http://zavala.austinschools.org/

https://www.facebook.com/ZavalaElementaryAISD/

https://twitter.com/VivaZavala

Principal- Samantha Hill

Address: 310 Robert T Martinez Jr St, Austin, TX

Phone: (512) 414-2318

The Counselor Role

At Zavala Elementary School, the counselor works with students individually, in groups, and in whole-class instruction to support the personal, social, and academic growth of all students. Using the Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling as a framework, the Zavala Counseling Program uses the development, evaluation, and maintenance of a comprehensive school counseling program to positively impact the overall academic achievement of students, their attendance and behavior as well as the overall school climate.

The counselor and administrative team use a teamwork approach to developing programs that focus on supporting families using Restorative Practices. The counselor is the chair of the SEL committee.

Bachelors in Anthropology and Sociology University Wisconsin Oshkosh

Masters in Curriculum and Instruction University of Mississippi

Masters in Educational Leadership University of Concordia Texas

Alternative certification in School Counseling from Region 13

• Yes Say "Hello" Week Coordinator
• Red Ribbon Week Coordinator
• No Place for Hate Coordinator
• PALS Coordinator
• SEL Seed Modle Campus Coordinator
• Leadership Team Member
• Restorative Justice Coordinator
• Lone Star State School Counselor Assn. Member
  

512-841-4932

kenn.peters@austinisd.org

2022-2023 Student Demographics

African American 20.5%

Hispanic 68.7%

White 7.7%

American Indian 0%

Asian 0.4%

Pacific Islander 0.8%

Two or More Races 2.3%

Economically Disadvantaged 86.9%

English Language Learners 26.3%

Special Education 27.0%

Enrollment: 259 (as of 10/28/2022)

Zavala is dedicated to cultivating an environment that is conducive to learning and culturally aware to all community members by intentionally incorporating proficient strategies into our instruction and everyday activities. The Counselor is a member of the Counseling Advisory Team, which meets monthly to discuss campus progress toward academic and counseling goals. This team works continuously to create an inclusive environment for all. The Counselor works to ensure school-wide platforms, such as announcements, bulletin boards, social media accounts, assemblies, and other events, also reflect this idea.

At Zavala, we believe that by growing up and learning together in school, and treating each individual as a family, students with varied abilities, interests, and backgrounds experience diversity as a community norm, something that is expected. The Zavala family allows all students to develop the attitudes, values, and skills needed to live and work alongside others in a diverse society.

The Campus Advisory Council Team Members meet once a month. We meet to discuss campus, student, and counseling updates. Some of the primary goals were to discuss 5th-grade student input on the needs of the campus. At the beginning of the year, the committee analyzed the School Climate Survey completed by grades 3-5 to find out what we do best and areas that need improvement. The council determined that we needed to encourage kindness throughout the year, which started with the "Just Say Hello" campaign. This campaign helps Zavala students feel safe and included.

By signing the "Just Say Hello Pledge", ALL students and faculty are promising to use empathy throughout the whole year. This pledge signing also serves as our commitment to make the Zavala campus a, "No Place For Hate" school as well. Students and Staff take turns signing the pledge to stamp out bullying by promising to have empathy for others.

The committee agreed to have older students form a leadership group. The Counselor, Communities in Schools, and the Librarian are teaming up to co-manage the leadership group. The committee agreed that this group would help walk the younger students to classes in the mornings, work in the Library, read to the younger students, and mentor young students as well.

Student leadership programming helps all students on campus. The Council felt that when students get to assume responsibility, they demonstrate a willingness to help others, to listen empathetically, and to make sound decisions. Helping students to develop these character traits is why student leadership is very important to our school and helps students feel more connected as one Zavala Family.

