K-8 Counselor Connection

Recently, I had the opportunity to ask our 7-12th graders to THINK before they post/text/speak. I wanted to extend the invitation to our community schoolwide. RHL and BGVA are wonderful places to learn and grow. When we are careful with our words, we are better able to create a safe and welcoming environment where each student feels a sense of belonging. We deeply desire that culture on our campus and we are off to a great start! The students have done a great job already and I know we can be EVEN better. Here we GROW!

We can avoid causing harm, we can uplift and inspire, we can excel at providing a safe, positive place of learning as we each learn to stop and THINK before we speak/post/text. Confident, secure people never feel the need to tear anyone down. I hope we all strive to be confident, secure people as we remember to stop and THINK.

Do you know a young person interested in being around bulldozers? Don't miss this Dozer Day opportunity hosted at the Clark County Events Center! Click the link to purchase tickets for October 7th or 8th.

The start of the school year is an exciting and busy time. I hope all our families have been able to find ways to fill their buckets and recharge over the summer break. We look forward to another year of learning and growing together!

To say I am excited about this is an understatement for sure! Character Strong has been an inspiration for our character themes for a few years now and we are thrilled to see the district adopting it in all schools. This means we will now have access to the Elementary materials called PurposeFull People in addition to the middle school materials we already had. You will notice some character trait posters around campus and will see more of their materials included in our communications. In all situations, we seek to encourage strong character in those who enter our campus, students and adults alike. We can't wait to see the growth! In the link below, you will find a letter explaining more about the program.

What an appropriate time to have a deep discussion about respect as we once again enter a shared space for the purpose of learning. Showing respect in a shared space with individuals who may look or think differently than we do requires certain mindsets and skills. We are a public school where each student and each family are welcome and it is our duty to establish a positive, comfortable, welcoming climate in which to learn. As we strive to build a culture of respect, we acknowledge that each student has a place here, and no one has the right to cause harm while we are here together (this applies to online activities as well). We will make mistakes, and we will work together to heal and restore a culture of respect as we go. Discussion starter: What are some ways we show we are skilled with the trait of respect?

Here is a helpful article discussing Respect in the Classroom. From the article, here is a list of benefits seen in a classroom with respectful students:

What does this actually look like in the classroom? Kids who show respect and are shown respect:

• Feel safe around their peers and their teacher
• Don’t yell or talk over others
• Listen to others even when they disagree
• Don’t try to control others
• Talk openly about their needs and wants
• Admit when they’ve made a mistake
• Freely express who they are and allow others to do the same.

I love talking with our families about making school a positive experience.

Email: olson.rebecca@battlegroundps.org

Phone: (360)885-6737

Office: Rm. 117 on the RHL campus

RHL K-8 School Counselor Website