Psyched About School

I think that all of us can agree that 2020 has been a challenging year.  Many things have been difficult and unsettling, from the unrest in our country to the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic. Under normal circumstances, the holiday season can be difficult for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. The world may tell us that this season is full of joy, but it may not be that way for those that are grieving. The holidays may be a time that we wish that they could be with us. For many of us, the holidays are a time in which we cherish the time to be together, but this year, that may look different for many people. Our friends at Trellis Supportive Care (formerly the Hospice and Palliative Care Center) have compiled a number of helpful resources for families to help to navigate the grieving process, especially during this holiday season. In addition, Trellis has a counseling and education center where trained bereavement counselors provide grief counseling free of charge to Fors

Today marks the beginning of National School Psychology Awareness week!  The theme for this year is the “Power of Possibility.”  In the words of the National Association of School Psychologists ‘The word “possibility” implies hope, growth, resilience and renewal.  Possibility suggests that even some things as small as a seed can grow into something magnificent. The word “power” implies that things can and will happen. When we focus on what is possible, we have hope that students will grow, thrive and bloom.’ Although this year has been stressful, unsettling and different than what we were expecting (which I am sure you have noticed unless you have been asleep for the last 8-9 months) there is still the possibility for our students to grow and bloom.  We can encourage them to create, listen, learn, practice, encourage each other, speak up, explore and dream. So, what is a school psychologist?  I have heard it described as an educator who knows about psychology or a psychologist that kno

Today is #unityday2020 . According to Pacer.org , 1 out of every 5 children are bullied. Research indicates that bullying prevention can be successful when students, parents, educators, and community members are involved.  Students - if you see bullying intervene and tell a trusted adult. If you are being bullied, talk to your parents/guardians and tell a trusted adult at school. Parents - learn what bullying is and how to recognize the warning signs. If you believe that your child is a victim of bullying, listen to your child and try to find out what is happening. Educators - work to establish an inclusive and safe learning environment. Respond when bullying happens.  Community Members - learn what bullying is and what it isn't. Learn how to respond.  To learn more about bullying prevention, please visit:  https://www.stopbullying.gov/prevention/on-the-spot https://www.stopbullying.gov/resources/what-you-can-do#parents Wear and share ORANGE   (with us) to show your support of bul

 A common frustration for many right now is the feeling that life is out of control. We can't control the fact that we are in the middle of a pandemic. We can’t control when school opens again, or how many days our children will attend. We can't control what's going to happen, in general. We don't KNOW what is going to happen. In the words of that great sage Yogi Berra “Predictions are hard to make, especially about the future.” That being said, what can we do to bring back some sense of control?      Stephen Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, is credited with developing the idea of the circle of concern and the circle of influence. The circle of concern contains everything that people could be possibly worried about, whether they can have an impact on it or not. The circle of influence is much smaller, that is, it consists of things we can change or have an influence on. He suggests that we focus our attention on things which we can change.  Easier s

The rapid growth of technology in our society has led to a new type of bullying...cyberbullying.  A surprisingly high number of students report being a victim of this type of bullying. According to a 2019 report from the CDC , cyberbullying among public school students is highest for middle school at 33%, followed by high school at 30%. Even 5% of elementary students report having been cyberbullied. Due to the impact of Covid-19 in 2020, many schools have had to switch to remote or distance learning. This situation has increased opportunities for cyberbullying since most learning occurs in virtual classrooms and other online platforms.   Children and teenagers are often more tech-savvy than their parents/guardians which can make it challenging to monitor their online behavior. Like other forms of bullying, cyberbullying can cause significant stress and emotional problems for the child, so it is important for parents/guardians to know the different ways children and teenagers can be bul

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) is an umbrella term used to describe the range of effects that can occur in an individual with prenatal alcohol exposure. These effects can have lifelong implications including physical, mental, behavior, and/or learning issues. The term FASD encompasses the following conditions: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) FAS is on the most severe end of the FASD spectrum. It describes people with the greatest alcohol effects, causing signs and symptoms so distinct that the diagnosis is based on special measurements and findings in each of the 3 following areas: Three specific facial abnormalities: smooth philtrum (the area between nose and upper lip), thin upper lip, small palpebral fissures (the horizontal eye openings) Growth deficit (lower than average height, weight or both) Central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities (structural, neurologic, functional, or a combination of these) Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (pFAS) When a person does not meet the full

