©Karen's Kids

Guidance Corner

Dear Parents and Guardians:
Ms. Margaret Bodine and Ms. Joan Ayers are so excited and to once again be the school counselors at Penn London Elementary School. Ms. Bodine will be working with the yellow and green families, and Ms. Ayers will be with the red and blue families.
Counseling is seen as an ongoing process of services designed to prevent small problems from growing. Some of the services we will be providing this year are as follows:
1. Consulting with teachers, parents, administrators, and others;
2. Listening in an effort to resolve conflicts;
3. Working with parents and helping them develop strategies to help their children;
4. Referring children to outside agencies when appropriate;
5. Consulting with school professionals regarding curriculum decisions;
6. Helping students learn responsibility by becoming aware of the consequences of their behavior;
7. Conducting classroom guidance lessons, small group lessons, and individual counseling;
8. Coordinating and assisting with special school projects, such as our school wide behavior plan;
9. Assisting the Pre-Referral Team as active participants;
10. Facilitating Parent Education Classes in the fall and spring;
11. Continuing with the Olweus Anti-Bullying Program in our school and provide lessons for the students.
It is entirely possible that we may see your child at some time during the year. These contacts are efforts to assist your child to grow in various areas of his or her development.
We will be offering the following developmental groups during the year: Friendship/Social Skills, Changing Families, Coping Skills, Anger Management, Grief and Loss, School Skills, and a Pay Attention Support Group. Please call us if you think you would like your child to participate in any of these. You can also sign your child up for one of the groups via the group notice that will be in the school newsletter three times per year. If you have any questions about the counseling service, or our work with your child, please do not hesitate to call us at any time at 610-869-9803.Posted 2010

An interesting article appeared in the News Journal in August regarding "Raising Kids Who Aren't Spoiled". Some of the suggestions mentioned for raising appreciative, grounded children are:

1. Involve your child with kids who aren't overindulged to help keep his needs and wants in perspective.

2. Spend time playing board games, reading to your child, riding bikes, walking, or just talking with your child, so she sees getting things isn't the only way to feel special.

3. Teach your child that everyone wins and loses sometimes, from games to getting what he wants. Set limits and help him set goals for earning desired things.

4. Recycle or fix toys and clothing that break, wear out or become outdated.

5. If your feel you do overindulge your child, you could slow down by listening to and thinking about your child's requests, saying "yes" sometimes, and giving two or three reasons when you say "no", and sticking to your answer.

As children enter school, one of their main concerns is making good friends. Below are some ideas for parents to help children develop healthy friendships. Joan Ayers, counselor for red and blue families and Margaret Bodine, counselor for yellow and green families are available to work together with you to ensure your child’s success at school. Please feel free to contact us if you would like assistance with helping your child develop healthy friendships or with any other concern.

Friendship Tips for Parents:

· Obtain a copy of the PTA student directory when available. The students in your child’s class will be listed. Ask your child whom she would like to invite over for a play date. This time together outside of class really helps deepen friendships.

· Encourage play that is interactive, i.e., games or toys meant for 2 or more children. Try to limit T.V./video watching and technology games where the children focus more on the game than one another.

· If time in your schedule allows, sign your child up for an activity. Classroom and neighborhood friendships should definitely be encouraged, but formal activities are another way for your child to meet other children with similar interests. To strengthen these friendships, play dates outside of the activity can be arranged.

· Train and encourage your child to use good manners with other children. Other children will more easily accept a child who shares, takes turns and is polite than a child who consistently acts rude or bossy.

Some books on Friendship:

Horace and Morris But Mostly Delores by James Howe , Feeling Left Out by Kate Petty , How To Be A Friend: A Guide To Making and Keepin gFriends by Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown , Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel , Friends by Helme Heinr , It’s Mine by Leo Lionni , Franklin is Bossy by Paulette Bourgeois , The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister , Will You Be My Friend? By Chihiro Iwasaki, This Is Our House by Michael Rosen.

*****************************************************************************************************************************

Just as the basic skills of reading, writing and math are critical to success in school and in life, the skills of how to behave, how to work and how to get along with others, help children to be successful in school and in life.

At Penn London Elementary School, we emphasize the “I-Care” rules as a way to teach children how to learn and get along well with others. These “I-Care” rules are provided below. Please review them with your child and encourage him or her to follow them.

1. We listen to each other.

2. Hands are for helping, not hurting.

3. We use I-Care language (please, thank you, excuse me, etc.)

4. We care about each other’s feelings.

5. We are responsible for what we say and do (their work, belongings and behavior).

We use many methods to gain the attention of the children in order to teach or give directions. The most widely used method is the “Give me 5” method. This is where the adult raises their hand and says, “Give me 5”. It stands for: Feet still, Hands still, Ears listening, Mouth closed and Eyes on speaker. When the children do this, they give their full attention to the speaker. In this way, it helps them to learn what is happening or get information.

Please encourage your child to be respectful to all of the adults and other children at school. Your expectations carry a lot of weight with your child. It is very helpful for them to know that you expect them to come to school ready to learn and do their best. The school skills above will help them be successful.

If you have any questions or would like any assistance on helping your child be successful in learning, please feel free to contact your child’s school counselor.

Posted 9/08

***********************************************************************************************************

Parents and teachers have the same goal, which is to give your child the best possible education. One of the ways you can help the school achieve this goal is to see that your child attends school regularly. Some ways to improve attendance are as follows:
…Make sure children know you expect them to attend school every day.
…Help young children get ready for school each morning so that they will be at school on time. School begins promptly at 8:30, and at this time teachers discuss the plan and expectations for the day.
…Talk with your child about homework, about what happened at school that day, and about what will happen the next day.
…Make sure your child gets to bed at a reasonable hour so that they are rested and ready to learn.
…Try to avoid family trips or doctor appointments during school hours.
Your child’s counselor is always available to talk to you and talk to your child. Please call us anytime!

Guidance Counselor for Red and Blue Family is Mrs. Ayers.

Click here to email Mrs. Ayers

Guidance Counselor for Green and Yellow family is Mrs. Bodine.

Click here to email Mrs. Bodine

Click here to see information about your child and Kindergarten. You will need Adobe Acrobat to view this file.