5th Grade: Mrs. Weber
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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
🧠Activity: Students were introduced to the concept of friendship circles and explored the different levels of relationships in their lives. Students placed themselves at the center of their friendship circle and identified people who fit into different circles based on how close they are to them. We discussed the difference between close friends, friends, people we are friendly toward, and people we know. Students also reflected on how we may interact differently with people depending on the type of relationship we have with them.
Levels of friendship:
My closest friends: People I feel really comfortable with. I trust them, enjoy spending time with them, and can be myself around them.
My friends: People I like and enjoy spending time with, but we may not be as close as my closest friends.
People I am friendly with: People I may talk to, say hi to, or be kind to, but I don't consider them close friends.
People in my community: People I know or see around me, but I may not have a personal relationship with them.
💡Key concept: "Not everyone we know is a close friend, and that’s okay."
🎯This week's objectives:
Identify different levels of relationships
Understand that relationships can vary in closeness
Recognize the difference between close friends, friends, and acquaintances
Reflect on the people in our own friendship circles
Understand that healthy relationships can look different depending on the level of closeness
August 31 - September 4 : Social Smarts - Reading the Room
🧠Activity: Students revisited Friendship Circles and continued exploring how we understand and navigate our relationships with others. Students were introduced to the idea of “reading the room” and responded to the question: What bothers you most — when someone interrupts you or when someone clearly isn’t listening to you? We used their responses to introduce the concept of social smarts and how paying attention to others can help us make better choices in our interactions. Students then began identifying red flag and green flag behaviors and discussed how recognizing these behaviors can help us understand whether relationships are having a positive or negative impact on us. Students will continue exploring these behaviors and how they connect to healthy friendships and relationships in the coming weeks.
💡Key concept: "Reading the room helps us make healthy choices"
🎯This week's objectives:
Revisit the different levels of relationships within Friendship Circles
Understand what it means to “read the room”
Recognize the importance of noticing and listening to others
Begin identifying red flag and green flag behaviors
Understand how our social choices can affect our friendships and relationships
Recognize that healthy friendships should have a positive impact on our lives
September 7-11 : Social Smarts - 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