K-8 Counselor

Mary Kay Davis

2006-2007

“Most Fair” Elementary Students:
Each K-5 teacher chose the student from their class that best demonstrated “respectful behavior” for the first six weeks. Those students’ names have been put on the wall by the cafeteria (under “Good Character Round Up”). They will be treated to a special activity, such as an extra recess, a popcorn party, a dodgeball game, etc.
Congratulations to the following students:
Kindergarten: Riley Herron, Caitlyn Countryman, Megan Perry
First grade: Reagan Ives, Trinity Edmondson, Kaitlin Alexander
Second grade: Taylor Hayes, Lindy Drillette, Ericka O’Bannon
Third grade: Madeline Edwards, Shileigh Potts, Leddy French
Fourth grade: Rian Parris, Reagan Bonneau, Brittany Miller
Fifth grade: Rafael Prieto, Colton Sanders, Hayden McPherson

Third Six Weeks:
Our pillar for CHARACTER COUNTS! the third six weeks is Responsibility. Responsibility means showing just and impartial judgment; giving people a fair chance and not playing favorites. Some key points of Responsibility are:
• Do what you are supposed to do.
• Persevere: keep on trying!
• Always do your best.
• Use self-control; be self-disciplined.
• Think before you act – consider the consequences.
• Be accountable for your choices.

The color for Responsibility is green. Students in grades K-6 and staff that wear green on Wednesdays will be entered in a drawing. (Just a spot of green won’t count. The main color of the piece of clothing must be green.)

“It is easy to dodge our responsibilities,
but we cannot dodge the consequences
of dodging our responsibilities.
--Sir Josiah Stamp, British financier (1880-1941)

Parents: Discuss what responsibility means with your child, and discuss examples of how to be responsible. Some parents mistakenly believe that they are doing their children a favor by not making them do unpleasant tasks. Besides, our children often complain so much about doing the dreaded task, we tell ourselves that it is easier to do it ourselves rather than listen to them whine about it. But it is our job as parents to model how to be responsible, which means teaching them responsibility. So remember to persevere, always do your best, use self-control, and to think before you act (such as making a threat that you cannot or will not follow through with). Always keep a picture in your mind of what kind of adults you want your children to become. You are laying the very foundation for that future adult now.


SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY RESPONSIBLE STUDENTS

1. They set goals.
Goals keep kids focused on the future. Goals are the foundations of responsible behavior, as well as success in school. Help your child set goals that are specific, measurable, realistic and have a time-line. Help your child figure out what specific steps or tasks they must do to accomplish that goal. Determine how to keep your child motivated – intentions are great but it is action that will determine their success.

2. They plan their time.
Responsible people meet their obligations, but it takes planning. Use a big calendar to help teach your child how to organize his or her time. Use the calendar to write down all commitments and to plan time for homework each day. Write down when big projects are due, and even write down when each step of the project needs to be completed. “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”

3. They study every day.
Learning any subject is like building a brick wall – you do it steadily, one step at a time. Responsible students set aside time for homework or studying every day. On days that there is no homework, they can review vocabulary, play an educational computer game, look up topics on the computer that are related to something they are learning about at school, or even read!

4. They take notes in class.
Older students must learn to take notes in class. They must learn how to tell what information a teacher thinks is important. Here are some clues: The teacher changes her tone of voice, information is written on the board, the teacher uses examples, the teacher spells words, information is handed out in a study guide, the teacher speaks more slowly so that you have time to write, the teacher stresses certain words or uses gestures to emphasize a point. Often the teacher will even say something such as, “This is an important fact,” or “You’ll probably see this again” or even “Make sure this is in your notes.” If the student will review these notes before the test, their grades are sure to go up.

5. They have the tools they need.
How would you feel if you called a plumber, and they showed up at your house without a wrench? This frustration that you would probably feel is the same frustration that teachers feel when students walk into their classroom without a pencil, a pen, paper, their book, etc. Stress to your child how important it is to have their supplies every day, and how important it is for them to tell you when they are getting low, and not to wait until they have been without for a week! Remember the planning discussed in number two? If the due date of a project has been written down, the supplies needed to complete it will be found or purchased in advance, and there will be no more 10:00 p.m. “Mom, I have a project due tomorrow and I need some colored posterboard and five different leaves!”

6. They keep their commitments.
Responsible people honor their commitments – to others and to themselves. They succeed in school by doing their assignments well and on time. They do their share of the group projects. Parents can teach about commitments by example. Talk with children about the commitments you have made to the family – to provide meals, to keep clothes clean, to keep a roof over their head. Ask your children to make commitments of their own at home, and help them feel the satisfaction that comes from meeting their commitments. There is no such thing as “too young for chores”. Children as young as two years old can help pick up their toys. It takes patience, perseverance and commitment on your part to teach children how to clean their rooms, do dishes, do laundry, clean house, take care of pets, and so on…. But it is well worth the effort to have raised responsible children.

7. They get ready ahead of time.
Some students start out every morning in a crisis. Being late, or being early, is not something that just happens to us. It is a choice that we make. Teach your child to take fifteen minutes before bedtime to lay out their clothes, pack their backpack, (Have they put their homework in their homework folder and gotten their assignment sheet signed?) and start packing their lunch. (You’ll have to teach them what they can put in the night before and what they can’t.) Those few minutes will make the morning easier, and they will be in a better frame of mind to learn when they get to school.



SEVEN WAYS TO MAKE MORE TIME FOR YOUR KIDS

1. Limit Kids’ Activities
Don’t overschedule! Teaching kids to make choices is an essential part of your job as a parent. After-school activities build skills, giving children a sense of what they can do, but time spent with family gives them a sense of who they are.

2. Limit Yourself
As a parent, you too have your limits. If you can limit yourself to one evening out during the week, then you will have all those other evenings to build closeness. You can’t “be there” for kids when you’re not around.

3. Limit the T.V.
Sitting down to watch a particular show together can be a great way for families to relax together, but turn off the T.V. during meals. This lowers the levels of noise and stress. Some families even keep the T.V. off Monday through Thursday nights – more time for homework, reading, talking and playing.

4. Brunch
Make brunch every Saturday or Sunday. Having this one mandatory, everybody-must-show-up meal of the week can become such a tradition that your kids will still be coming home for it long after they’ve moved out. If brunch won’t work for your family’s schedule, then make it lunch or dinner on Sunday. It doesn’t really matter so much when it is, just that you have one.

5. Cook Double
Double your recipes, and freeze half for another night. This saves time and trouble (as well as “What can I fix tonight?” anxiety).

6. Catch Some Winks
Get some sleep! The same parents that know how important it is that their children get enough sleep are often sleep-deprived themselves. If you miss the 10 o’clock news, the world will not come to an end. You can catch the news you missed on the radio (or internet) the next morning.

7. TGIF Fun Night
This is one of the best times to focus on family. Let the kids take turns each week setting the agenda: Go to a ballgame? Bowling? Play a board game? It’s a frenzied 24/7 world we live in, and our home and family is the best buffer there is.