Concord Counseling Updates

Pressure can come from within a person or from outside a person.  Our third, fourth and fifth grade students have been working to understand that there are many ways to deal with different kinds of pressure and how to feel good about your decisions at the end of the day. Peer Pressure : walk or run away say "No" use humor change the subject share a promise share a personal story give reason or educate remind others of your family rules Self Pressure : stop and think go to your quiet place talk to a trusted adult take a deep breath listen to music tighen muscles one at a time (arm, leg, shoulders) and then take a deep breath positive self talk practice a skill/goal Kindergarten, first and second grade students continue to practice "I" statements to try and make them their own. When we return from our Christmas Break, we will begin studying bully-like behavior and ways to deal with it effectively. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!!

Heroin use in the St. Louis area is a problem of epidemic proportions. Parents, educators, students, community members of all ages need to be alert and informed regarding this trend that is surrounding the youth in our community. Please, take just one evening to learn more about this invasive trend -- it could make the difference to someone in your life. Article from STLTODAY, Oct. 2011 Rising tide of heroin use brings tragedy TOWN HALL MEETING ON HEROIN USE in the ST. LOUIS AREA* Wednesday, Nov. 9 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Lindbergh High School Auditorium 5000 S. Lindbergh Blvd. *This program is sponsored by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, St. Louis Chapter (NCADA), the St. Louis County Police Department, St. Louis County Children's Services. For more information, visit www.not-even-once.com The STEP UP! program (formally known as the Lindbergh Safe and Drug Free Community Coalition) asks you to help us spread

At Concord Elementary we are trying to develop the skill of identifying what makes an individual mad or bugs you to the point of reaction through the guidance curriculum.  The common reactions we often see in people include:  showing anger, holding anger inside, and dumping anger on others.  The goal is for our students to know what makes them mad and know how they usually react , so they can do something positive to handle the emotion and situation.  Throughout the guidance curriculm, kindergarten through fifth grade, we continue to encourage many healthy ways to manage anger and other emotions.  Some of these strategies include: Stop and Think - put space between you and "what" is making you mad.  Count to ten Take a deep breath Walk away Positive self talk I Statements Quiet time to think and relax Practice the skill of frustration Exercise or play

During the month of September our kindergarten through fifth grade students learned and reviewed good listening skills, I statements, and general I Care Rules. Listening skills we are practicing include:    * Squaring up to the person before listening - usually arm's length apart    * Give eye contact and your ears for listening     *Respond to the speaker by:         ^ using head movement         ^ mirror feeling being expressed on your face         ^ give short comments about the information you have just heard.   I Statement - Use your words! Say the person's name to gain their attention State the situation - "I like it when..."  "I don't like it when..." State how you feel Offer a Solution to the situation.      example of an I Statement:  "Mom, I like our special time together.  It makes me feel good.  Can we spend more time together tonight?" Our focus for I statements or using our words is to learn how to speak up resp

Fall into a Healthier Life with a ’ s Trail! Enjoy the fall foliage with a bike ride on the Grant’s Trail! Learn about bicycle safety, trail etiquette, and have your helmet fitted correctly by Crestwood and Sunset Hills Police. Have a healthy snack. Learn about Sunset Hills new Recreation Center and all the activities they have to offer. Parents must be present. Hope to see you there! October 8, 2011 from 8-12:00 pm Meet us at Crestwood Elementary 1020 South Sappington Road Sponsored by the Crestwood/Sunset Hills Rotary Club Tour de Grant

Concord Families, please help us fill the shelves of the St. Louis Area Foodbank Sept. 26-30.  Lindbergh Schools and the Lindbergh Retired Educators are asking each student and staff member throughout the district to donate one nonperishable food item.  Did you know that 39% of the more than 57,000 people served by the St. Louis Area Foodbank are children?  Together, we can help feed our neighbors and provide more than 6,000 food items.  Our collection point at Concord is the lobby.  Let's show our Concord Flyer spirit and support this wonderful drive! Canned items may be brought in starting on Monday, Sept. 26th. 

Well, we are back and rolling.  I hope you and your children are feeling a bit more settled into the new school year and the routine that comes with it.  I am happy to say we have already started counseling classes with the students.  I have a rotating weekly schedule called A, B and C Week. This semester, I have an intern working with me.  Her name is Sarah Hartz and she is a graduate from Truman State University.  She is happy to be with us and is already serving our school well. Mrs. Ronzio and I share a class space this year.  We are located in room 4, just past the media room and library.  If you would like to visit with me regarding your child at Concord, I can be contacted by phone or email.