Counseling Advisory Council Team Members:

Principal- Sam Hill

Assistant Principal -Tamsyn Michaelis

Instructional Coach - Ashely Jorge

Community in Schools- Program Manager Eva Natal

Counselor- Kenn Peters

Special Ed Director- Madeline Lasson

Parent Support Specialist- Jenifer Hernadez

Parent- Janet Peters

1. Programmatic Delivery The School Counselor will spend approximately the following time in each component to ensure the delivery of the school counseling program

40% of the time delivering counseling curriculum

10% of the time with individual student planning

30% of the time with responsive services

10% of the time with system support

10% of the time with non-counseling activities

2. Lesson Delivery
Please review the content areas below. List all of the topics you will address this year.:

*Executive Functions and Responsible Decision Making

Into to Counselor
Goal Set
Academic Motivation
Growth Mindset

Self Awareness

Anti-Bullying Prevention

Red Ribbon Week

No Place for hate

Equity Building

Career Day

Personal Saftey

3. AISD Strategic Plan Alignment

List one or more school activities or programs to support the Universal Components of the AISD strategic plan:

*Career/Post Secondary Exploration

true colors - career
goal set - magic mistakes
academic motivation - small steps

*Family and Community Relationships

Friendship and Social Skills
Family Changes
Grief and Loss

*Academics/Attendance

Academic Motivation

Goal Setting

*Social-Emotional Learning/Mental Health

Identifying Feelings, Changin Friendships
Mindfulness, mindful listening
Self Awareness
Self-Management Self-Regulation

*Personal Safety

Personal space bubbles

self-regulation

4. School Counselor Availability -

General District Hours Some locations have extended the school day or adjusted hours for various reasons. To find the exact hours of operation, contact the school, department, or facility in question.

Generally, duty hours for clerical staff, counselors, and administration are as follows:

• Elementary 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

*Programs and services presented and available to parents and/or community outreach include:

newsletter, parent information nights, transition information, career day, Food Pantry, World Kindness day, Just Say Hello week, and pledge to use Emapthy throughout the year,

No Place For Hate

*Programs and services presented and available to staff include:

Restorative Morning circles, Restorative Discipline, Suicide Awareness, World KindnesDayay, Pride Week, Just Say Hello week

*List other student support services available on campus:

CIS, Parent support specialist

5. Counseling Program Campus Budget

Budget for Counseling Program materials, supplies, and expenses

*The Counseling Program budget for my campus this year is:

$150

*Please list all planned counseling expenses for the school year.

emotions doll (Meebie), talking pieces for each teacher for circles, circle posters for each teacher's room, fidgets

6. Professional Development

In addition to required district PD (examples: kickoff event, crisis training), please list all PD activities planned for this school year.

*Scheduled/Planned Professional Development

AISD PLC- attendee,
SEL Symposium- attendee
Restorative circles

SEL Seed Model

Human Sexuality and Responsibility Education

Selecting, Implementing, and Monitoring Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

2022 ASCA Annual Conference

Three Signature SEL Practices in BLEND

Trauma-Informed Practices
Self-Regulation for Elementary Students

*Professional Development Requesting to attend

Region 13 Mental Health Conference 11/09

7. Campus Crisis Response Planning Team

The Counselor/Counseling Team will collaborate with the Principal to arrange a campus crisis response planning meeting.

*Meetings are twice a month

*Please list all members of the campus crisis response team.

Principal -Sam Hill
Assistant principal - Ms. Tamsyn Michaelis
CIS- community in schools Program Manager - Darren Bouyer
Counselor - Kenn Peters
Special Ed- Director - Madeline Lasson

Parent Support Specialist- Jenifer Hernandez

Austin ISD Mission Statement

Austin ISD Professional School Counselors support every student’s personal/social, academic, and career development goals. Our main objective is to empower students to maximize their potential to ensure all students are prepared to use their unique capabilities to participate in a changing global society as resilient, responsible citizens.

Definition, Rationale, and Assumptions

Definition: Austin ISD Professional School Counselors provide an aligned comprehensive developmental counseling program. Counselors ensure equitable access to a rigorous educational experience by nurturing the growth and achievement of students in the areas of personal/social, academic, and career development. Students are empowered with 21st-century skills allowing them to successfully grow into engaged citizens who demonstrate resiliency and make a positive impact in a globalizing world.

