Dear Meerkats,Congratulations! We've made it through the first two weeks of virtual school. I am so impressed by the dedication shown by our teachers, students, and families. While this situation isn't ideal, I have seen and heard some amazing things. We've had two wonderful Wellness Wednesdays, and our participation more than doubled in the second week. I am so excited to see how tomorrow goes. My day is fully booked with three individual student sessions and three grade level sessions, all before school counseling professional development. Thank you to all students and families that have signed up for family and individual check-in sessions! It has been wonderful getting to talk with students about this school year, the transitions and stresses they've been facing, and everything else on their mind. If you haven't had an opportunity to schedule, and you're interested, my link is https://Calendly.com/harrell_counselorchat. I look forward to meeting students and families that I haven't yet met! Thank you, Ms. Jeannine Harrell Wellness WednesdayI know that during Orientation Week, there were lots of questions about Wellness Wednesday and its purpose. I hope that now we're beginning to feel a little more comfortable with the flexible schedule. While every class is doing very different things, the purpose of Wellness Wednesday is to provide students and staff with time to participate in activities for their wellness. Wellness is a combination of social, emotional, and physical health. We know activities that are important for our physical health. Some of these include brushing our teeth, getting enough sleep, eating fruits and vegetables, drinking water, and exercising. We don't always remember to participate in activities for our social and emotional health. Some of these include:
The choice boards provide just some of the options. If your family wants to participate in other activities, please do those too. Please contact me ([email protected]) if you have any ideas and recommendations for Wellness Wednesday. All teachers have been provided links to the choice boards, and they should be sharing with their class each week. Here they are for reference: Primary, Lower El, and Upper El. Wellness Wednesday activities will vary depending on the week. September 2nd will be the first Wednesday with grade level sessions for every grade level. Please review the Choice Boards for the links to these meetings. Primary - 9 AM Morning Meeting Lower Elementary - 12:30 PM (Students can bring their lunch) Upper Elementary - 1:30 PM Each of these sessions are optional and relatively unstructured. Similar to individual sessions, these will provide students an opportunity to check-in with support staff and peers. Self DisciplineThe DPS character trait for the month of September is Self-Discipline. We define self-discipline as "Demonstrating hard work and commitment to purpose; regulating yourself for improvement and restraining from inappropriate behaviors."
I can't speak for everybody, but I know that working from home takes a lot of self-discipline for me. I have to continually remind myself that the food in the fridge and the cabinets are for meal times and set snack times, otherwise I will have a snack all day. My purpose right now is to support students, staff, and families with social, emotional, and academic well-being, and I can't do that if I am continually distracted and snacking. What is your purpose? What is your student's purpose? How can we work together to show self-discipline during a time feels so unlike our usual routine? Maria Montessori valued the knowledge and independence of the child, with very clear guidelines and expectations. Setting routines and structure can be so beneficial for your family. Unfortunately, there is a lot of privilege in the assumption that all households will be able to set structure for their student during the day, when many families will still have to leave for work. What routines and expectations can be in place that will allow students to show self-discipline, especially when remote learning independently? I know we're all a little overwhelmed and burnt out from screen time, so here are a few book recommendations that could be used to teach about self-discipline, and a bonus for adults. One thing to note is that all of these books feature male main characters. Why do we frequently associate struggles with self-control to boys? I've already mentioned that as an adult woman, I struggle with self-control regularly.