Way back in the spring, when Covid-19 began, we were all in a state of shock. What do you mean my children are learning at home? What do you mean my job is in the dining room instead of my office? What do you mean I can't go out to dinner or to the movies? At that time, I read an article called “ That Discomfort You're Feeling is Grief” (published March 23, 2020) in the Harvard Business Review. I recently reread this article and it still resonates with me. The beginning of the school year has always been full of  joy and anticipation,as well as a healthy amount of anxiety. This year, I don't think I'm alone in feeling an unusually high level of anxiety. This year is not starting as any of us would like it to. I have more questions than we have answers. When will my kids go back to school? When will I go to work? How do I balance all of this? When will the virus let up and let me get on with my ordinary life? So many questions!  In this article, ( That Discomfort You'

 September is National Suicide Prevention Month. The Suicide Prevention Lifeline uses #BeThe1To – a message to help spread the word about what we can do to promote healing, help and give hope to save lives and prevent suicide. Scope of the Problem A recent Harris Poll national survey found that 81% of respondents believe that suicide prevention needs to be a national priority because of COVID-19. 93% of those surveyed believe that suicide can be prevented and 95% said that they would act if someone closed to them was in crisis. Most (69%) were able to list barriers to doing something, including: not knowing what to say; feeling they don’t have enough knowledge; and not feeling comfortable with the topic. According to the CDC (2020), long-term school closure may lead to an increase in mental health issues as students have fewer opportunities to engage with each other. Adolescents with pre-existing mental illness may be more greatly impacted and not have the same mental health services

 Congratulations! You’ve jumped in to the challenge of providing synchronous remote instruction this new school year. Navigating the new technology and this new way of teaching can be truly anxiety provoking.  This is truly a “new normal” (Have I said “new” enough times?)  You’ve faced technology issues completely out of your control such as NCEDCloud failures and Zoom outages.  During those times when you have been able to provide synchronous instruction, hopefully your students have been attending and participating, and things have been going smoothly.   However, some of you may have already started experiencing some problematic behaviors from your students during synchronous instructional times. Maybe a student has used inappropriate language or gestures either in the chat or by unmuting themselves. Or you may have observed a student teasing another student either in the chat or video. Managing problem behaviors can be difficult and challenging when students are physically in class

It's hard to believe that we're still only a few months into this pandemic, but it's true.  (I'm pretty sure I didn't wear a mask while Christmas shopping 8 months ago, did you?) As the media tells us almost constantly, medical science is racing to conduct research and provide new insights into exactly how COVID-19 works - and how to stop it.  The social and behavioral sciences are also working overtime to address the many, many effects of this virus on how we feel, think and behave. We just discovered this article  on research conducted in Germany and wanted to share some new data with you.  The researchers originally set out in December of 2019 to measure coping skills in the workforce and planned to do followups every 3 months for a year.  And then there was COVID-19.  Seeing an opportunity where they had baseline pre-pandemic data, the researchers quickly adapted and started doing monthly followups, instead, as Germany went into "lockdown" approximatel

Welcome to the 2020-2021 school year! If you are like most of us, you hoped things would be back to normal by this point. Unfortunately, concerns regarding the spread of COVID-19 continue to present challenges for schools, families, and society. When the pandemic caused the shutdown in March, schools had to quickly develop a plan for online learning. There were a number of obstacles that prevented some students from engaging in the online platform. Moving into the current school year, WS/FCS administrators, teachers, and staff have worked diligently to address those challenges in order to help all of our students learn in spite of these extraordinary circumstances.  As a school system, we recognize the critical role parents and guardians play in the success of our students. That role has become even more critical while students are learning at home in this online platform. Given all of the uncertainties surrounding the new school year, we know many parents/guardians have questions abou

The recent deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor have served to further expose the unjust and unfair treatment of people of color in America. The protests are all over television, newspapers, and the internet, reaching cities world-wide. The violence that sometimes accompanies the protests is scary. It has been especially unsettling that many of these deaths have come at the hands of the police, whom we have been taught are here to serve and protect citizens. Conversations with children are essential for all parents to have. Silence will not protect you or them. Not talking about events will only fuel fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. Silence allows children to draw their own, often faulty, conclusions about what is happening and why. It is important to acknowledge the truth of racism and unfairness, as well as to talk about the possibilities of change. Honesty is the key in a conversation with children of any age. A plan of action will reduce some of the fears b

