OCMS Counseling
Virtual Bulletin Board
2020-2021

RISING FRESHMAN PLANNING FOR 2021-2022

Rising Freshman planning sheets were sent home Tuesday, March 16, 2021. These are to be signed by your parents and returned to Ms. Jones by Monday, March 22, 2021. If you or your parents have ANY questions, PLEASE do not reach out to the teachers who made recommendations; instead, please reach out to Ms. Jones at katherine.jones@owensborocatholic.org or (270) 683-0480.

21-22 OCHS Program of Studies.pdf
12-17-2020 Parent Seminar.mp4

Mental Health Q&A
12/17/2020

On the last Thursday of the 2nd quarter, I sat down and held a Zoom meeting for parents to attend. We talked about mental health in general, but spent the bulk of time on sharing resources. I failed to record that Zoom meeting; so, I went ahead and recorded this video for you, here. Please, don't hesitate to reach out with any questions, comments, concerns, suggestions, etc.! I'm here to help! -Ms. Jones

Looking at Mental Health Through a Catholic Lens
12/17/2020

Check Your Mental Health!
12/9/2020

Read through this detailed presentation to learn more about mental health. Education is the first step to advocating for yourself and your loved ones who experience mental illness.

Mental Health Awareness - NTI 20/21

Read this short article from the National Institute of Mental Health to learn about mental health warning signs, or behaviors your children exhibit that are not just apart of growing up. This article may give you a better idea of whether or not it's time to introduce your child to professional mental health counseling.

Of course, you can always reach out to me for more resources, though. Please, feel free to email me at katherine.jones@owensborocatholic.org or we can schedule a time to talk via Zoom/Google Meet or on the phone. -Ms. Jones

Falling Behind

Are You Falling Behind?
12/8/2020

The end of the second quarter is closer than you think! Now is the time to get caught up on missing and incomplete assignments. Your teachers are willing to work with you to help you improve your grades. Please, don't hesitate to reach out for help!

Be Happy. Be Brave. Be Drug Free!
11/4/20 - 11/13/20

Instead of a traditional Red Ribbon Week, OCMS opted for smaller group classroom guidance lessons. Below are links to three YouTube videos we watched together in class. After each video, we had discussion about substance use disorders, substance abuse, and addiction. We reflected on how drug and alcohol abuse can affect your physical health, mental health, and spiritual wellbeing. It also has a big impact on interpersonal relationships with family members and friends, as well as on academic, career, and life goals. During these lessons, students were engaged and cooperative. They had some GREAT questions which fueled our discussions!

Kids Meet a Kid in Recovery from Addiction

Things to think about while watching this video:

  • The questions the kids weren't afraid to ask

  • The "pink cloud"

  • Why Telletion chose to become sober

  • How long it will take for Telletian to recover

Addiction & the Brain - For Kids!

Things to think about while watching this video:

  • What is addiction?

  • How does addiction hijack the brain?

  • Risk factors and preventative factors (think about how old you are)

Is Addiction a Sin?

Things to think about while watching this video:

  • What are some things you can do to avoid sin (in general)?

  • This video doesn't give a clear answer... because each addiction, like each person, is unique. At some point in addiction, you are responsible for creating the circumstances which caused your addiction and you are responsible for getting sober. However, clinical addiction is like losing yourself and losing your free will, or losing your ability to CHOOSE what is good. So, "it depends."

Students, if you have any questions or concerns related to these videos or what we talked about during classroom guidance, do not hesitate to come talk with me. I'm here to help! If you confide in me about a substance use issue, I may have to contact your parents. HOWEVER, I will always work WITH you to figure out how best to talk with your parents.

Parents/guardians, if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. I have lots of resources on how to talk about these things with your children.

I will ALWAYS come to you with COMPASSION and LOVE.
You will not be scolded in my office; my office is a safe place for you! God bless!

Learning Styles
10/20/20 - 10/23/20

Classroom guidance this week for 8th graders focused on beginning students' Individual Learning Plans. ILP folders were created by students and shared with me in our Google Drives; this gives me access to various documents students save to that folder, and it allows me to share documents with students through the folders. Students also took a self-assessment on learning styles. The three main learning styles are tactile, auditory, and visual. Students saved their detailed self-assessment results in their ILP folders.

Getting to Know You for 7th Graders
10/20/20 - 10/23/20

Classroom guidance this week for 7th graders consisted of a presentation by myself to introduce students to the OCMS comprehensive school counseling program. Students also began work on their Individual Learning Plans (ILPs). ILP folders were created by students and shared with me in our Google Drives; this gives me access to various documents students save to that folder as well as providing a location for me to share other documents with them.