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Welcome Families,To the 2020-2021 School Year! We are so glad to have your family at Morehead Montessori Elementary School! I was so excited to begin my second year here, knowing almost all of the students and families, and impressing everyone with my skill in releasing the walkers to their families. Unfortunately, you won't get to see that talent for a little while, but I am thankful for all of your patience with me during the first weeks of last year! Similarly, at the beginning of this year, we will all need some patience and flexibility. Our teachers and staff have been working tirelessly to prepare for an amazing school year, and I am so excited to see what we can do virtually during these first nine weeks. I am still in the process of finalizing my Canvas page and our Wellness Wednesday plans, so this will be a brief newsletter with a little bit about me, my contact and scheduling information, and a brief overview of Wellness Wednesday. My full September newsletter will be posted in a couple of weeks. This website is the way I will communicate general messages to our Morehead Meerkat Families. I look forward to hearing from you, Ms. Jeannine Harrell About Me
Contact InformationPlease reach out to me at anytime with questions or concerns. My role, even during our remote learning, is to support students and families, supporting students' academic, social, and emotional growth, and encouraging students to reach their future college and career goals. In order to best serve our students and families, I am trying a new platform called Calendly for scheduling sessions, check-ins, and meetings with students and families. Through this link, you will be able to select the type of appointment you'd like to schedule, and then view my availability during the week. The website is linked to my calendars, and you can schedule an appointment up to three weeks in advance. If you have a concern about your student and would like me to meet with them as soon as possible, then please schedule at your earliest convenience. I am accepting appointments with as little as 12 hours notice, but if your student's need is more urgent, then please give me a call and we can arrange something. Students can also schedule their own appointments! While it isn't as simple as asking your teacher to walk down the hall to see me, it is still very user-friendly and convenient. Students can use the same web address: https://calendly.com/harrell_counselorchat My remote learning phone number is (919) 886-6799. Please feel free to call or text. If I don't answer your call, then please leave a voicemail or send me a text. I will respond to your message within one business day. DPS has moved away from email addresses with "." (period), if you are emailing staff, please make sure to use the "_" (underscore). My email is [email protected]. During the school year, I will do my very best to return emails within one business day. I apologize for any delays in email responses during the summer and these past couple of weeks. All of us have been swamped with emails and updates, and it has taken a while to wade through them all. Now that I am almost caught up, my response time will be much faster. Wellness WednesdayDuring this school year, whether virtually or in-person, I am so excited that students will be able to participate in Wellness Wednesdays and Flexible Fridays! There will be great opportunities for synchronous (live) and asynchronous (self-paced) engagement with support staff or peers, and for students to invest in their own personal wellness. Wellness Wednesday will be led by a Wellness Team made up of our support staff, leadership team, and instructional staff.
While I can't provide too many details just yet, I can say that there will be a variety of recommended activities for each grade level. Some of these activities will be held via Zoom, so students can connect with one another and staff, and some of these activities will be offline and give students a break from screen time. Dear Meerkats,Here we are. It is May, and school is officially online and at home for the rest of the year. This doesn't mean that learning stops though! As Montessorians, we know that so much of our learning takes place at home. May 4th through 8th is Teacher/Staff Appreciation week, and I am so thankful to work with such amazing teachers and staff!
Citizenship At HomeDPS defines citizenship as "Serving a community by assuming the duties, rights and privileges of belonging to the community". Right now, our job is to follow the guidelines set for us. For many of us, that includes working from home, staying home as much as possible, and if leaving the house, we wear some type of face covering or mask. We are demonstrating good citizenship just by following these guidelines, because when we do these things, we are helping to protect ourselves and others in our community from the spread of COVID-19. If you want to do more, then here are a few other ideas for supporting our community during this pandemic:
Conversation Starters:
In the Home: Activities and ResourcesHere are some additional social and emotional learning recommendations, to encourage you during the continuing school closure. Stress, anxiety, uncertainty, and loneliness can begin to build up, so I highly recommend using at least one activity or strategy from this newsletter or last month's newsletter once a day. It doesn't have to be the same activity every day, but there are some added benefits to consistency. One of my daily practices (that I've done in the past inconsistently) is journaling at least three things that I am grateful for at the end of each day. For me, this requires only four or five minutes of reflection, and it has been really helpful for centering myself. Here is a "snipit" of what I am thankful for: I have a job, and I am able to safely work from home. I work with an amazing group of administrators, staff, and teachers! I work at a school with such a high level of engagement and support from students and their families. I have gotten to spend more time with my family, my pets, and my interests. I have added time to spend crafting, exercising, and spending time outside. I've also had the opportunity to (finally) open an Etsy shop with some of my creations. Maybe journaling isn't an activity that your student can do alone, but gratitude could be a conversation at dinnertime or bedtime. Even through all of the changes and trials of COVID-19, there have been some good things that have come out of it, and we can all benefit from taking the time to recognize what we still have and appreciate. Continuing to build on my recommendations from last month, I want to encourage you to find ways to relax, create, and be active. Our amazing specialists have shared many ideas that fit into these categories. Please visit their websites here: Art- https://sites.google.com/dpsnc.net/moreheadmontessori-art-site/home PE- https://sites.google.com/dpsnc.net/moreheadpecentral/home Media- https://sites.google.com/view/moreheadmontessorimedia Additional recommendations include: Try one of the citizenship activities listed above. The New Horizons App offers free guided meditation and audio-stories for children. The activities listed at the top can all be accessed for free, but there are others available at a premium cost. Schedule a virtual playdate - Meet up with friends using Zoom, FaceTime, Skype, or Google Hangouts. Take a tech break and go for a walk or build a fort on a rainy day. Setting up a meeting with your teacher, a specialist, or Ms. Harrell to chat about what's going on in your day. Try a Feeling Scavenger Hunt like this link from Centervision or any of their other Social-Emotional Learning activities Learn something new - a new skill or a new subject - there are lots of Ted Talks for and by children. Try a new breathing technique - Box breathing is one of my favorite mindfulness techniques (see here). Actividades en españolRecursos en Español
Encontrado aquí Book RecommendationsThese are books with citizenship themes, all of them have linked read-alouds, except for Woodrow for President. Please review prior newsletters if looking for more book recommendations. What If Everybody Did That? by Ellen Javernick Woodrow for President: A Tail of Voting, Campaigns, and Elections by Peter Barnes The Mitten Tree by Candace Christansen Grandaddy's Turn: A Journey to the Ballot Box by Michael Bandy and Eric Stein Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers The Empty Pot by Demi The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever by H. Joseph Hopkins Thank you all so much! I miss you and I can't wait to see you soon!
-Ms. Jeannine Harrell Dear Meerkats, Since my last newsletter, we have received the update that we will not be together at all for the month of April. As of now, we hope to return to school mid-May. I imagine that this news is exciting for some and disheartening for others. I am in the second group. I miss the students, staff, and families that I've grown accustomed to seeing everyday. I will try to keep my website current with the most up-to-date information provided by the state and the district. We are in a state of transition and things seem to change daily. This month, my goal is to provide online tools and ideas for use with your students. Many of these are activities that I have used and found great benefit in, or recommendations I have received from colleagues. It is overwhelming how many resources there are, so please don't feel that you have to use all of them. Find resources that seem most beneficial for you and your student(s). Please reach out to me with any specific needs. If I don't know the answer, then I can find someone who does. I am available by email: [email protected] or via phone: (919) 886-6799 My office hours are 8 - 9 AM Monday through Friday, but I will continue to respond to voicemails, text messages, and emails throughout the workday. I am missing you all. Thank you, Ms. Jeannine Harrell PerseveranceDurham Public Schools has a way of picking the perfect character trait for each month. This month's character trait is perseverance. At this point in a typical school year, we would all be persevering our very best, trying to make it through to spring break. This year is unique, because we have already persevered through a great deal of transition and challenges, and we will likely have more before we are reunited. DPS uses the definition: "Pursuing objectives with great determination and patience". Merriam