As the Stay at home order turns into a Safer at home order, many more people are out and about in the community. The CDC recommends that people wear cloth face coverings, whether or not they have active COVID-19 symptoms, as an additional method to help slow the spread of the virus. It is important to note that they do not recommend the wearing of a mask for people who are under the age or 2, are unconscious, have breathing problems or are unable to remove the mask without assistance. That being said, wearing a mask feels foreign to many. Children and adults with disabilities may be more resistant to mask wearing, but there are a number of ways to make the experience more comfortable for them. Remember, that this is a new skill, and it may take a little bit of time to get used to it. First, help them to understand the reasons for wearing a mask in public. There are a number of resources ranging from social stories to videos, depending on their needs: https://www.autismlittlelearne

By Eva M. Bishop, M.Ed., School Counselor  I often find that my personal life acts as a “mirror” of sorts when working with students and families as a School Counselor.  My family is made up of three boys that represent a wide range of ages, personality types, talents, weaknesses and so on.  During the pandemic known as COVID-19 it has been both inspiring, and at times, exasperating, to watch the affect that our “new normal” has had on each of them.  The oldest, my introvert, happily just finished his Senior year in college at home, in the comfort of his bedroom; the middle guy, a junior in high school, whom I would categorize as a “social-loner,” has done well on his own for long stretches and then suddenly, desperately, craves companionship; then, we have the youngest, our truest of true, middle school aged, extrovert.  He recently made the statement, while in total meltdown mode, “I wish I was back at school, wishing I wasn’t at school!!”  You won’t find a greater mix of thought

By Hollie Gomez, MSW, LCSW, School Social Worker Mental Health is a term those of us in the profession are used to throwing around. Mental Health is the foundation for what we are trying to achieve with the work that we do. For others, the term “Mental Health” may seem unfamiliar or a bit too technical and cold to describe or categorize ourselves. Your loved ones may not call on the phone and ask “how was your mental health today?”. Nonetheless, that is the critical question right now, amidst the COVID-19 Global Pandemic we are all facing. Mental Health refers to our cognitive, behavioral, and emotional well-being. How we think and feel in response to stress impacts how we cope, or act. We can cope well or not so well. We can fluctuate on a continuum of healthy to not-so-healthy to downright bad coping. As humans, we all experience problems and we are all on a journey of learning how to cope well as consistently as possible, despite our circumstances and differences. Struggles in

By Chrissy Sergiacomi, School Counselor  Today’s guest blogger is the school counselor at Sherwood Forest Elementary School, Chrissy Sergiacomi. As we continue to focus on social-emotional learning, Chrissy shares information on why it is so important for kids to learn these skills and several practical activities that parents/guardians can use to teach these skills at home.  I have always told my young children that I believe the most important thing in life is to be kind.   Maybe that philosophy is why I became a school counselor.  I had a student once introduce me to a new classmate as “This is the lady who teaches us how to be good people.”  I think it’s the best job description I’ve ever heard!  Because the truth is, we have to teach our kids to be good people.  Social-emotional life skills are critical, and their teaching needs to be intentional.  If we teach our kids Calculus, history, poetry. . .none of it is useful if they can’t manage their own emotions. The activities

During the pandemic, celebrities have used social media to raise awareness and money for many causes. They have also used their platforms to read children's books. We are highlighting and sharing information about ways you can watch and hear your favorite celebrities reading. Save With Stories Celebrity : Various Where : Instagram When : Anytime Are you a fan of Russell Wilson? How about Terry Crews, Kerry Washington, Mindy Kaling, Kamala Harris, and JJ Watt? Check out these celebs, athletes, actresses, and politicians reading their favorite children’s books on Instagram. You can see your favorite celebs read by following the Instagram account “ Save With Stories .” Goodnight with Dolly  Celebrity : Dolly Parton Where : Facebook and YouTube When : Thursday nights at 7:00 pm EST “Goodnight with Dolly” is a 10 week program that features Dolly Parton reading books from her Imagination Library . Dolly reads titles that include “Llamma Llamma Red Pajama,” and “ The Littl