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Please visit our "Digital Learning" tab to view all grade-level lessons after 3/30/20.
Please visit our "Digital Learning" tab to view all grade-level lessons after 3/30/20.
Hello 5th grade parents! I am so excited you are here! Please use this site as a resource to know what topics your child will be learning about throughout the year. Guidance is a special for 45 minutes every other week. We cover many topics throughout the year however, the topics always fall within academic, social/emotional, or career education. Your child would love to have conversations with you about many of these topics. To make this easier, I will always try to provide "extension questions" for each lesson to help facilitate meaningful conversations at home.
Our School Counseling program is both preventative and responsive. If you need to consult with me about any concerns you may have surrounding your child's school or home life, please feel free to contact me via email Lisa.Morales@lcps.org.
SEPTEMBER
SEPTEMBER
SCHOOL COUNSELOR INTRODUCTION
SCHOOL COUNSELOR INTRODUCTION
Our first guidance lesson of the year, we learned about the role of the school counselor and how school counselors can help us grow academically, socially, and emotionally, and plan for our future. We discussed expectations for guidance this year, reasons to see your school counselor, and how to ask for help. Students completed a short survey to identify topics of interest for guidance lessons this year.
At-Home Extension Questions:
- What will you learn about during guidance this year?
- If you need to speak with your school counselor, what should you do?
- Tell me about what the school counselor does at Pinebrook.
STRESS MANAGEMENT
STRESS MANAGEMENT
In our second guidance lesson of the year, we discussed types of stress…bad and good stress. We discussed ways in which we have control over stress and do not have control over stress. We learned some strategies to manage stress and worry, including stretching, writing, doing art work, taking a walk, taking a bath/shower, singing, running, talking to an adult or friend, using a stress ball, exercising, positive self-talk.
At-Home Extension Questions:
- When you are feeling stressed, what are some things that are in your control? What is not in your control?
- What exercise can you do at your desk at school when you have stress?
- What can you do at home when you have stress?
OCTOBER
OCTOBER
BULLYING PREVENTION
BULLYING PREVENTION
We kicked off bullying prevention month by reviewing conflict vs. bullying, the four types of bullying (physical, verbal, emotional & cyber), and what to do if you find yourself in a bullying situation (Stop, Walk, Talk).
At-Home Extension Questions:
- What are the key differences between a conflict and bullying?
- Can a bullying situation turn into a conflict? If so, how?
- What are the 3 steps to stop bullying at school?
BULLYING PREVENTION
BULLYING PREVENTION
We concluded bullying prevention month by learning what to if you see someone else being bullied. A bystander sees bullying and doesn't know what to do. An *upstander* sees bullying and chooses any of the 4 upstanding options to help: Be a buddy, interrupt, speak out, or tell someone! We watched the NED Show's Upstander video, linked above.
At-Home Extension Questions:
- What is the difference between an upstander and a bystander?
- Why do you think it is often difficult to be an upstander?
- Which upstander strategy will you choose if you see bullying?
November
November
Diversity
Diversity
The focus for November was "Diversity". During these lessons, we talked about what diversity means, things we can see and cannot see that make us different, and how we can be different/unique and still be part of a community.
As I am new to Pinebrook, I took the time to introduce and share a little bit about myself (ask your child what they learned about the saguaro cactus!).
At-Home Extension Questions:
- Why would it be good to be part of a diverse community?
- How can we learn from and celebrate our differences?
December
December
At Home Extension Questions:
- How do you feel when you are stressed? When do you find you feel this way the most?
- What do you do to reduce your stress level?
- How can I help you reduce your stress?
Stress management
Stress management
During the month of December, students learned how to recognize the physical and emotional signs of stress and healthy vs. unhealthy ways to manage our stress.
Sometimes we experience stress as a rapid pulse, shallow breathing, feeling panicked, or inability to concentrate. Emotional signs of stress include feeling overwhelmed, angry, or bursting into tears when stress reaches a "boiling point".
Students learned a deep breathing technique called "4x4 breathing" and gentle stretches to help manage stress.
January
January
At-Home Extension Questions - Bullying:
- How do you know if it's a conflict or a bullying situation?
- What are some ways you can help yourself or others in a bullying situation?
- What does it mean to be an "Upstander"?
At-Home Extension Questions - Growth Mindset:
- How the "AHA" moment comes about?
- With the growth mindset, what can you tell yourself when you encounter an obstacle?
Bullying & growth mindset
Bullying & growth mindset
BULLYING -
During the month of January, we continued with the Comprehensive Bullying curriculum started in the fall. We worked with students to review bullying vs. conflict and what to do if they or someone else is in a bullying situation.
GROWTH vs. FIXED MINDSET
We either reviewed (5th grade) or introduced (3rd grade) the idea of Growth vs. Fixed Mindset. Growth Mindset is the idea that through practice and perseverance, we can overcome obstacles to learning new things.
february
february
Career Exploration
Career Exploration
We kicked off our career exploration unit by talking about career interests. It is important to be interested (or "like") your future career so that you can be happy each day at work! We talked about exploring our interests, values, and skills when choosing a potential career. We also evaluated the different types of skills employees might have to have in order to work at Chick-fil-A.
At-Home Extension Questions:
- What are your current interests, hobbies, and favorite subjects?
- How can your current interests help you choose a career? Why are interests an important consideration when planning for your future?
- What are some possible careers related to your interests?
kindness
kindness
We kicked off our February Kindness celebration with a fun classroom activity to show how easy showing kindness can be. Through this activity, everyone in the class was able to give and receive a compliment. Please be on the lookout for the Counselor's 28-Day Kindness Challenge (pictured above) and information on Kindness Spirit week that will come home after this lesson!
At-Home Extension Questions:
- When have you felt valued and important at home? At school? How can you share that feeling with family and friends?
- How does it feel to complete an act of kindness?
- What are examples of acts of kindness you can complete at school?
March
March
Career exploration con't
Career exploration con't
During the month of March, we are continuing on our comprehensive 3-unit series on career and post-secondary options exploration. Students will continue to explore and narrow down potential career fields that suit their skills and interests. Students will also complete the LCPS career portfolio that will be saved onto their student Google Drive and will be available to them throughout their secondary education.
At-home Extension Questions:
- What are 2 academic goals you have for your middle and high school years?
- If college is in your future, have you thought about where you might want to go?
- What is important to you in choosing your career?
Please visit our "Digital Learning" tab to view all grade-level lessons after 3/30/20.
Please visit our "Digital Learning" tab to view all grade-level lessons after 3/30/20.
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