Webster also defines perseverance as "continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition". Right now, our objective is to finish out the school year. It is my hope that this time can be meaningful, full of learning, moments of joy, and new meanings of connectedness. As a school counselor, I want to support families and students in their efforts to persevere through the end of the school year. Even from afar, I want students to know that I care about them and I think about them daily. This experience is unlike anything most educators have ever experienced, and I am amazed that it is all happening within my first year at Morehead. Although this year has been quite odd, I hope that we will have many more years together, persevering through our everyday challenges. My recommendations this month are tools and activities that will help us to enjoy this unusual time. In the Home: Activities and Online ResourcesAs I mentioned in my last newsletter, I am also stressed, scared and overwhelmed by this situation. I have found that in order to persevere through this time, it has been important for me to work Creativity, Activity, and Rest into each day. These activities help me feel grounded, inspired, and connected. Some of the ways I do that include: Creativity- Cooking, creating earrings or bracelets, making and writing cards to send to family and friends whom I am missing Activity- Going for a walk, doing an at-home workout or yoga, and playing family games Rest- Reading (usually books related to work), meditation, yoga, and journaling Here are more activity recommendations for your students. Remember that it is also important to take care of yourself during this time. Maybe try to find ways to include these in your day as well. While many of these activities overlap multiple categories, I have tried to separate them into my three recommendations: Rest, Activity, and Creativity. Please share any other ideas you have, so I can add them to my list. Rest (Taking a break for mindfulness or yoga) -
Activity (Actively engaging in something non-academic that gets your body moving) -
Creativity (Allowing a time to think out of the box and try something new) -
Books and Movie RecommendationsBooks:
If there are any books from previous newsletters which you have not yet read, please feel free to read them this month. Many of the books and movies I've recommended in the past have paired resilience and perseverance with other character traits, especially some of the career and courage books. I highly recommend these three new (to my newsletters) titles - click on the titles for a YouTube read-aloud version of each story. After the Fall, by Dan Santat: I love this story! This book takes place after the traditional Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme. Spoiler alert: a fall like that is pretty traumatic. It surprised me that a book based on a popular nursery rhyme could feel so relatable. Maybe Tomorrow, by Charlotte Agell: I've found this book to be applicable to a large number of experiences and mental health concerns. During traumatic experiences, like the COVID-19 crisis, we might have feelings of anxiety, depression, grief, and loss. This book is relevant for all of these, and it emphasizes how important our community and close connections are. Salt in His Shoes, by Deloris Jordan and Roslyn Jordan: Our young basketball fans will love this book. This is a story about young Michael Jordan. He thinks that he is not good at basketball due to his height, but he learns that height isn't the only thing that matters. Even older students can benefit from these three picture books. They have a lot more depth than many stories you might traditionally use in a read-aloud. However, if your student is looking for novels to read during this time, then I would recommend just about any action/adventure series. I've found that these genres have characters pushing through a great deal of obstacles and challenges, before they reach their main objective, otherwise, they wouldn't have quite as many books. Movies: Most action and adventure movies highlight some character(s) exhibiting perseverance. You know your students best, and some of these movies may not be appropriate for them. For most students, I recommend:
Dear Meerkats,I continue to make the mistake of saying that we're "starting to adjust to life back at Morehead". Since winter, we have been in a constant state of transition due to factors out of our control. The latest development is a frustrating experience for the staff, students, and families of Morehead. We greatly appreciate your patience and trust that things will work out. Thankfully, we are Morehead strong! Together, we will get through these scary times. Please bear with me, because this may be my longest newsletter yet. March was off to a wonderful start, but things are now a bit sideways. With the relocation, the return, the snow, and now COVID-19, my intended March career unit has not progressed as expected. DPS students and staff are working from home and adults across the US and the world have careers that are feeling tenuous. Thankfully, that has not stopped our students from dreaming about their futures and the jobs they would like to hold. March is also Women's History Month and