Rationale: Austin ISD Professional School Counselors believe that when we provide, safe, inclusive, culturally responsive, academically engaging, and equitable learning environments, students can achieve self-identity and agency, a sense of belonging and cultural consciousness, and academic tenacity and curiosity. As members of the Child Study System, Professional School Counselors align with the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Cultural Proficiency and Inclusiveness (CP&I) departments.

Assumptions: In order for Zavala Counseling Program to effectively and efficiently impact students, certain conditions and resources must be upheld.

· The school counselor is properly certified and holds a Master's level degree.

· Gender, cultural background, disability, ethnicity, race, religion, or socioeconomic status does not impact student access to program resources and content.

· Parents are valuable stakeholders and have an opportunity to participate in planning, implementing, and evaluating the program.

· Campus administration supports the school counselor through the adequate allocation of physical resources and time allotted for responsibilities.

· Staff members work collaboratively to meet counseling program goals through respect and cooperation.

· The school counselor must be given adequate facilities (including a private office, guidance materials, and storage space) that are easily accessible to students.

Program Goals

Zavala's program goals are determined using a variety of data points. At the beginning of the year, the counselors and administrators work together to analyze AISD parent/student/staff climate surveys, teacher needs assessments, Campus Improvement Plan (CIP), SEL improvement plan, standardized assessments, TEA Campus Report Card, and anecdotal input from all stakeholders. In October teachers completed a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) skills survey for their students. In addition to the data collection previously mentioned, their responses were used to create our SMART goals, and an action plan was put into place to improve the counseling program. The school counselor reviews pertinent data, notes trends/needs, and identifies areas of significance that can be addressed through the school counseling program.

Currently, the counselor has determined that 100% of students will know at least one breathing technique to help calm themselves down and develop self-regulation skills At the beginning of the year the counselor will use "Minute Meeting" data to determine what percentage of students know a breathing techniques. The counselor with redo the minute Meetings at the end of the year to determine if all students say they have learned at least one calming technique. No Place for Hate, Red Ribbon, and Zavala Reading Rally Day, are all ways to build A family feeling here at Zavala. Our leadership group will also give older students opportunities to develop emotional intelligence and self-awareness.

The school counselor will re-evaluate each SMART goal set forth in the counseling program. Re-evaluation may include initial data points including campus/district needs assessment, district trends, and Counseling Advisory Council feedback in order to determine the effectiveness of the interventions and programs implemented. To further investigate the impact of counseling interventions, The counselor sits down with the Administration team and determines if the SMART goals that are set will be obtainable. If they end up not being obtainable, the goals will be tweaked in order that they are obtainable for the next year.

Campus Name: Zavala

Critical Practice Area - Restorative Practices, Mindfulness Practices

3 - Create safe, supportive, equitable learning environments that promote all students’ SEL and CP&I skills.

Example S.M.A.R.T.I.E. Goal

The counselor will engage all students in at least two intentional opportunities per month to develop, practice, and reflect upon social and emotional competencies using Mindfulness Restorative practices. Our campus will engage in daily Morning Meetings”. Themes will be shared during the morning announcements. By the end of the year, students will be able to use these practices on their own. As a result, the percentage of students on our campus who report using emotional regulation will increase.

Specific

Where and by whom will the activities be carried out?

Our campus will engage all students in explicit SEL opportunities every school day during morning meetings. This Time is allotted on our campus for explicit SEL and CP&I instruction. We also have peace areas established in every classroom, with materials for students to use and practice self-awareness and self-management skills. The counselor visits every class twice a month. During these times the counselor practices Calming techniques by using a “singing bowl” and practices breathing with the students with the ultimate goal of the students being able to use these strategies on their own.

Measurable

Will I know I’ve succeeded using these measurable outputs and this measurable outcome?

Output: the direct product of your activity; something you can count.

Outcome: the specific change in participants’ behavior, knowledge, or skills.

Output(s): At least one opportunity per day for all students to develop, practice, and reflect on social and emotional competencies through morning meetings. And At least twice per month led by the counselor.

