Middle School Counseling News November 2023

MIDDLE MIDDLE SCHOOL SCHOOL COUNSELING COUNSELING NEWS NEWS NOVEMBER 2023

“Living in a state of gratitude is the gateway to grace.” – Arianna Huffington (Greek-American author, syndicated columnist, and

businesswoman) The beginning of the year has been full of learning opportunities for both our students and parents around counseling-related topics. Thank you to everyone who participated in these many events – including the MS Parent Resource Night, the CHADS “Training Trusted Adults” program, the MS Parent Book Club Meetings, and the Rosalind Wiseman Parent Presentation. Just as with our students, we want to provide you with as much information as possible to remain proactive in supporting your daughters through their Middle School experience. As we enter into November, with Thanksgiving just around the corner, I encourage us all to take a moment to pause and express our gratitude. I am so thankful for the opportunity to work closely alongside your daughters. Thank you for sharing them with us at Viz!

MEDIA AWARENESS Often while in conversation with our middle schoolers, the topic of media comes up. They will share the movies/TV shows they are watching, the music they are listening to, the games they are playing, and the apps they are using. As educators and parents, it is important to know about the media our students are consuming. With the holidays upon us, I know that our students will have more downtime and therefore, will be utilizing more media over the next couple of months.

ERB STANDARDIZED TESTING ERB standardized test results will be sent home in midNovember. These scores are a snapshot of your daughter's academic performance. The ERB Parent Guide (https://cdn.erblearn.org/pdf/w ww/ERB_CTP_Parent_Guide_S ubscore_Report.pdf) can offer insight into interpreting these scores and identifying strengths and areas of potential improvement. Viz will use this information to improve our curriculum and address student needs.

CLASSROOM LESSONS All middle school students participated in the CHADS Coalition presentation titled “SOS: Signs of Suicide”. The purpose of this presentation is to teach our students how to identify signs and symptoms of depression and suicide, learn healthy coping strategies, and practice how to reach out to a trusted adult for support for themselves or a peer. All students also attended the presentation by Rosalind Wiseman (creator of the Owning Up curriculum).

Our sixth-grade students will be

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learning about friendship,

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conflict resolution, relational

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a variety of television shows,

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Upper School mentors have

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friendships and communication.

The seventh graders received an introduction to Owning Up, with a focus on societal norms placed on females in society.

We will continue to discuss various topics, including the roles that females play in friendships and conflict resolution.

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focus on the role of media and advertising on female selfesteem, societal norms placed on females, and healthy versus unhealthy body image. This curriculum will conclude with eating disorders and media communication lessons.

UPCOMING DATES FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS Girl Talk (Sixth Grade) – November 14 and November 28 Sixth Grade Quarterly Counseling Lesson – November 13-14 Owning Up (Seventh Grade) – November 9-10 and November 28-29 Owning Up (Eighth Grade) – November 7-8 and December 6-7

CHECK IT OUT - RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES Gratitude: As we prepare for Thanksgiving, it is important to practice thankfulness and gratitude.

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-aboutgratitude/ Article: “How to Practice Gratitude and Improve Your Families Mental Health” (by Datta Munshi – HealthyChildren.org) https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthyliving/emotional-wellness/Building-Resilience/Pages/how-to-practice-gratitude.aspx

Technology: As our students embark on the upcoming holidays, there will be more time away from school meaning more time away from friends and unstructured time at home. The following articles outline recommended ways to support your teens. Please note that our students are using non-traditional means of communication (i.e. calls, texts, Facetime), and often are communicating using social media apps instead (ex. Roblox, Discord) for text and call conversations. These games and apps allow for communication that parents are often unaware of.

Article: “Healthy Advisory on Social Media Use in Adolescents” (American Psychological Association) https://www.apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/health-advisory-adolescentsocial-media-use

Article: “Teens Say Social Media is Stressing Them Out. Here’s How to Help Them” (NPR) https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/05/17/1176452284/teens-social-mediaphone-habit Article: “How to Safeguard Teens’ Well-Being on Social Media” (by Erin Digitale – Stanford Medicine) https://healthier.stanfordchildrens.org/en/how-to-safeguard-teens-well-being-onsocial-media/ Article: “Parents Ultimate Guide to Discord” (Common Sense Media) https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/parents-ultimate-guide-to-discord Article: “The 12 Most Dangerous Apps for Kids: A Guide for Parents” (by Haley Zapal – Bark) https://www.bark.us/blog/dangerous-apps-kids/

MRS. ASHLEY GILJUM, MSW Middle School Counselor Grades 6-8 agiljum@visitationacademy.org visitationacademy.org

(314) 625-9225