Gender Equality Month, and the DPS character trait is courage. As with fairness in February, courage seems especially fitting for March, this March in particular. In order to pursue gender equality, it takes the courage and diligence of many brave individuals. I am a healthy, young adult, and I am scared. I know that our students, our elderly, and our family members with other health conditions are also feeling that fear. I ask that we try to be courageous in this difficult time, encouraging one another to "do the next right thing". We're not together right now, but know that I am thinking about all of you, and I am ready and available to help however I can. If you need resources or just more activity suggestions, please let me know. Thank you, Ms. Jeannine Harrell At School:While I did not have the opportunity to spend time in every classroom during March, I did teach one primary class, one lower elementary class, and one of our EC separate setting classes. Primary- I had the joy of spending most of Friday, March 13th in one of our Primary classes. During this time, I got to attend lunch, recess, and lead a lesson. After reading the colorful story When I Grow Up by Tina Louise, students were asked to draw a full-color picture about one job they might like to have when they grow up. I was so impressed by the students' beautiful artwork and their interest in careers. We have meerkats that want to be teachers, police officers, Olympic athletes, and politicians. Lower El- The Monday we returned to Morehead after the snow, I got the chance to read Sofia Valdez Future Prez with Ms. Benda's class and brainstorm with the students about jobs that interest them. This story also gave us the opportunity to discuss the main character, a 2nd grade girl, who was showing courage and making a difference in her community. As this was also the day before Super Tuesday, it was fitting that students were able to discuss and explore civic engagement and the difference they can make, even at their young age. With Ms. Davis' class, I read The Day the Crayons Quit, by Drew Daywalt. The students really enjoyed this silly story about crayons that didn't want to "do their jobs" any longer. We discussed that we don't always enjoy our jobs, but that all jobs are important. I shared with them that I currently have my dream job, and I encouraged them to think about what that might be for them. They shared some very admirable career aspirations and goals. We have more future police officers, teachers, and military members coming out of Ms. Davis' class. Upper El- Unfortunately, all three of my Upper El lessons had to be rescheduled due to meetings, school cancellation, or staff shortages. I had planned for students to take an online career inventory based on John Holland's Fit Theory and introduce the RIASEC model. Thankfully, if students have access to internet and technology, they can complete this lesson at home. Click this link to see the lesson overview; the last page includes a worksheet I would encourage them to complete. If not, I am happy to pull students in small groups when we get back and give them the opportunity to complete the career inventory then. At Home:While it is possible to print off packets with work for students, that doesn’t feel authentic to Social-Emotional Learning, Character Education, and my personal teaching style. If you’re unable to access the online resources, please use this time with your student(s) to read, practice self-care, and engage in coping/calming strategies. I am including my book recommendations with the knowledge that Durham Public Libraries are closed during this time, too. That limits many of our students' and families' access to new reading material. This means, that if you've got internet access, we’ve got to rely on online resources, including: audiobooks, ebooks and recorded read alouds. Both Wake County and Durham Public Libraries utilize OverDrive for ebooks and audiobooks. While that isn't much help for picture books, that can be a great resource if you or your student are looking for chapter books and longer novels. I have included links for YouTube videos for some of my book recommendations. If our school closure goes longer than 3 weeks, then I will record my own read alouds for some of my recommended titles that don't currently have any recorded readings. Please reach out to me if you have any specific requests. In my April newsletter, I will provide additional resources, in case our stay is extended any longer. I will also provide more information about calming and self-care strategies that can be used at home, as well as some interactive family games that I recommend. Book Recommendations If you want to continue your students' learning around Women's History, courage, and/or careers, please check out any of these titles. Some of them are repeated from last month and some will be repeated next month. Many of these books could be used to connect multiple topics.
Movie/TV RecommendationsWith the increased availability of children's movies online, because of access to services like Netflix, Disney +, Amazon Prime, and Hulu, I figured it would also be important to provide some movie recommendations. I have selected movies that feature strong women and/or girls who show courage.