Summer Play Dates Location:  Truman Time: 4:00 p.m.      K-1gr. July 28    2-3gr. July 26     4-5gr. July 21 Summer Open House : TBA Meet the Teacher Night :  August 11, 2011 5:30-6:15 Ice Cream Social :  August 11, 2011 5:30-7:00 First Day of School :  August 16, 2011

Our final school days are upon us as we continue to prepare for our district transition.  We continue to sort, pack and relive memories created here at Truman Elementary, as we box things away...  I have found comfort and some closure by participating in our parties such as our staff retirement celebrations, our Farewell Party for our Truman community and our Fly Up Day for our students. As we are busy planning and setting the stage to create lasting memories for our children this summer by enjoying the simple pleasures life has to offer, please know we are already working on a smooth start up for August 16th!

With spring upon us and energy in the air, we are reminding children how to recognize bully-like behavior in their own actions and the actions of others. We all make mistake each day and our goal is to learn from our actions and the actions of others.  If behavior is repeated and it makes a person feel hurt, scared or embarrassed, then a cycle of bullying is occurring and needs to be stopped.  In grades k-3 we help the children recognize three types of bully-like behavior:  1.  verbal 2.  physical 3.  emotional In grades 4 and 5 our students are also taught about cyber and gender bullying in addition to the list above. We have discussed the places kids most often observe this kind of  bully behavior.  The kids agree that it is exhibited when an adult is not present in their immediate space, such as recess, on the bus and in the cafeteria.  To address this kind of behavior we have taught the kids the acronym "SIR":  S - Stand up for yourself or others using your w

As school counselors, we are always encouraging our students to talk to people in whom they trust when they have something on their mind that they need to process.  The first person we encourage our students to talk to is you, the parents.  We continually talk about the best opportunities to approach you to start a conversation.  The kids have mentioned that they like to talk to you during meal time, bed time, while driving in the car, when siblings are away, and the weekend... We would encourage you to ask your child, "Is there anything you want to talk about? Do you have any questions for me?"  Remind them in these moments, such as bed time: "This is a good time to talk, if you have any questions," or "You know you can talk to me about anything." Kids process information they inquire about as they are ready to digest.  We would suggest to answer only what they are enquiring about that day; however, there are times when we need to give them the framework

Seminars Available for Parents and Educators At West County Psychological Associates 12125 Woodcrest Executive Drive in Creve Coeur Understanding how to help your child become more organized both at home and at school. A Make- it -and -Take -It Workshop! Saturday, February 12 9:00-11:00a.m. $45(includes materials) Presented by Educational Consultants Donna Garcia and Deborah Jordan

If you would like to donate items to our Lindbergh families in lieu of our recent tornado , please take your items to 3915 South Lindbergh, Sunset Hills Community Center. Drop off hours: Monday -Friday 5:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Saturday 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. Sunday 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. For families that lost items due to the tornado, please take proof of residency to 12450 West Watson to pick up items for replacement.  Please call ahead of time before going to the pick up location to make sure service can be given,  314-842-7265. Dana and Velina   Tornado Relief Fundraising Update   Thank you to everyone who donated during our online fundraiser last week to benefit tornado victims in the Lindbergh district. The grand total was $1,771.65 -- all of which will be specifically directed to American Red Cross relief efforts in Fenton, Sunset Hills and Crestwood.   Some people have asked me about sending in additional checks from group fundraisers. We will be accepting those checks

http://www.fema.gov/ http://www.redcross.org/ http://www.ready.gov/ . Helping Children Cope with Disaster This booklet offers parents, caregivers, and other adults suggestions on how to help children cope with the effects of disaster, as well as how to be prepared before a disaster strikes. Helping Children Cope with Disaster Children can feel very frightened during a disaster and afterward some children will show temporary changes of behavior. For most children these changes will be mild, not last long, and diminish with time. However, reminders of what happened could cause upsetting feelings to return and behavior changes to emerge again. Watching scenes of the disaster on television can be distressing for children, especially for younger children. Younger children may return to bed-wetting, have difficulty sleeping, and not want to be separated from their caregivers. Older children may show more anger than usual, find concentrating at school harder, and want to spend more time alo