School Counselor
- Program Implementation Cycle
- Foundational Components
- Four Service Delivery Components
- Program Curriculum
Denton ISD has partnered with the Cook Center for Human Connection to provide research and information to parents on mental health and emotional regulation.
Click the links below to watch recent webinars:
The University of North Texas in partnership with RMS will initiate an exciting program dedicated to providing college and career guidance to RMS students. This is in support of House Bill 5
RMS students will learn about themselves, research careers based on their strengths, meet with college student mentors, and become more knowledgeable about options for their futures!
Students will also be better informed when selecting endorsements during high school planning.
- Examine endorsements and career pathways
- Research career paths
- Learn college and career vocabulary and terms
- Create strategic plans for set goals for high school coursework
Prepping for Course Selection
In Contemporary Worlds Societies, 6th graders will connect their interests with RMS specific 7th grade courses. Students will learn about the required courses and choices they can make in January . They will also explore their personal interests through Schoolinks.
How to Explore Careers
Through Texas History classes, students will learn about career clusters, pathway to careers, and income associated with specific careers. They will be able to explore the career growth and demands in areas throughout the United States.
6th Graders- SMART Goals
All 6th grade students will complete an interest inventory in CWS and explore careers that they would naturally be good at. They will also set an academic SMART goal which will be reviewed throughout their middle school career. In November, students will learn about 7th grade course offerings in preparation for course selection in January.
7th Graders- Game of Life and Career Interests
All 7th grade students will play a game called “Life” in Texas History that teaches career pathways and finances based on their career interests and how personal interest impacts careers. Students will also review and edit their SMART goals. In November they will learn about 8th grade courses and requirements in preparation for course selection in January.
8th Graders- Personal Vision Statements and Endorsements
All 8th grade students will be learning about high school endorsements in ELAR in preparation for High school 4 year Personal Graduation Planning which takes place in January. Students set career goals and reviewed academic SMART goals. The selection they made will assist in diving student into career based groups when attending 2 field trips.
8th Grader Future Eagle Day!
All 8th graders took a field trip to UNT to learn more about the campus and the potential major they'd be interested in.
8th Grader Future Eagle Day!
All 8th grade students took a field trip to Denton ISD's Advanced Technology Center. Take a Virtual Tour to learn more about the Lagrone Academy and opportunities in high school!
Self-Management
Ability to regulate ones emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations. This includes managing stress, controlling impulses, motivating oneself, and setting/working toward personal and academic goals.
- AVOID Some stress is unavoidable. Changing your environment when possible if you notice a situation, app, bad news is stressing you out.
- ALTER Change variables when you can.
- ADAPT By having a well-balanced schedule that allows for flexibility.
- ACCEPT Know your power, look for opportunities, and learn to forgive.
- ACTIVE Being active enhances your memory, mood, and sleep while also reducing tension and worry.
Social Awareness
Skills that develop social awareness include—
- Identifying social cues (verbal, physical) to determine how others feel
- Taking others’ perspectives
- Demonstrating empathy and compassion
- Showing concern for the feelings of others
- Understanding and expressing gratitude
- Recognizing strengths in others
- Identifying diverse social norms, including unjust ones
- Recognizing situational demands and opportunities
- Caring about and being motivated to contribute to the well-being of one’s family, friends, school, community, the environment, and the greater good
Optimistic Thinking
Benefits of Optimism—
- It helps us feel happy more often
- It keeps us healthy and potentially increases our longevity
- We can achieve greater things and persist for longer
Watch THIS video about the power of positivity!
Reframe our thoughts—
Negative thought:
I haven’t achieved what I wanted to this past year. It was a terrible year.
Positive thought:
It wasn’t the year I thought it would be, but many great things happened unexpectedly that I’m grateful for.
The latter thought is a healthier thought and more likely to help us feel calmer within ourselves.
Decision Making
STEPS TO DECISON MAKING—
1. STOP- Recognize what requires attention
2. Think- Consider the consequences for each possible choice
3. Decide- What you will do?
4. Evaluate- Whether the choice that you made turned out good
Relationship Skills
The most important ingredient we put into any relationship is not what we say or what we do, but what we are.
Here are a few key behaviors that will help you to develop positive relationships
1. Listen
2. Be Present
3. Give and take feedback
4. Trust more
5. Manage your mobile
Goal-Directed Behavior
- S = Specific Your goal should include details of what you want to accomplish. Well defined, clear, and unambiguous.
- M = Measurable You should be able to measure your progress and accurately determine whether you've accomplished your goal.
- A = Attainable Your goals should challenge you, but not impossible to achieve.
- R = Realistic Within reach, realistic, and relevant to your long-term goals.
- T = Timely With a clearly defined timeline, including a starting date and a target date. The purpose is to create urgency.
Food Assistance
Born out of a desire to help children in need, Lovepacs was created in order to provide meals to students, who would otherwise go hungry during school holidays. Contact Ms. Gilmore at dgilmore_cis@dentonisd.org if you need assistance.
This is open to ALL students on campus, even if you don't work with Ms. Gilmore!
Coats for Kids Ride
Motorcycle enthusiasts and community volunteers are partnering with Denton ISD and other Denton County school districts with the 11th annual Coats for Kids Ride with kickstands up at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 30th.
Participants should bring one new coat with the tags still on for students in sizes that will fit kids who are from 12 months to adult 4XL. This year the group is focusing on coats for larger students, more specifically “hoodies” for high school-aged students.
Read more HERE
Parenting is HARD.
50% of parents worry their child is struggling, but don’t know what to do.
Parent Guidance offers education and therapeutic support to empower and give you hope as you support your child’s mental health. Click the photo above to search through their library of courses!
DISD Family Center
Denton ISD Family Center is a counseling center operated by the graduate students that are pursuing a license in mental health services from local universities. The Family Center offers mental health services to all Denton ISD students and their families, as well as Denton ISD employees.
The Family Center offers 10 FREE sessions and these sessions can be individual, family, and/or play therapy sessions.
Chromebook Insurance
The device insurance is $20 per device per year ($10 per year for Free & Reduced lunch participants). It covers repairs not to exceed an annual total of $200.
School meals are NOT free of Charge
90 % ATTENDANCE IS A STATE REQUIREMENT
If your scholar needs to be absent, please get it excused by doing the following:
1. Upload a doctor note: CLICK HERE
2. Upload a parent note within 3 days! (Maximum of 4 per semester)
Attendance Questions? Email: mbrown5@dentonisd.org
HOME ACCESS CENTER (HAC)
Create an account to see student grades and attendance HERE. Use your email as your username. If you are unsure of your password, click 'forgot password.'
Join YOUR students' Virtual Classroom in Canvas
Parents can connect to their student's Canvas accounts to see their grades and upcoming assignments. This is called becoming a "Parent Observer." Click HERE to make an account.
