Counselor Update

Thank you to all the parents that came to the meet and greet. A lot of information was shared and it was great getting to know each other and building those relationships. Thank you to Mrs. Martinez our Family Liaison, for setting this session.

Parents and Staff, As we get closer to wrapping up quarter 1, We are also closer to our school wide celebration of great behaviors. The celebration will be on 10/23/24 for grades K- 2 & 10/25/24 for grades 3-5. The reward is for all those students who have show our PAWS expectations and demonstrated our Core Values. We encourage you continue to have those conversations with students about their behaviors. We will have a school wide Ice Cream and dance party on the dates mentioned and we hope to have all McDougle LIONS participate. If your student does not earn it, we may need to have a conversation regarding the why and how we can work together to make sure that for the next celebration your student does participate. Students need to fill their punch cards and earn a grade level specific goal in order to participate. Ask your student how many cards he/she has. Have you had a conversation with the teachers regarding specific behaviors? Let's work together and make sure our students are reaching for the GOAL.

Classroom teachers are discussing RESPECT for yourself and others, especially people with authority. Discuss with your child(ren) how to Follow the Golden Rule - treat others the way you want to be treated. How can parents support us?

1. Define Respect: Start by explaining what respect means in simple terms. For example, it could mean treating others the way you want to be treated, being polite, and valuing everyone's feelings and opinions.

2. Examples: Provide concrete examples of respectful behavior, such as listening when others are talking, using kind words, sharing toys or materials, and waiting your turn.

3. Role-Playing: Engage the students in role-playing scenarios where they can demonstrate respectful and disrespectful behaviors. This can help them understand the impact of their actions on others.

4. Stories and Books: Use children's books or stories that illustrate respect and its importance. Discuss the characters' behaviors and how they show respect to each other.

5. Interactive Discussions: Ask open-ended questions to encourage students to share their thoughts on respect. For example, "How do you feel when someone listens to you?" or "What can we do to show respect to our friends?"

6. Create home Rules: Involve students in creating a list of rules that promote respect. This gives them ownership and reinforces the importance of respectful behavior in their daily interactions.

7. Visual Aids: Use visual aids such as posters or drawings to depict respectful behaviors. Visual cues can reinforce learning and serve as reminders throughout the day.

8. Consistency: Model respectful behavior consistently and reinforce it when you see students demonstrating it. Positive reinforcement encourages students to continue behaving respectfully.

9. Empathy: Help students understand empathy as part of respect. Encourage them to consider how their actions and words affect others' feelings.

10. Summarize and Reflect: At the end of your discussion, summarize key points about respect and ask students to reflect on how they can apply what they've learned in their daily lives.

By approaching the topic of respect in a clear, interactive, and age-appropriate manner, you can help elementary students develop a deeper understanding of respectful behavior and its importance in building positive relationships.

A big shout out to Ms. S. Young in 1st grade for doing a great job doing her circle time and discussing our monthly character.

"Miss Nelson is Missing!" by Harry Allard and James Marshall

• Summary: Miss Nelson is a kind teacher who is often taken for granted by her unruly students. When she disappears and is replaced by a strict substitute, the students learn to appreciate and respect their original teacher.
• Message: Teaches the value of respect and appreciation for authority figures.

"Have You Filled a Bucket Today?" by Carol McCloud

• Summary: This book uses the metaphor of a bucket to teach children about the effects of their actions and words on others. Positive actions "fill buckets" while negative ones "dip" from them.
• Message: Encourages respect, kindness, and the idea that helping others feel good also makes you feel good.

"A Little Respectful SPOT" by Diane Alber

• Summary: This book is part of the "A Little SPOT" series, which uses fun, relatable characters to teach emotional and social skills. "Respectful SPOT" shows kids how to be respectful in various situations.
• Message: Breaks down respect into easily understandable actions for young readers.

"What If Everybody Did That?" by Ellen Javernick

• Summary: This story shows what would happen if everyone broke little rules, like littering or not following instructions. The consequences quickly add up, helping children understand the importance of respect for rules and others.
• Message: Highlights the importance of following rules and showing respect for community spaces and others.

"The Invisible Boy" by Trudy Ludwig

• Summary: This story is about a boy named Brian who feels invisible because others don't notice him or include him. When a new kid arrives, Brian reaches out to him, and things start to change.
• Message: Encourages empathy and respect for others' feelings, especially those who may feel left out or unnoticed.

"The Berenstain Bears Show Some Respect" by Jan & Mike Berenstain

• Summary: The Bear family learns the importance of showing respect, especially to elders. Brother and Sister Bear struggle with listening and behaving properly, but with guidance from their parents, they understand why respect matters.
• Message: Teaches respect for others, especially family members and elders.

Monday, Oct. 28 Shade out Drugs- Students and staff wear your best shades to school.

Tuesday, Oct. 29 Too Bright for Drugs- Students and staff wear Neon colors.

Wednesday, Oct .30 Drugs Can't Find Me - Students and staff wear camouflage clothes.

*Thursday, Oct. 31 What's Your Anti? See Special Note about today's dress up below

Friday, Nov. 1 - Team up against Drugs - Wear your favorite team shirt or jersey

Students and staff today will get to pick a character from a book and bring it to life. Parents talk to your student(s) about the book they'd like to represent. Be creative and let them have fun. Discuss the importance in reading. Grade K-2 will parade and show off their book characters for students in 3-5, then we will allow 3-5 to parade and shoe off their book characters for the lower grades. This should be fun for all.

• Punch cards and the PAWS green bookmarks. What are they doing to earn those punches on their cards.
• What are our PAWS?
• What are our school core values?
• Ask students about upcoming school wide events to celebrate their behaviors. We have those posted throughout the building and teachers have received a copy for their classrooms.

• Fall Festival Oct. 10
• Klein ISD's Anti Drug week Oct. 28 - Nov.1st
• Book Character Parade Thursday, Oct.31

Is your child struggling with coming to school or with homework?

• Schedule a meeting with teachers or with the counselor.

Email: smillsap1@outlook.net
832.484.7563