Outcome(s): Increased percentage of students who report using emotional regulation skills, as measured in a survey called “Minute Meetings” produced by the counselor, given to students in the fall semester, mid-year, and end of the year. The counselor will also distribute a mid-year, end-of-the-year Staff Zavala SEL, and CP& I survey focused on morning meetings and Calming techniques practices.

Attainable

Is this goal reachable, given where we are now? Is it challenging enough to indicate significant progress?

We have developed and gathered resources to help our school provide students with explicit SEL and CP&I instruction and opportunities to practice and reflect on their competencies. Our campus has allotted time in our daily schedule for these activities. The leadership team has established a school PBIS Program to help promote self-management and self-awareness This program is called R.I.S.E.[1] [2]

Relevant

Is this goal aligned with other school improvement goals?

(Note: Ideally, your SMARTIE goal is the same as your SEL and CP&I goal in your CIP.)

This goal is included in our CIP, as part of the section pertaining to able use skills to calm themselves down.

Time-bound

What is my timeframe for achieving this goal?

At our 2nd all-staff meeting, we will roll out our plan to provide intentional time for all students to build SEL and CP&I competencies. In the morning meetings. The curriculum will be shared, and there will be ample time for staff to discuss questions. We also handed out unique talking pieces for each faculty member.

By this date:

Oct. 2023- completed

All staff and students will participate in mid-year surveys.

By this date:

February 2023

After Spring break, the counselor will meet with teachers and will begin identifying students in their classes that will lead their peers in practicing emotional-regulation strategies- Singing Bowl and breathing

By this date: March 2023

Inclusive

Who does this goal serve? Does implementation of the goal and/or decision-making include those who are most impacted? How could this goal be changed to make inclusion more explicit?

This goal serves staff and students. Helping students be able to self-regulate is huge. More regulated students will benefit teachers as well. This impacts all students and faculty.

Equitable

Does this goal ensure that each person is receiving what they need to develop their full potential? How could this goal be changed to make equity more explicit?

Morning Circles and calming techniques are two goals that I feel cross all equity barriers. These techniques help all students and adults develop more awareness and be more successful in school.

Example of a Smart Goal from Each Service Delivery Component:

1. · Individual Planning: The school counselor will meet individually with all students in "minute Meetings" to gather information about all students so that when things arise during the year the counselor will be able to "know" their students a little bit better.
2. · Responsive Services: The school counselor will develop and implement a small group for students impacted by grief or other trauma and anxiety, decision-making, and Self-help by November 2023. Sessions will focus on recognizing emotions, coping strategies, and ways to seek support.
3. System Support: By the beginning of the school year (August 2023), the school counselor will train all professional staff members(through a larger group presentation) on Restorative practice procedures. During the counselor's SEL Lessons in ALL classes, students will take part in mindful listening at the start of every class and students will also take part in at least one Tier 1 community circle.
4. Guidance: I want to implement a tier 1 restorative circle in 100% of my SEL Classes so that all students will experience a circle at least once during the year. *Specific- What is your specific goal? expose 100% of students to circles and restorative practices *Measurable- How will you measure your goal? I can measure this by tracking what I teach in my SEL classes twice a month *Attainable- Why is this goal attainable for you? This is attainable because since I travel to all classes twice a month, which gives me the exposure time I need to teach at least one lesson using the circle format *Relevant- Why do you think this goal is relevant? this is super relevant because we need to "hack" school discipline. Go away from punitive and more towards repairing the harm. This causes equity to happen because now the kids who usually get suspended or expelled are receiving the same type of treatment that the other kids receive. We should be building relationships with students not building prisons based on the population numbers of our 3rd-grade classes... *Time bound- What is the time frame for you to reach this goal (be specific)? Training staff or the whole campus on restorative practices takes time. it is a slow process. The best way to implement them is to teach those who show interest first. I will slowly use RD in my SEL classes and do extra circles with those teachers who want more. Currently, 4 teachers use different forms of Restorative Practices in their classrooms. Morning circles and circles when "things come up" seem to be the most popular at the moment.

· Note: These goals are not inclusive of all activities completed during the year.

