Counselor's Corner

Meet Mrs. Presley…

After many years away, I am excited to be back in Arma, and particularly excited to be the K-8 counselor at Northeast. I have worked in the field for twenty years, and I’m looking forward to new students and new experiences.

I will interact with the students through classroom guidance lessons, reaching all students in the school. The lessons will focus on topics in the areas of academics, career awareness and personal/social skills. Many guidance objectives are taught through the 7 Habits of Happy Kids and the Choose Love Movement.

Some students may benefit from small groups where they will be able to learn from other students while talking about topics related to the group, such as friendship or homework issues.

Some students may require interventions best delivered through individual counseling. Counseling may require only one meeting, or it may last for several sessions.

Please contact me if you have questions about the counseling program. I can be a resource in many areas, so please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Presley

Confidentiality

It is essential that students feel that they can trust their counselor in order to explore issues related to feelings and behaviors. With that in mind, I work hard to maintain confidentiality. Counseling interventions will remain confidential unless the student is considered to be at-risk for personal injury, or for committing injury to self or others. In those instances, appropriate individuals/agencies will be notified. Students are made aware of these limitations as they begin receiving counseling services.

Referrals

The counseling program is available to all students. Referrals to the counselor can come from many areas.

*Referral by a teacher, administrator or staff member

*Self-referral by the student. Students may ask to see me or, if they want a little more privacy, they may self-refer by using the QR codes that are posted in the hallways of the junior high school and of the elementary school.

*Referral by the family. Please see below to find links to the forms for elementary parents and for junior high parents.

Jr. High Parent Referral Form

Elementary Parent Referral Form

Please contact me at any time!

The 7 Habits of Happy Kids

Habit 1: Be ProactiveYou're in ChargeHabit 2: Begin with the end in mindHave a PlanHabit 3: Put first things firstWork First, Then PlayHabit 4: Think Win-WinEveryone can winHabit 5: Seek first to understand, then to be understoodListen before you talkHabit 6: SynergizeTogether is betterHabit 7: Sharpen the SawBalance feels besthttps://www.theleaderinme.org/the-7-habits-for-kids

Sanford Harmony

Classroom lessons to grades K-5 will be taught every two weeks following the Sanford Harmony curriculum, incorporating five main life skills. Diversity and Inclusion:• Get to know one another• Discover and appreciate commonalities• Appreciate and learn from diversity• Develop an attitude of inclusion• Feel valued as an individual and as a member of a group
Empathy and Critical Thinking:• Develop emotional understanding, including recognizing feelings and identifying their causes and consequences• Develop empathy for others• Increase flexible thinking and decrease stereotyped thinking• Develop incremental (change-and-growth-based) thinking
Communication:• Develop skills for careful and thoughtful listening• Develop respectful and reciprocal patterns of communication• Learn conversational skills• Gain positive and effective strategies for asserting their ideas, preferences and needs
Problem solving:• Accept and value different feelings and perspectives• Develop empathy• Identify and generate solutions to interpersonal problems• Develop cooperation skills• Understand how to cooperate with others• Practice self-regulation
Peer Relationships:• Develop a caring, prosocial orientation• Learn inclusive attitudes and behaviors• Take responsibility for their actions and make amends• Develop a forgiving attitude• Review areas of individual and group growth and change• Gain a sense of closure regarding their experiences together this year