Brave- The title says it all. Merida is an impressive character. She is courageous, fighting for her family and her independence. Frozen and Frozen 2- Disney+ has excited us all by releasing Frozen 2 early. I watched it the first day it was released! Both of these movies feature the strong bond between sisters, their leadership, and the courage they display time and time again. The Magic School Bus series- If your students are really missing school, their teacher, and field trips, then Ms. Frizzle is an excellent stand-in. She takes her class on incredible adventures and shows courage and creativity all while teaching them science. Moana- This is one of my personal favorites. Moana features as fantastic soundtrack and a plot that inspires all of us. Mulan- As problematic as it is, Mulan features an incredible young woman that protects her family and her country. I am looking forward to the release of the new live action version. Tangled- No list on courage would be complete without this title. Barefoot and armed with a frying pan, this is one princess who really wanted to achieve her dreams. Zootopia- I haven't seen this movie in a while, but I am motivated to re-watch it. Judy Hopps is a female bunny who is laughed at and doubted in her pursuit to become a police officer. She shows courage in the face of danger and discrimination. This is a movie that makes you laugh and think throughout. Dear Meerkats,Like the month of February, I will try to keep my newsletter short and sweet. As always, thank you for an amazing school year. Can you believe we are halfway through the 2019-2020 school year? I can hardly believe it! We are on the home stretch. After being spoiled by all the breaks in November, December, and January, February is going to come as a bit of a shock for students (and staff). I hope I will see you all on Friday, January 31st from 5:30-7:30 PM for our Celebrating Diversity Night! Even though this is the shortest month of the year, it will be very busy. In February we celebrate:
The DPS character trait for the month is fairness. We define that as considering all points of view without self-interest or prejudice. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you, Jeannine Harrell In school:During the month of February, I will be leading a classroom guidance lesson in each classroom, beginning a group for boys in Upper El, and providing announcements with quotes from prominent African American figures, many of them related to fairness. In the home:While we will have many in-school conversations and activities throughout the month related to Black History and fairness, the fact is that much of students' learning takes place outside of school. You might wish to continue this learning at home by having conversations with your student and/or reading books on these topics. Some conversation starters include:
February Book RecommendationsAs I provide book recommendations related to fairness and Black History Month, it feels important to share this figure. The vast majority of children's books are not written by People of Color, and do not feature main characters that are minorities. It is important to be conscious of the books we read with our students, making sure they showcase a diverse cast of characters and are written by diverse peoples, because our schools and our society is increasingly diverse, and we want our bookshelves to reflect that. In the past few years, we have made lots of progress in terms of diverse books being published, unfortunately, many of our schools are filled with older books that are not as diverse. Personally, when I arrived here I came to the abrupt realization that while I have a bookshelf filled with books, the vast majority of them are written by White authors and have White main characters. Many of these books are great books, and I will continue to read them with students, but I also want to make sure that all of my students see themselves reflected in the books I read with their class.
While many of our students are familiar with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his contributions, they are unfamiliar with other African American figures who have made tremendous contributions to our society. In giving this consideration, I have included some contemporary children's books containing African American main characters, as well as other historical social rights activists. The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks by Cynthia Levinson Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh Malala's Magic Pencil or I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai It’s Mine by Leo Lionni The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone It's Not Fair! A Book About Having Enough by Caryn Rivadenelra Sulwe by Lupita Nyong'o Dear Families, Thank you so much for a very supportive start to the school year! It is clear to me that all of our parents and families are passionate about the success of their students. Please let me know how I can work alongside you to help each of our students be successful. October is an extremely busy month. There are so many important topics to cover, and I will not be able to lead lessons in every class on every topic. I hope that through collaboration with teachers, our Meerkat morning announcements, at-home learning, and classroom guidance lessons, our students will be exposed to all of these. During this month, please try to find time to lead discussions with your students about these many topics.
