“Living in a state of gratitude is the gateway to grace.” – Arianna Hu ngton (Greek
American Author)
As the school year continues to speed along, this quote reminds us to take a moment to pause and express appreciation. We are blessed with a new start every day: our outlook and attitude shape how we view ourselves and our experiences. This is a busy time of year! As we teach the girls to slow down and be mindful of each moment, however, it is an excellent reminder for all of us adults as well
As we enter the month of November, we are grateful for every day that we work alongside and support your students during their middle school experience
Counseling Lessons and Programs
CHADS presented the Signs of Suicide (SOS) presentation to all MS students in late October and early November The goal is to help students identify signs of anxiety, depression, and suicide in themselves
ERB Standardized Testing
ERB standardized test results will be mailed home in midNovember These scores are a snapshot of your daughter’s academic performance The ERB Parent Guide (included in the mailing or accessible via the link below or on the MS
Girls on Board
We were thrilled to welcome Girls on Board Founder, Andrew Hampton, last week during his webinar about this important approach Thank you to all who attended the live presentation! If you were unable to attend, please know that the recording
and/or peers Valuable information was provided to each of the students including the ACT technique and resources for support
Grade 6 will participate in a Quarterly Counseling Lesson on November 11. The focus of this presentation will be kindness, empathy, healthy friendships, relational aggression, and strategies to support the basics of being kind to our peers and forming healthy friendships
Grades 7 and 8 will have a Counseling Lesson the weeks of November 11 and November 18. November’s Counseling Lesson will be on Con ict Resolution. The lesson will focus on how girls express anger and the impact of body language and tone of voice in conversations. Finally, the girls will learn the SEAL technique for handling con icts with friends SEAL stands for “Stop, Explain, A rm & Acknowledge, and Lock”
Counseling Resource page of the Viz Portal) can offer insight into interpreting these scores and identifying strengths and areas of potential areas of growth. Viz will use these tests to identify trends in student achievement to inform curricular decisions.
Click on the link below to access the ERB Parent Guide: https://cdn.erblearn.org/pdf/w ww/ERB CTP Parent Guide Su bscore Report.pdf
is posted on the MS News Resource Board of the Viz Portal
In the presentation, Andrew Hampton addressed the two main tenets of the Girls on Board Approach, focusing on why girls struggle to tell the truth to parents about social con icts, common misconceptions about girl friendships, how friend group sizes affect friendships, generational disconnect taking place, and practical strategies you can take to support your student! More information can also be found in the book “When Girls Fall Out” written by Andrew Hampton and his daughters, Holly and Naomi Hampton.
Study SkillsTips for Middle School Students
As we continue into 2nd quarter and the after-school Study Skills Club for seventh/new eighth graders concludes, I thought it might be helpful to suggest a few study habits for all our Middle School students to remember. These tips are pulled from an article by Grace Fleming titled “Study Habits That Can Improve Grades and Performance” (https://www thoughtco com/great-studyhabits-1857550).
Remind your student(s) of these important habits -
1. Write down every assignment – remember to use the Viz Student Planner every day.
2 Remember to bring your homework to school – use a folder system (physical or online) to keep track of all your assignments.
3. Communicate with your teachers – email your teachers and schedule a time to meet with them before/after school or during advisory They are here and want to help!
4 Organize with color – create an organization system that works for you using color in your backpack, locker, and at home
5 Establish a study zone at home – nd a consistent and quiet place to study
6 Prepare yourself for test days – control what you can, plan ahead, study a little bit each day leading up to the test, and avoid cramming the night before.
7. Know your dominant learning style – use the tools and strategies that work best for your learning style (If a student does not know their learning style, please know I am happy to help them discover what works best for them.)
8. Take fabulous notes – refer to your learning style, recognize keywords and phrases, and begin to learn teacher cues about important information
9 Conquer procrastination – do not put things off for the last minute!
10 Take care of yourself – take breaks (work for 25 minutes and take a 5-minute break), learn and use coping strategies that work best for yourself, and ask for help when you need it!
UPCOMING DATES FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS
Girl Talk (Grade 6) – November 12
Counseling Quarterly Lesson (Grade 6) – November 11
Counseling Lesson (Grade 7) – Week of November 11th and 18th
Counseling Lesson (Grade 8) – Week of November 11th and 18th
Cotillion (Grade 8) – November 7 (formal dinner/dance off-campus) from 6:00-9:00 p m
World Kindness Day – November 13
MS Wellness Club Meetings – November 7 and November 21
Article – “How to Practice Gratitude and Improve your Family’s Mental Health” (by Datta MunshiHealthychildren.org – American Academy of Pediatrics)
https://www healthychildren org/English/healthy-living/emotional-wellness/BuildingResilience/Pages/how-to-practice-gratitude.aspx
Article – “Gratitude, Curiosity, and Building Character in Teens” (by Eden Pontz – Center for Parent and Teen Communication)
https://parentandteen com/qa-duckworth-gratitude-curiosity/
Article - “25 Prompts to Get Teens Talking about Gratitude” (by Braden Bell - Washington Post)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2018/12/04/prompts-get-teens-talking-about-gratitude/
Article – “Parent Self Care Isn’t Sel sh” (by Ken Ginsburg – Center for Parent and Teen Communication)
https://parentandteen.com/parents-who-care-for-themselves-prepare-teens-to-thrive/
Ashley Giljum
Mrs. Ashley Giljum and Mrs. Catie Tyler
Middle School Counselors
Grades 6-8
Email: agiljum@visitationacademy.org or ctyler@visitationacademy org Website: www.visitationacademy.org
Phone: (314) 625-9225 or (314) 625-9155
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