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Counselor's Corner

April 2022

Counselor'sCornerApril 2022

Classroom Counseling Lessons

Your student receives a classroom counseling lesson once a month from me during their resource time. These lessons focus on academic, career, and social/emotional development. Lesson topics include kindness, growth mindset, making and keeping friends, conflict resolution, cooperation and teamwork, character education, career awareness, bullying, personal safety, etc. These lessons help support Social Emotional Learning (SEL), a lifelong process of learning how to better understand ourselves, connect with others, and work together to achieve goals and support each other.


April Lesson Topics:

Kindergarten, Third, and Fifth Grade: Good-Touch/Bad-Touch Body Safety Program

First Grade: Friendship Skills and Boundaries

Second Grade: Resisting Peer Pressure

Fourth Grade: Test Taking Strategies

Small Group Counseling

Small groups cover similar topics to classroom lessons. Groups generally consist of 6-8 students from the same grade level and meet once a week for five-six weeks. Current groups include 1st Grade Self-Control, 2nd Grade Self-Control, and 3rd Grade Lunch Bunch. More groups will be added throughout the year. If you think your child would benefit from group counseling, please email me at smccaskill@camden.k12.ga.us.

Individual Counseling

To refer your student to be seen by the school counselor one-on-one, please complete the School Counselor Request Google Form.

Milestone Testing: 3rd-5th Graders

3rd-5th grade student will take the Georgia Milestones in May. Georgia Milestones measures how well students have learned the knowledge and skills outlined in the state-adopted content standards. See testing schedule below. Testing will begin promptly at 9:00 am each morning. Practice tests are available at GA Experience Online. The primary purpose is to let students experience, firsthand, the functionality of the online testing platform. The sample tests are not graded. For tips on helping your student manage academic anxiety, please visit Strong4Life.

Month of the Military Child

Wear your purple Friday, April 15th on Purple Up Day to show your support!

PBIS

SMES Sharks are Responsible, Respectful, Safe. Learn more about our PBIS Program through our Positively Sharktastic PBIS Newsletter.

Attendance Policy

If your child is absent, please have them return to school with an excuse note. Notes must be turned in within two day of returning to school or they will not be accepted. They must be written (emails or DOJO messages are not accepted as written excuses), signed by a parent/guardian, and explain the reason for the absence.

Is My Child Old Enough to Stay Home Alone?

Age 8 or under: Child should never be left home alone.

Age 9-12: Child can stay alone for up to 2 hours but cannot perform the role of babysitter (i.e. watch a younger sibling).

Age 13 and over: Child can stay alone up to 12 hours and can perform the role of babysitter.


*Keep in mind that these guidelines are also based on the level of the child's maturity*

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Food Assistance

The Camden Hunger Hotline is a volunteer managed and operated food assistance information and referral service. You may call 912-409-6920 between 8am-8pm to receive information about food assistance available in Camden County. This service is provided to those individuals and families who are struggling to avoid hunger.

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Georgia Access and Crisis Line

For immediate access to routine or crisis services, please call the Georgia Crisis and Access Line (GCAL) at 800-715-4225. GCAL is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year to help you or someone you care for in a crisis.
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Community Mental Health Resources

Click here to open the Camden Behavioral Health Providers, Prevention Services, and Groups Resource List. For other information regarding community resources, please visit http://www.camden.k12.ga.us/quick_links/community_resources.