Counselor's Corner   

Message from Mr. K 

Hello Roadrunner Friends and Families!

I am so excited to start the 2025-2026 school year with you all! Many of you know me from my time with the After-School Program at Northwood, but I am now Northwood's full-time School Counselor! I want to do everything I can to work with our Roadrunner community to support our scholars in being the best they can be in every way possible! 

This digital Counseling Corner will continue to accumulate resources for our Roadrunners! From mindfulness, to career exploration and classroom lessons, we will have plenty of tools for success and wellness here! Take a look around and, if you need me, I am available to speak 8:30 am - 2:45 pm Monday-Wednesday, and Fridays. Please leave a message, and I will get back to you as soon as I can!

CALL: (916)-566-2705 (ext. 22930)

EMAIL: kenneth.nguyen@trusd.net                                                

Vision Statement

Northwood Elementary School's Counseling Program's vision is to empower all students to become self-aware, confident, and resilient learners who embody their unique potential. The supportive and collaborative environment equips students with social-emotional, academic, and career/college readiness to succeed in school and beyond. Collaborating with families, educators, and the community, we are committed to developing students with compassionate hearts, curious minds, and dependable individuals ready to promote meaningful growth in a transformative world.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Northwood Elementary School Counseling Program is to implement a comprehensive, appropriate developmental curriculum and student-centered support system that cultivates the social-emotional, academic, and college and career proficiencies of every student. Through the partnership of stakeholders, families, and school faculty, the counseling program ensures all students benefit from problem-solving skills, self-awareness, and critical abilities to develop into lifelong learners and optimistic benefactors to an equitable, accessible, prosperous, diversified, and progressive society. Our commitment to equity ensures that every student is included and valued in our program. 

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Northwood Elementary makes every effort to provide support services for your children that will assist in their successful academic, social and emotional growth. To promote these efforts, Northwood's School Counselor, Kenneth Nguyen (Mr. K)  provides classroom guidance and short term individual and group counseling.

Mr. K is available to assist students with any social or emotional difficulties that are impeding academic achievement.  Discussions between Mr. K and students are confidential. Feel free to call him at (916) 566-2705 ext: 22930 or email: kenneth.nguyen@trusd.net if you would like to speak with him!

If you are a student or a parent and would like to speak with Kenneth Nguyen, or have your student in individual or group counseling, please complete a Counselor Consent Form. Mr. K can be contacted and will contact you as soon as reasonably possible.

Counseling Services

• Individual and Group Counseling

• Stress Management

• Anger Management

• Social Skills / Peer Relations

• Problem Solving / Decision Making

• Goal Setting / Time Management

• Communication

• College and Career Awareness

• Grief/Loss

• Changing Families

Classroom Guidance

Parents,

Wouldn't it be great to if there was a way to protect your elementary or middle school student from risky behaviors such as bullying, aggression, and substance abuse while improving his or her school success? Fortunately, research shows there is a way to do just that.

This year I will be in our classes more often providing monthly classroom lessons. These lessons will focuse on skills that will help your student succeed in school and in life. These skills include:

• Empathy

• Communication

• Emotional Management

• Problem solving

• Conflict Resolution & Compromise

• Bullying Prevention

• Emotional Regulation

• Study Skills

You play a vital role in helping your student develop strong social skills. During these next few months, the focus of the lessons will be empathy, emotional regulation and bully prevention. Ask questions about the skills that your student is learning, such as:

• "How do you show someone you're actively listening to them?"

• "What are some ways you can be an ally to someone?"

• "Why should you try to understand other people's perspectives?"

If you have any questions about the curriculum please do not hesitate to contact me for more information. Thank you for supporting your student in learning the skills that lead to success in school and in life.

Conflict Mediation

GOT CONFLICT?

Students, If you are having a problem with another student you can request a Conflict Mediation. A Conflict Mediation is when two people who are having a problem sit down with a neutral person (in this case the Counselor.) Each person tells their side of the story and then they each make a plan so that the problem is solved or won't happen again. There are a few key rules for conflict mediation:

·        each person must be there willingly

·        they must agree to solve the problem

·        no insults or put-downs, no interruptions

·        keep the mediation confidential

If you would like to have a conflict mediation please complete the Counseling Request Form. Learning how to solve problems appropriately is a skill that you will benefit from your whole life!