Hayes School Counseling 

 Attendance Matters

August 2018

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• Absenteeism in the first month of school can predict poor attendance throughout the school year. Half the students who miss 2-4 days in September go on to miss nearly a month of school.

•  Poor attendance can influence whether children read proficiently by the end of third grade or be held back.

• By 6th grade, chronic absence becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.

• Research shows that missing 10 percent of the school, or about 18 days in most school districts, negatively affects a student’s academic performance. That’s just two days a month and that’s known as chronic absence.

• The academic impact of missing that much school is the same whether the absences are excused or unexcused. Suspensions also add to lost time in the classroom.

• When students improve their attendance rates, they improve their academic prospects and chances for graduating.

• Chronically absent students perform below their better-attending peers on math and reading assessments.

• Chronic absence is associated with lack of certain social skills, including the ability to pay attention, work independently, adapt to change, and persist in tasks.  It also reflects a lack of eagerness to learn new things and a lack of engagement in school.

• An estimated 5 to 7.5 million students in the United States miss almost a month of school every year. This adds up to over a year missed by the time of graduation.

• If a student is 10 minutes late to school each day, this adds up to more than 33 hours of class time.  A student with 90% attendance average for kindergarten – 12th grade will miss over a year of accumulated time in the classroom.

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What can you do as a parent?

1. Start strong:  Set the expectation that your child will be in school every day that they are healthy and able to attend. 

2. Be proactive:  Make school a top priority and explain that school is their current ‘job.’

3. Encourage perseverance:  When your child complains of just not feeling well or being too tired to go to school, encourage them to power through and overcome the obstacle.  The challenge is often just getting them into the building. 

4. Use your resources:  Contact the school counselor if you perceive that your child does not want to attend for specific reasons such as getting along with peers or a feeling of disconnectedness.

5. Be vigilant: If concerns arise, reach out and ask for help. 

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Reference:  www.absencesaddup.org

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The Battle of the Screens

September 2018

 

Gone are the days when children organized a kickball games, played hide and seek, challenged friends to a game of Monopoly, or simply spent time outside.  Our devices have become a priority, replacing face-to-face time with friends.   As with most things, moderation is the key.  Technology can be both a blessing and a curse.  Our children have become overly reliant on their phones, laptops, tablets, and video game systems for both learning and entertainment. 

 

It is estimated that kids ages 8 to 18 spend on average more than 7 hours a day looking at some type of screen.  The American Heart Association is recommending that we limit screen time to a maximum of two hours a day.  For children 2 to 5 years of age, the recommendation is no more than one hour per day.

 

 The excessive amount of time kids spend on devices is linked to sedentary behaviors and obesity.  Dr. David Hill, chairman of the Council on Communication and Media for the American Academy of Pediatrics, states that passive viewing is children’s number one activity, which is leading to obesity and heart disease. Dr. Hill believes that TV is contributing to this through the advertising of unhealthy foods and the link between watching TV and snacking.

 

It has also been suggested that lack of sleep could be attributed screen time, both from excessive stimulation and the effect of screen’s blue light, which proves to hinder the ability to fall asleep.

 

Children do not have the natural ability to self-regulate these behaviors so the burden to limit activity falls to parents and guardians.  So what’s a parent to do? 

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Consider the following suggestions:

• Set limits on the amount of screen time allowed

• Establish media-free zones in your home, such as in bedrooms. 

• Limit times during the day when screens are not used, such as at the dinner table or during planned family activities

• As parents and guardians, be fully present you are with your children and model appropriate time and use of devices

• Encourage or insist on outside time without devices

• Help your children schedule face-to-face time with friends, rather than talking to them via devices

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For more information about potential effects of excessive use of devices, check out the book Screenwise by Deborah Heitner.

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Re.ference:  https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/07/health/screen-time-children-heart-health/index.html

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    Red Ribbon Week 2018

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      October 22 – 26

 

Red Ribbon Week is an alcohol, tobacco, drug, and violence prevention awareness program that is observed annually in October in the United States.  In honor of Red Ribbon Week and our commitment to building leaders, Hayes has an exciting week of spirit days to encourage all staff, students, and families to make good choices that promote a happy and healthy future. 

