Let's Do This!!

 

 

 

 

Welcome back! Fall is here and my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feeds are filling up with classroom pictures and back to school outfits. This has always been a favorite time of year for me. There is so much excitement and passion at the beginning of the year! I look forward to seeing all those bright shiny faces every morning!

 

 

 

Being a parent can be a challenging job. Counselors exist to help make the job easier. We want parents to be able to feel confident and comfortable enough to contact the school to ask questions. Open communication enhances a child's performance and lessens the stress at home and at school. As the counselor at Curington Elementary, I want to do all that I can to help every student succeed. Feel free to call or email me at any time!!

Marcie.warner@boerne-isd.net  or  357.4000


Please know that I am here to help in anyway that I can. I hope you find my site as a helpful resource...

WELCOME BACK!!!

November

Tis' the season to be jolly, happy, excited, worried, stressed, overwhelmed, joyous, anxious, thrilled...BREATHE! Isn't it amazing how quickly our feelings and emotions can change during this season that is upon us? I would recommend to stay ahead of the emotional roller coaster; be prepared for what is guaranteed to come. 

I found this wonderful site that will be of great help... check it out!!

Heightened emotions and unrealistic expectations can threaten your family’s harmony during the holidays. But, with a little planning and understanding, you can keep the atmosphere merry this season.

A few of my favorite things...

OCTOBER

What an amazing month! DRA’s, PAPI’s, parent teacher conferences… school is in full swing! Students have settled into their routines and I see amazing things all around me. For this month, I want to share an ‘oldie but goodie’.  

 All I can say is WOW!!! The instructional technology department has an amazing resource site for teachers! I had no idea how much I could find at literally just a click of the button!!
     Two 'places' that I recommend you start with are Donald Hawkins and Thedata base team. Here you will find ready-made lesson plans, activity ideas and an amazing support staff!!

September... the smell of pencils and crayons have filled the air and school is in full swing!

I love all that a new school year brings. One of the great things about having children or working with children is that we get to have 2 new years! Think about it... doesn't the beginning of the school year feel just like New Years? A time where we get to start fresh with new clothes, new supplies, new goals??? Everyone is happy to be here... so refreshing! As I sit and think about this year I almost become 'giddy' inside. 

Happenings from my office:
     I will see every classroom 4 times this year for classroom guidance. 
     Our parent volunteer program will continue... click on the link above to read more.
     6th Grade students are currently writing slogan proposals for Red Ribbon Week... I cannot wait to see what they come up with.
     I will continue with group guidance- our first round of groups will begin this week and we are focusing on 'School Success'.

February is almost over!

WOW! Times flies the spring semester... students are settled into the comfort zone of their classrooms, teachers are working harder than ever to make sure they have prepared their students for the next adventure.

This is actually the time of year that we see more students struggling to get along. It makes sense though, they have been in the same classroom together since August and they are comfortable enough around each other to start acting like brothers and sisters... here is an article that touches a bit on just that.

We all know the story of that boy who cried, "Wolf!"   In the end, there really was a problem and he didn't get the help he needed.   With so much emphasis on bullying these days, do we run the same risk?   If kids learn to take slight offenses too seriously or rely on authority figures to solve every small conflict, could that make things worse?   Of course, adults should step in when there is real danger, but there's another important piece: Teaching kids to be more-resilient, less-enticing targets. This can help adults separate the serious from the not-so-serious.   We encourage parents and teachers to empower kids - NOT to overreact to teasing and less-harmful testing that often occurs in peer relationships. Otherwise, like the boy who cried, "Wolf," real bullying may not get noticed and kids may not get help when they actually need it.   Adults should get involved when there is real harm or the threat of real harm. But all kids will encounter some mean people in life and will benefit from learning to handle it while they're young.   Role-playing responses can help kids handle name-calling and teasing:   Some kids put their hands in their pockets, smile, and say, "Hmm, I hadn't noticed that before. Thanks for letting me know."   Some kids say, "Oh, that reminds me… " and then move away like they just remembered something important.   Some kids make sure they are near adults when mean kids are on the prowl.   Prepared kids make less viable targets.   Let's all do our part, from modeling kindness, to providing good supervision and intervention when kids need help, to teaching kids how to get along and handle the small stuff.   Find more solutions to help kids learn how to deal with the issues of teasing and bullying in Sally Ogden's book, "Words Will Never Hurt Me."   Thanks for reading! Our goal is to help as many families as possible. If this is a benefit, forward it to a friend.   Jedd Hafer

This is a great form for teacher to use... click on the pic for the pdf file

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

What a wonderful break! Nothing like two weeks to rejuvenate! Today it was exciting to see all the children back in school; everyone had fun stories to tell about their family gatherings and events. What always amazes me is how grown up these little people seem when they return from the Christmas break.

Studies show that children who participate in goal setting are consistently more motivated and self-directed. School success is supported by children developing the skill of self-determination. They need to be able to make their own decisions and guide their own behavior, setting goals facilitates this process. Goal setting helps kids make a connection between their personal choices and the end results.

 I want to share some awesome sites/activities that I found to help children set goals. I encourage all teachers and parents to give some of these a try...

I love this one... wouldn't it be fun to do these every year and read at life's benchmarks? (graduations, weddings, etc.) There is also one for adults... click HERE for adults and HERE for kids. Thank you THIRTYHANDMADEDAYS.COM for these printables!!

What I love about these worksheets is that it focuses on how goals are going to be acheived... this is great to use in the classroom... click on the picture to get the worksheets- click HERE to see the lesson plan. Parents! There is also a spiritual goal sheet provided if you would like for home...

Here is a very simple form to use... just think of the extension activities you could do with this one! How many writing prompts??? Click on the picture for a FREE download at teachers pay teachers...

Speaking of setting goals... check out these awesome guided reading bookmarks! Click on the picture for a FREE pdf download at teachers pay teachers... thank you Hilary Lewis!!