The primary theme throughout the month is that we want our students to make smart, kind decisions, taking pride in who they are, and recognizing and appreciating the diversity within themselves and their peers. If we can continue to instill these lessons in our students, it will be a great year. I really want to thank the family members who have completed my Google Forms survey. If you have not yet had an opportunity to complete this survey, please do so. I am looking forward to learning more about your students, your families, and how we can best partner together. https://forms.gle/Kvqq9ZJpcxrKbBSq5 Please reach out to me with any questions or concerns at [email protected]. Thank you, Jeannine Harrell World Food DayOn Wednesday, October 16th, to celebrate World Food Day, we will host a food drive to support the local community. This food will be donated to Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, which provides food to the Durham community and around the Triangle. We ask that students, with the help of their families, bring in non-perishable food to support our community. In the front atrium, you will see boxes for Primary, Lower El, and Upper El. When students arrive they will be asked to place the food in their corresponding box. At the end of the day, we will announce over the intercom which grade level has contributed the most. We look forward to seeing who wins! The purpose of World Food Day is making an effort to end world hunger and bring healthy meals to all. Please keep this in mind when bringing non-perishable foods. The foods that are in high demand include:
Please do not bring items without nutritional value, such as soda, chips, candy, sugary breakfast foods, and Vienna sausages. Reach out to me or Ms. Jackie Love with any questions. Down Syndrome Awareness Week Here at Morehead, we have many student with Down syndrome. We would like to take this week (October 14th through 18th) to celebrate these students and spread awareness through our school community. Quick Facts:
Spirit Week: Monday: Students will make a poster related to Down syndrome awareness for the parade on Friday Tuesday: Rock your wild socks Wednesday: Wear something yellow and blue to match with your Down syndrome awareness sticker (they will be handed out when students arrive) Thursday: Superhero Day! Wear a shirt with your favorite super hero on it Friday: School-wide poster gallery. Classrooms will hang their poster outside of their class, and classes will have a chance to walk around the school to see all of them. For more information about Down syndrome, visit www.ndss.org. For any questions related to spirt week, please contact [email protected]. Respect And Anti-BullyingAt School: As of this newsletter, I have met individually with over half of the student body. I should complete all of my individual student meetings within the next few weeks. Students are now aware of who I am and what I do for the Morehead community. If your student is not sure who I am, please let me know, and I will be happy to reintroduce myself. As a school counselor, a large part of my role is being visible and available to all students. There is a lot happening in the month of October, and it will be a challenge to keep up with all of it! I hope to introduce each of these topics to students, whether through announcements, bulletin boards and decorations, or classroom visits. As I meet with students, I am finding that they are already very familiar and knowledgeable about bullying and anti-bullying efforts. I hope to continue lessons of this nature with a positive focus on treating others with kindness and respect. While at school, we expect our students to respect themselves, others, and the environment. Bullying is not respectful. It is damaging to our school community and can make students less excited to come to school to learn. We want ALL students to feel that they are safe and welcome at Morehead! I am saddened to say that some of our students have already experienced bullying and relational aggression within these first few weeks of school. I want you to know that we mobilize quickly when we hear of these situations. Bullying prevention is a school-wide effort involving students, teachers, administration, support staff (like myself), and our families. Building strong school and classroom communities is one of my main goals for this year. Montessori involves lots of group and partner work, which can be really difficult to complete if you do not have positive relationships with your peers. If your child reports bullying or relational aggression to you, please reach out to me, to their teacher, and to our administrators. We want to work alongside you and your student to resolve the situation and make our school a positive learning environment for all. In the Home: Maria Montessori highlighted the importance of education within and outside the home. One of the many goals of Montessori education is crafting good citizens. Respect is a primary component of this. Some of these conversations can be challenging to have with our students, especially around the topic of drug and alcohol use. I recommend connecting messages about avoiding drug and alcohol use to making good decisions and respecting ourselves. To further student learning at home, please have conversations with your students about respect, bullying, safe schools, Hispanic Heritage Month, and World Food Day, and consider watching or reading material related to these topics. Some possible conversation starters include:
"Children become like the things they love." ~ Maria Montessori Let us make an effort this month to be loving and encouraging models of respect. Recommended BooksWith so many topics this month, I have decided to focus on book recommendations, rather than movies, and I've had a hard time limiting myself to just six. Please reach out to me if you would like more book recommendations related to friendship, respect, and bullying.
