August 18-21 : Welcome Back & Friendship
📚 Book: Welcome Back, Counselor Role, Friendship Introduction
🧠Activity: Students were welcomed back to guidance and reviewed the role of the school counselor. We talked about what guidance will look like this year and ways the counselor can support students at school. Students also participated in age-appropriate friendship discussions and activities focused on getting to know one another, connecting with classmates, and thinking about what makes a good friend.
💡Key concept: "Positive relationships help us feel connected."
🎯This week's objectives:
Reintroduce the role of the school counselor
Build comfort and connection within the classroom
Identify qualities of a positive friendship
Understand why having at least one positive connection at school matters
Recognize that learning and relationships are both important parts of the school experience
August 24-28 : Friendship & Belonging
📚 Book: A Little Sot of Belonging
🧠Activity: Students explored what it means to belong at school and discussed the people, places, and experiences that help them feel included and connected. Through the story and class discussion, we talked about ways to make friends, include others, and help everyone feel like they are an important part of our school community. We also practiced an important friendship skill: introducing ourselves! Students practiced using a handshake, sharing their name, and confidently introducing themselves!
💡Key concept: "Not everyone we know is a close friend, and that’s okay."
🎯This week's objectives:
Understand what it means to feel a sense of belonging
Identify ways to make and build friendships
Recognize ways to help others feel included
Understand that everyone deserves to feel like they belong at school
Practice simple ways to connect with new or different people
August 31 - September 4 : No Guidance!
Due to Homecoming activities, there was no guidance class this week. Students will catch up next week with “Social Smarts” and “Reading the Room.”
September 7-11 : Social Smarts - Reading the Room / Red & Green Flag Behaviors
🧠Activity: Students continued building their social smarts by transitioning into red flag and green flag behaviors. We discussed how recognizing positive and concerning behaviors can help us better understand our relationships and make thoughtful choices about the people we choose to spend time with. Students began creating their own red flag/green flag key, which they will use for an awareness game in the coming weeks.
💡Key concept: "We can use red and green flags to guide our friendship choices."
🎯This week's objectives:
Continue developing social smarts
Identify red flag and green flag behaviors
Understand how behaviors can affect friendships
Recognize qualities to look for in positive friendships
Create a red flag/green flag key for an upcoming awareness activity
September 14-18: Red & Green Flag Behaviors
🧠Activity: Students continued exploring red flag and green flag behaviors and finished creating their own red flag/green flag keys. As they completed their keys, we discussed what different behaviors can look like in friendships and why certain behaviors may be considered a red or green flag. These keys will serve as a tool students can use during an upcoming awareness activity to practice recognizing behaviors and making thoughtful friendship choices.
💡Key concept: "Recognizing behaviors helps us make healthy friendship choices. "
🎯This week's objectives:
Continue identifying red flag and green flag behaviors
Recognize characteristics of healthy and unhealthy friendship behaviors
Understand why certain behaviors may be considered red or green flags
Connect behaviors to the impact they can have on friendships
Complete a personal red flag/green flag key
Prepare to apply their knowledge during an upcoming awareness activity
September 21-25: Social Smarts - Understanding Red Flag Behaviors
🧠Activity: Students continued building their understanding of red flag behaviors by playing a Blooket review game. The game helped students become more familiar with the meanings of different red flag behaviors and practice identifying what those behaviors might look like in friendships and everyday situations. This review helped prepare students to apply what they have learned during an upcoming Red & Green Flag Jeopardy game.
💡Key concept: "Understanding behaviors helps us recognize red flags in our relationships."
🎯This week's objectives:
Review the meanings of different red flag behaviors
Recognize examples of red flag behaviors in everyday situations
Build familiarity with social and friendship behavior vocabulary
Understand how red flag behaviors can affect relationships
Strengthen awareness of behaviors to look for in friendships
Prepare to apply knowledge during the upcoming Jeopardy review game
September 28 - October 2: Social Smarts - Putting It All Together
🧠Activity: Students wrapped up our Social Smarts unit by putting their knowledge of red and green flag behaviors to the test with a Jeopardy review game. Students used the red flag/green flag keys they created throughout the unit to help identify behaviors, explain their meanings, and recognize examples in different social situations. The game brought together what students have learned about recognizing behaviors, reading social situations, and using that awareness to build positive, healthy friendships.
💡Key concept: "Recognizing behaviors helps us make healthy friendship choices. "
🎯This week's objectives:
Review red flag and green flag behaviors
Apply knowledge of behavior meanings to different social situations
Use red flag/green flag keys as a tool for identifying behaviors
Recognize characteristics of healthy and unhealthy friendship behaviors
Connect social awareness to making thoughtful friendship choices
Review and apply skills learned throughout the Social Smarts unit
October 5-9: Smart Choices & Courage - Trying Something New
🧠Activity: Students were introduced to our new monthly theme, Smart Choices & Courage, by having the opportunity to make a class decision! Students voted on whether they wanted to stay inside and play a Blooket game or head outside for a daily challenge. After the majority voted to go outside, students were encouraged to put courage into action by trying something new, playing with someone they wouldn't normally play with, or stepping outside their comfort zone. Throughout the activity, students were also challenged to encourage and support the peers around them. We connected these experiences to how making smart choices sometimes takes courage, whether it's trying something unfamiliar, including others, or choosing to be a positive influence.
💡Key concept: "Making the right choice isn't always easy, but courage helps us do what is right."
🎯This week's objectives:
Introduce the concepts of smart choices and courage
Practice making decisions through a class vote
Recognize the importance of respecting group decisions
Identify ways to demonstrate courage in everyday situations
Challenge students to step outside their comfort zones and try something new
Encourage students to include and interact with different peers
Practice supporting and encouraging others as they try new things
Understand how small, courageous choices can positively impact ourselves and others
October 12-16: Smart Choices & Courage - Thinking Through Our Choices
🧠Activity: Students continued exploring our monthly theme of Smart Choices & Courage through an interactive Four Corners game. Using questions from our Smart Choices & Courage Blooket, students moved to different corners of the classroom based on the answer they believed was best. After each question, we came together for a large group discussion to explore the different answers, share our thoughts, and better understand how smart choices and courage are connected. Students were encouraged to think about how their decisions can affect themselves and others, why making the right choice isn't always easy, and how courage can help us make thoughtful decisions in everyday situations.
💡Key concept: "Smart choices take thought, and sometimes courage helps us make the right decision."
🎯This week's objectives:
Strengthen understanding of smart choices and courage
Practice decision-making through an interactive Four Corners activity
Think critically about different choices and possible outcomes
Explain the reasoning behind personal decisions
Listen to and respect different perspectives during group discussions
Recognize that the right choice isn't always the easiest or most popular choice
Explore how courage can help us make responsible decisions
Apply smart choices and courage to everyday situations