Dear Parents/Guardians,
Welcome to the new school year! I am very excited to continue my journey as
school counselor at HMS. My goal is to
help all children feel better about themselves so that they are then better
able to, and more eager to, learn in the classroom. During the school day I am involved in many
different roles. The following is a
snapshot of some of the activities I am involved in.
I am in all of the K-3 classrooms on a daily basis teaching
lessons. This year my classroom lessons will occur first thing in the morning
and will focus on relaxation and calming strategies. I will utilize portions of the Zones of
Regulation curriculum, the Calm Classroom curriculum as well as the Yoga 4
Classrooms program.
The Zones of Regulation curriculum, www.zonesofregulation.com, teaches students self-regulation skills. The Zones
language helps students realize when they are becoming less regulated and gives
them tools to help them manage their feelings.
The Zones are broken down into the following four categories to help
students more easily express their feelings.
The Red Zone is used to describe extremely heightened
states of alertness and intense emotions. A person may be elated or
experiencing anger, rage, explosive behavior, devastation, or terror when in
the Red Zone. The Yellow Zone is also used to describe a heightened state of alertness and elevated emotions, however one has more control when they are in the Yellow Zone. A person may be experiencing stress, frustration, anxiety, excitement, silliness, the wiggles, or nervousness when in the Yellow Zone.
The Green Zone is used to describe a calm state of alertness. A person may be described as happy, focused, content, or ready to learn when in the Green Zone. This is the zone where optimal learning occurs.
The Blue Zone is used to describe low states of alertness and down feelings such as when one feels sad, tired, sick, or bored.
The Calm Classroom curriculum, calmclassroom.com,
helps students/adults learn the skills needed to promote a calm learning
environment. Its three areas of focus
are self-awareness, mental focus, and emotional resilience. Self-awareness helps us to better understand
how our thoughts and emotions influence our behavior so that we can make more
conscious decisions. Mental Focus helps us navigate through a world filled with
distractions and helps us cultivate the skill of focused attention. Emotional
Resilience allows students to utilize an effective emotional management
strategy, which helps them self-regulate, and achieve a state of calm.
Yoga 4 Classrooms, www.yoga4classrooms.com,
allows for the creation of peaceful, productive, learning-ready classrooms in
which students will learn to use yoga and mindfulness to improve their focus
while developing a lifelong awareness of the importance of their physical and
emotional health.
In combining aspects of all of these programs
into my classroom lessons I hope to instill strategies for students and
teachers to use throughout their day.
Another aspect of my job is talking with students on a day-to-day
basis about any issues that may arise in their lives. I meet with students throughout the school
day as needed, anything from a periodic check in to a weekly visit. All
students, throughout the school year, are given the chance to have lunch with
their peers in my office. This allows
the students to have a chance to become comfortable in my office, which makes
them feel connected and comfortable in my space should they need to visit in
the future.
I am always available to talk with parents and teachers to
provide ideas when a student/family is working through any difficult
situation. If I don’t have the answer
hopefully I will be able to find a resource that will be helpful. Please let me know if you have any questions
about my role here at HMS.
I look forward to meeting all of you throughout the school
year!
