Francis C. Hammond School Counselors’ Newsletter Welcome to our Counselor Corner! We are so excited to be a resource for you and your child throughout the year. Your School Counselor can help you and your child with a variety of academic, career, and personal/social issues. Last week, all gradelevel counselors visited your child’s classroom to explain how we can help them and how they can access us. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have, and we will help you as best we can! Following is our contact information and the letters of the alphabet by last name that we each serve. Meet the Departments Director of School Counseling: Denee Scott—[email protected] 8th Grade Administrative Assistant: Tammy Sturdivant—[email protected] 703-461-4123 A-F Counselor: Christina Bevilacqua— [email protected] G-M Counselor: Nicole Bonds—[email protected] N-Z Counselor: Brent Rademacher—[email protected] 7th Grade Administrative Assistant: Wendy [email protected] 703-461-4105 A-K Counselor: Charrisa Washington— [email protected] L-Z Counselor: Kidist Square—[email protected] 6th Grade Administrative Assistant: Kate Barrozo—[email protected] 703-461-4108 A-E Counselor: Nicole Alestock—[email protected] F-N Counselor: Cassandra Jackson—[email protected] O-Z Counselor: Katie Migliorini—[email protected] October 2014 Volume 1, Issue 1 NEED TO KNOW!!! October is Anti-Bullying Month. Our focus as a school is to educate and encourage students and staff to stand up against bullying and bullies. Bullying in middle school is probably one of the hardest levels of aggression a young person has to face. While there is no universal definition of bullying, the core element is intentionally aggressive, repeated verbal, social and/or physical abuse. Cyber bullying is one of the highest forms of bullying within schools. How can parents help? It all starts with having conversations with your child about school, their interaction with their peers and any issues that may have occurred during the day. It is important as parents to have ‘the talk’ about bullying and look for the signs of bullying so that things do not end up out of control. Parents can help by instilling proper values and giving their children every possible tool to work with. Training is the key to helping your child avoid bullying in middle school. Teaching them they have rights and to respect the rights of others goes a long way. Middle school is a training ground for life and parents must teach young people how to cope with the notso-nice people of the world. Francis C. Hammond has taken the pledge against bullying, Join us in the pledge and put an end to bullying. • I agree to not bully other students • I will help students who are bullied by speaking out and getting adult help • I will include students who are left out Bullying Facts: 28% of U.S. students in grades 6–12 experienced bullying. 70.6% of young people say they have seen bullying in their schools 6% of students in grades 6–12 experienced cyberbullying Only about 20 to 30% of students who are bullied notify adults about the bullying. Counselor’s Corner Newsletter Page 2 Important Dates to Remember… Tips for Success You can set your middle school student up for success this year with some basic pointers. Have your student follow this checklist to get off on the right foot: [ ] I attend school every day unless I’m really sick, and I get there on time. [ ] I get 8-10 hours of sleep each night. [ ] I eat a healthy breakfast in the morning. [ ] I pay attention in class. [ ] I write down my assignments for each subject in my agenda book. [ ] I start my projects when I get them (not the day before they are due!). [ ] I spend 5-10 minutes each day organizing my materials, and I come to class prepared [ ] I complete my homework on time. [ ] I review and read each day. October Fun facts Did you know….October is … Hispanic Heritage Month Disability Awareness Month Drug Prevention/Red Ribbon Week National Cookie Month Lupus Awareness Month Blindness awareness Month More American presidents were born in October than any other month. October 7th PTA Board and Planning Meeting, 7:00PM in D200 October 13th Student Holiday October 14th – October 17th Hispanic Heritage Celebration Week October 15th PBIS Student Reward Event October 22nd Coffee with the Principal/Parent Workshop 9:00AM & 7:00PM October 23rd Early Dismissal for Students Parent/Teacher Conferences (Please contact your grade level administrative assistant to set up your conferences) October 24th Early Dismissal for Students October 23rd – 31st Red Ribbon Week October 30th Harvest Moon Dance 6:00-8:00PM Every Wednesday in October Wear a blue shirt to support anti-bullying Get Involved with the FACE Center of ACPS What is FACE? The Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Center of ACPS is our way of involving families in the educational experience of students. Through free information, resources, workshops and fun activities for students and their families, the FACE Center helps to connect you and your family to the academic achievement of your children. Why is family engagement so important? Family engagement is critical to the success of every ACPS student. But why? Because your child wants to please you! It is part of a child's natural development to seek the approval of his/her parents. So if you hold education up as a priority and establish high expectations for your child, he/she will naturally strive to do his/her best. Your involvement matters so much! Go to http://www.acps.k12.va.us/face-centers/ To check out the “Parent Tool Box” or sign up for workshops like this: Anti-Bullying and Peace-Building Forum A Workshop for Middle School Parents & Students Thursday, October 16, 2014 6:00pm - 8:00pm Jefferson-Houston School
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