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Spirit Day Calendar

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• ‘Merica Monday - Dress in Red, White, &Blue —Keep America Drug Free

        Student Challenge:Eat a healthy snack today

 

• Camo Tuesday - Dress in Camouflage -Drugs Will Never Find Me

        Student Challenge:Make a new friend today

 

• RED RIBBON Wednesday - Wear Red in Support of Red Ribbon Week

       Student Challenge:Get moving!Do a favorite exercise or sport

 

• Throwback Thursday - Dress up from your FAVE Decade - Being Drug Free is Timeless

        Student Challenge:Unplug from your devices for an hour

 

• Futuristic Friday - Dress for your future career - Staying Drug Free, I can be whatever I want to be!

       Student Challenge:Do a random act of kindness

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Rude, Mean, or Bullying??

November 2018

 

With the increase of anti-bullying policies and laws, there are often blurred lines as to what differentiates bullying from other types of mean or rude behaviors and how they are to be handled in our schools.  It is important to have a common language to talk about these behaviors with our children.

 

Rude behaviors include saying and doing something that unintentionally hurts someone’s feelings.  For example, actions and comments such as:

• burping out loud

• cutting in front of someone

• bumping someone while not paying attention

• “Why would you cut your hair like that?  You look like a boy.”

• “When you sing, it gives me a headache.”

• “You shouldn’t play basketball if you can’t shoot a basket.”

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While behaviors and comments like these are aggravating and may hurt feelings, they are not premeditated to cause harm.  In cases such as these, children can be encouraged to walk away or ignore the other student.

 

Mean behaviors have intent and are purposeful.  Behaviors or comments are made with the intent to make someone feel badly but are not reoccurring or instill fear.  Often these are single episodes and can occur between strangers, acquaintances, and even friends. Examples of mean behaviors and statements are:

• Tripping someone on purpose

• Telling lies about someone you dislike

• “No one likes you.”

• “I wish you would stop talking to me and disappear.”

• “How can you be so stupid?”

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In situations like these, it may be harder to ignore, especially in the presence of other peers.  Encourage your child to assert themselves and tell the person how that makes them feel and that they expect them to stop.  Though the behavior may not change, it gives them a voice to name the behavior, the feeling, and the desired outcome.  If behaviors continue, it’s time to tell a trusted adult so they can intervene.

 

Bullying behaviors are aggressive, purposeful and repeated over time.  There is an imbalance of perceived power and result in intimidation or fear.  Reciprocal behaviors, where both students are engaged in inappropriate comments and actions, is not bullying.  Often mean behaviors are labeled as bullying when in fact they are not.  Bullying behaviors include:

• Any mean behaviors that happens repeatedly over time, such as name calling, tripping on purpose, or spreading rumors that results in loss of friendships

• Purposefully excluding someone from activities with the intent to isolate them

• Threatening behaviors and comments to instill fear

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It is important to remember that bullying can and does happen through the use of technology as well.  This is cyberbullying and includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false or mean content about someone else.  It can also include sharing any personal or private information about others that is meant to cause embarrassment or humiliation.  Some cyberbullying can actually be unlawful or criminal behavior and subject to legal action. 

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The Kindness Challenge

Grades K-2

December 2018

As the holiday season approaches, we can become so caught up with all that we have to do that we forget the reason for the season.  This can be a valuable opportunity to teach our children that it is better to give than to received.  In grades K-2 we have talked about empathy and kindness so it was fitting to engage them in a challenge for this month.  It is called the Kindness Challenge and I hope that all of the students will participate in this "pay it forward" endeavor.  The challenge went home with students through their homeroom teachers but I am attaching the file here as well.  Here's hoping that all of our Mustang families will have a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season.

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Happy New Year

January 2019

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I hope everyone had a restful and enjoyable break from school.  We are excited to begin our new calendar and set some goals.  When helping your child to set goals, try and encourage them to set SMART goals.  These are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-specific.  Once a goal is set, assist them in determining what action steps are needed to reach that goal.  We all need goals in order to feel a sense of purpose and the new year is a great time to do just that!

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Monday, January 14th we will have Coach Ryan Sloth visiting us, who is not only a former football coach but published author of several picture books.  His books are themed around sports and teach lessons on character traits. Order forms are available on teacher blogs if you need one but Coach Sloth will have books available that day as well. If you would like a hard copy of the order form, please email Tammy.thompson@cobbk12.org and I will be happy to send one home with your child. We are very excited to meet him.

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