Many of my book recommendations address multiple topics. There is a lot of overlap between respect, anti-bullying, and keeping our schools a safe environment for all students, staff, and families. At the end of my list, I have also included a book related to drug use and some possible effects it may have on the family. I have used this books in classroom guidance lessons with upper grades, and I've found that students really enjoy the story and the conversations that it sparks. If this is your first conversation about drug and alcohol use with your student, then I recommend providing further guidance and more information. I have found very few really good children's fiction books related to drug and alcohol use, so please reach out to me if you have any recommendations. I would love to be able to share more books and information with our school community. Dear Morehead Montessori Meerkats, Welcome to the 2019-2020 school year! I am so excited to get to know you and your students. I have met many of you, but to reintroduce myself, my name is Ms. Jeannine Harrell, and I am the new school counselor. I graduated from Guilford College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and Psychology. I completed my Master’s Degree and Education Specialization in School Counseling at UNC Greensboro. Although this is my first year working in Durham Public Schools, I have experience working with students of all ages, from pre-k to college. Elementary age is certainly my favorite! This is going to be a great year! I am passionate about working with students, and I look forward to exploring interests with each student and supporting them socially, emotionally, academically, and in their future careers. I hope to work closely in partnership with each of you to help your student to meet their goals. In order to best support your student and your family, I would appreciate if you would complete this survey via Google Form, where you will be able to identify concerns, questions, and aspirations for your student and this school year. https://forms.gle/Kvqq9ZJpcxrKbBSq5 Please reach out to me with any questions or concerns at [email protected]. Thank you, Jeannine Harrell SELF DISCIPLINEAt School: I am slowly but surely making my way into all classrooms to introduce myself and briefly meet individually with each student. Within the next couple of weeks, all students should know who I am, what I do, and how I can help them. After I have completed all class introductions, I will be returning to lead a lesson on self-discipline, which is the DPS character trait for September. Self-discipline is especially important for students at the start of the school year as we (re)learn our school-wide PBIS expectations and the Montessori grace and courtesy model. The lesson style will vary depending on the grade level, but expect your student(s) to gain developmentally appropriate knowledge about self-discipline and how it applies to them personally. One of the most important concepts for students to learn about self-discipline is that they have to stop and think before they act. Without taking this extra time, it is difficult to do the right thing. In the Home: Maria Montessori highlighted the importance of education within and outside the home. One of our many goals of Montessori education is crafting good citizens. Self-discipline is a primary component of this. To further student learning at home, please have conversations with your students about self-discipline and consider watching or reading material related to this character trait. Some good conversation starters include: · Asking about school expectations and how they are able to follow them. · Find out if there any rules that feel particularly difficult to follow. · What situations require them to stop and think, before acting? · Are there students in their class that seem to struggle with self-discipline? How does that impact the class? What can the class do to help that student? · Model for your students. Provide examples from your day when you really struggled with self-discipline, and how you overcame it or how you hope to do better tomorrow. Recommended Books and MoviesEach month, I hope to recommend a few books and movies that could be used at home with your students as a follow-up to our social and emotional learning for the month. I recommend visiting a local library to see if you can check out books and movies related to our monthly character traits.
Unfortunately, it can be hard to find books and movies that model self-discipline from the start. This is because it is one of the most difficult traits for children (and adults) to grasp 100% of the time. My movie and book recommendations this month model characters who struggle with self-discipline and learn and grow throughout the story. Even though you may have seen or read them many times, especially Frozen, re-reading these books and re-watching these movies with a focus on self-control and self-discipline may lead your student to think about these stories and topics differently. They can also be a jumping off point for conversations with your students. |
AuthorMs. Jeannine Harrell, School Counselor at Morehead Montessori in Durham, NC Archives
August 2020
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