Happy Monday all! I hope many of you are able to extend this weekend until Tuesday! I totally get it if you can't, so hopefully today will go quick for you and you are able to enjoy tomorrow with your family and friends! I have been busy prepping my calendar and schedule for next year, and I thought I would share with you some important dates that I put on my calendar and plan some school-wide event around them. No school counselor can plan an event around every week or month (trust me, I have given it a good shot and usually fail miserably) I hope that you find these useful, or you can find one to bring into your school counseling program that will put your program on your school's professional map. Here are some of my favorite weeks to highlight during the year: Red Ribbon Week Red Ribbon Week is a national week that is celebrated during the last week and half in October. It is a perfect time to bring awareness to how important it is for students to make good choices and keep their bodies safe and drug-free. Each year they have a different theme; check out the National Red Ribbon Week site here to see what the theme is for 2017! I will be honest, I am super pumped about this one! Whatever you do, have fun and get creative! National School Counseling Week I have the MOST fun with this week! Some people feel that it is a week for people to thank the school counselor, but I feel that it is a week to thank everyone in my building for all they do to support me and also to really focus on my students. Where do you start if you have never planned a School Counseling week? First, go to the American School Counselor Association website for start-up ideas and some awesome FREE resources! Second, talk with your administrator to make sure any school-wide things you would like to do are approved by them. Third, HAVE FUN! It does seem like extra work, but it is well worth getting your name and program promoted in the building. Check out some fun things I did this past year for National School Counseling week in this post. Pinterest, Instagram, and TpT are also great resources to help you think of some ideas. National Bullying Prevention Month National Bullying Awareness month is held in October every year. This month is a great time to discuss this hot topic across our country. As educators, this word can be scary to us; but I feel that is why it is even more important to help our students and parents understand what it is, how do sea with it, and what steps we can take as a whole to combat the issue. I use this month to focus on conflict resolution and bullying awareness lessons in my classroom, as well as send home information in my monthly newsletter to parents. See the list of following websites that have some information and resources available to educators: Boss's Day/Principal's Day It may seem weird that I highlight this one, but I feel that these days are super important to remember! These are the two positions that help me out the most in my building, so I am eternally grateful for the wonderful people that fill these spots. Teachers are just as important, but it seems that PTOs and PTAs tend to do a good job honoring our teachers. If no one has taken it upon themselves to organize something for these positions, do it! No matter what, every person works harder when they feel appreciated, and that includes these two people! SW-PBS Spirit Week This week is somewhat specialized to our building, but the concept can be adapted to any school! We have a "Spirit Week" during some of our tougher weeks; right before Thanksgiving, spring break, or any other week where times can be tough for teachers and students. We hold this week twice a year, and every time it is a huge hit! We highlight good behavior by students, and also do a few "extra"things for teachers to let them know we care about them. Check out my post to see how we have done spirit weeks in our building. ANY School Events
No matter what it is: Parent/Teacher Conferences, PTO meetings, Family Nights, sporting events, concerts, etc, try your best to make an appearance at one at least once a month! This not only helps show you are committed to your job, but it also helps students see you in a different light. Plus, you may become involved in a different way that you never thought you would be able to help! It also helps you to get to know parents and the community members. You don't have to make EVERY one, just one event once in awhile. Check out my Parent/Teacher Conference post to see how I utilize this night to connect with parents! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday week and enjoy the start of July!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
July 2017
|