Individual Planning

• Minute meetings with each student
• Operation School Bell
• Individual Student Meetings to address current issues
• Individual student transition planning meetings for 5th graders
• Small group for tier 2 and 3 students

Guidance

• 100 guidance lessons, addressing Anti-racism. Equity building, Anxiety, Stress, Bullying, Mindfulness, Conflict Resolution (Restorative Circles)
• Poster campaign for No Place for Hate
• Guest speaker from Healthy Habits
• GIRLSTART
• Pals -Buddy Reading

Responsive Services

• Coats for Kids
• Operation School Bell
• Staff training on Restorative Circles
• Capital Area Food Bank, Operation Turkey
• Christmas Adopt a Family, Blue, and Brown Santa
• Clothing Closet and Food Pantry
• CIS, whole family care

System Support

• Staff Wellness Weeks
• Student Data Meetings with CIS
• Sponsor student leadership team- No Place for hate
• Coordinate Attendance Committee meetings
• SEL Team

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yM-pipCMfQfC0_AEMpL35fRORx_afJV7OJCBsureQlw/edit

Before each counselor lesson, the counselor provides "a Minute of Mindfulness" where students practice mindfulness by listening to a singing bowl and taking breaths. This helps them learn how mindfulness can make the body less biologically reactive to stress. Prior to the first lesson, only 1% of students could identify what mindfulness was during "Minute Meetings" with students at the beginning of the year. Four weeks after the first lesson, 50% of students could tell what mindfulness was and talk about why it can be beneficial. By the end of this year, we want the number 100%. All students will know at least one way they are able to calm themselves down when upset, without an adult, Self-regulation. Teachers also reported that more students were independently managing frustration and worked better together.

The counselor works with the Parent Support Specialist and (parents) to help conduct the Coats for Kids and the Food Drive. We were able to collect and raise enough money and food (for our homeless and economically disadvantaged students) to start our own local food pantry. The food pantry now has become a go-to resource for our families which is another way how Zavala shows that it is one family. Families in need also receive resources during Thanksgiving.

The comprehensive school counseling program curriculum systematically and intentionally guides the planning of activities that assist all students in developing the knowledge and skills they need to enhance their educational, career, personal and social development. The Texas Model established four general curricular content areas:

• Interpersonal Effectiveness

• Intrapersonal Effectiveness

• Personal Health and Safety

• Postsecondary Education and Career Readiness

In the next section, we'll provide an example of how we addressed one of the four areas with example artifacts and a lesson plan. Then, we'll explain how we worked with our stakeholders as a whole school community to ensure that all four areas were covered through a variety of methods over the course of the year.

Kindness Unit

We used the bullying data to inspire our kindness unit which included guidance, a school-wide awareness program, and extension activities. We had a "Sign the Kindness Pledge" and a Just Say "Hello" dress-up week. This Kindness Pledge will continually be revisited throughout the year, via different activities, World Kindness Day and No Place for Hate activities.

Hello Week

Classes learned about the importance of Just Saying "Hello" During this week-long celebration, Zavala students signed a pledge that they will be respectful and use empathy as much as possible. The pledge can then be referred back to throughout the year.

The total school counseling program is a responsibility shared by many stakeholders. The school counselor collaborates with stakeholders to plan, manage, implement, and evaluate services delivered through the counseling program, including delivering the guidance curriculum. The content areas covered in the scope and sequence are presented to the student's monthly lessons delivered by the school counselor.

This year I feel that the counselor has been here for 3 years and has built relationships with students. This year's goals go along with that. The goal is, as always, to create a positive atmosphere for learning and growth in a new year of hope and opportunity. The only proper way to work through this is to connect with each other, and all stakeholders, in an open, transparent, dialogue with all stakeholders so that everyone feels seen, heard, and valued. The counselor has learned that this year stakeholders want students to have more ways to help themselves self-regulate. The school counselor has advocated with stakeholders to share data results addressing school counseling program effectiveness so that all stakeholders know its value. The goal is to reach all students 100% of students will know at least one technique to self-regulate.