Psyched About School

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 ...

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...

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...

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. According to the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), 1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year. Since so many youth are impacted, teachers often provide not only educational instruction, but also skills in social-emotional learning. During this time of quarantine, our parents have taken on the role of teachers, so we have invited one of our very own teachers to explain how to support the social and emotional needs in the classroom. Thanks to Emily Fedel of Brunson Elementary for this helpful information.   Teaching at Brunson Elementary School challenged me to think more broadly about helping kids learn social emotional skills, and taught me to incorporate them into daily lessons. When I taught third grade in a general education classroom, we identified one or two habits of character that kids would need to practice for an assignment and incorporated them into our daily learning targets. For inst...

By Angela Fernandez, WS/FCS School Psychologist Intern  The announcement has been made and students will not be returning to traditional learning until some time next school year. Until then, e-learning continues! With the extended period of e-learning, you might be wondering how you will be able to keep your child motivated and engaged in learning. Here are some suggestions that are useful in keeping things interesting for your child. 1 . Encourage learning in nontraditional ways. Sometimes the best learning happens when we don’t even realize we are learning! This holds true for our kids, too. Instead of sitting at a desk, try learning outside. Whether you are focusing on traditional learning material, or you are learning about nature, switching up the environment is a great way to keep things interesting! 2. Let your child control the direction of their learning when possible. If a child feels like they are being forced to do something, you may be met with resistance...

As we launch into May during a global pandemic, it is more important than ever to check on your people. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention encourages us to have a #RealConvo with the people in our lives. Although that may look different this year than it has in the past, they offer tools, resources and creative ways to do this. They also a provide a calendar of activities happening throughout the month. Here are some quick tips for having a #RealConvo about mental health: When someone is struggling, just listen. Let the other person share at their own speed. Don't pass judgement or offer advice; just be there. We all experience mental health differently, and that's okay. Check back in and offer to connect them with help if they need it.

Wake Forest University associate professor of Psychology, Christian Waugh, is an expert on coping. To help others through this challenging time, he has created a YouTube series titled “ Coping with Corona .” His videos feature research and information on resilience, coping, distraction vs avoidance, and the brain. Professor Waugh says research shows those who are most successful at coping during stressful times experience both positive and negative emotions. During these times, it is easy to focus on reducing our anxiety. However, a little fear and anxiety can actually keep us safe. Working to increase our positive emotions and experiences is important to helping us cope. You can increase positive emotions by reframing negative events,  identifying things you are grateful for, and completing acts of kindness. To learn more about Professor Waugh’s YouTube playlist visit:  Coping with Corona Series by WFU Professor

Four years ago, someone very dear to me died by suicide.  It was my first real exposure to traumatic grief as a survivor, rather than as a mental health provider, and I consider myself lucky that I made it to that point in life before having that experience.  I immediately did all the things I thought I should do.  I said to myself, "I'm a psychologist; I should know how to navigate this."  I didn't.  I went to counseling.  I read books and articles on grief and loss.  I practiced self-care.  It still sucked. Two years later, I lost my mother to cancer.  I was not much more prepared for loss the second time around.  Again, I went to counseling.  [This seems like a good point to express my sincere gratitude - both personally and professionally - for the exceptional grief support services provided by Trellis Supportive Care .]  I revisited my self-care practices.  And, again, I turned to the internet to find books/articles...