Counselors' Corner December 14

12/13/2021 9:53 pm

Food for Thought:

With the winter holidays comes great teaching opportunities for families and educators alike to learn about other cultures, religions, and traditions. Although this article was written with teachers in mind, I think it is helpful for families and caregivers as well.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) was founded in 1913 by Sigmund Livingston, a Chicago attorney. Livingston envisioned "an America where those who seemed different were not targets of discrimination and threats, but were equals, worthy of shared opportunity and a place in the American dream." This vision remains relevant today.

As always, I hope this information validates the conversations that you are already having in your homes and provides some additional insights, tools, and strategies. 

Wishing you a restorative winter break.

Megan, Sarah M., Sarah P., and Felice

Counselors' Corner December 7

12/6/2021 6:58 pm

Counselors' Corner November 23

11/22/2021 4:33 pm

Food for Thought:

The Ten Foundational Principles, along with the 3Cs (Community, Civility, and Compassion), guide the work that we do at Wickliffe. As we continue to “raise social consciousness by encouraging the school community to examine and act upon complex issues within a democratic society,” we acknowledge that this is ongoing work for our children.

Along with the teachers, the counseling team is committed to making Wickliffe welcoming and inclusive for EVERYBODY. Through classroom lessons on topics such as identity, perspective-taking, equity and equality, in addition to groups like IDEA Mentors and TOAD Talks, we continue to address ways to make this a reality.

I would like to bring awareness to some behaviors (microaggressions) that have occurred on our playground. There have been unkind comments and gestures directed at some children with diverse identities. The hurt that these children (and their families) have experienced is deep.

As co-educators, I would like to partner with all of you to eliminate this from our Wickliffe community. Here is an article on microaggressions from NCH’s On Our Sleeves initiative. I hope this will validate what you are already doing or provide some helpful tips for having these very important conversations.

I welcome your thoughts.

Until next week,

The Counseling Team 

Felice Kassoy, Sarah Perry, Sarah Moyer, and Megan Montana

Counselors' Corner November 16

11/16/2021 3:51 pm

Counselors' Corner November 2

11/1/2021 9:11 pm

IDEA Mentors will begin this month. If you are interested in having your child participate, please reach out to Felice Kassoy or Stacy Pilutti. This group uses the power of peer culture to develop role models who will be ambassadors within our classrooms, on the playground, and other common spaces to make courageous conversations a part of our school culture where everyone feels seen, heard, and welcome.

Food for Thought:

Shawna McEvoy is an incredible member of the Wickliffe staff. She is an amazing Intervention Specialist  (IS) and the skilled (and compassionate) facilitator of Mindful Mornings. 

Shawna shared the following *message* with all of the adults at Wickliffe in a recent email. With her permission, I would like to share with all of you what she sent. It is definitely worth reading!

Take care of yourself as the seasons change. 

Please look at this article below from the New York Times regarding rest and how important it is. Blair Braverman, an American adventurer, dogsled racer, musher, advice columnist and nonfiction writer uses rest as a strategy to persevere through her races. She plans to use rest proactively for her dogs. It is part of the race. 

As we continue to find ways to navigate this pandemic, we hope this article will provide a helpful perspective.

What My Sled Dogs Taught Me About Planning for the Unknown

The New York Times | September 23, 2020 | Blair Braverman 

Here’s the thing about sled dogs: They never know how far they’re going to run. 

As a musher – the human driver of a dog sled team, this is one of my mail challenges. There are many ways in which my dogs know more than I do. They know a storm is coming, or if a moose crossed the trail days before. They know how ice shifts under their paws. They know if we’re being followed and by what kind of animal. They know their own power – that they’re stronger than me, much stronger, and if they turn or stop when I ask them to, it’s because they’re choosing to listen and trust me. Running together is a gift they give me every day. 

But each time my dogs hit the trail, they run hard – they give it everything they’ve got. That’s find if we’re going 10 miles, or 30, distances they can cover easily in a few hours. We can leave after dinner and be home by midnight, silver snow on a full-moon night. But what if we’re going 100 miles, or a thousand? Asking sled dogs to pace themselves, to slow it down, is like asking a retriever to only fetch one ball out of three: It goes against their every instinct.

That’s how I feel now, midpandemic that we humans are falling into uncertainty, stretching ourselves thin, and we have no idea how far it is to the finish line. The difference, of course, is that sled dogs want to run, and people do not want to live through a public health crisis. But there’s a parallel in the unknown distance, the unseen ending. And oddly enough, mushing has prepared me for this. 

I used to be a dedicated planner. I know what I’d do every day, weeks in advance. Having a plan made me feel confident and safe. And then I got into long-distance dog sledding, and I discovered that the only thing worse than not having a plan was the stress of having one and constantly breaking it. Working with dogs in the wilderness means negotiating countless shifting variables: snow and wind, wild animals, open water, broken equipment, each dog’s needs and changing mood. I learned that plans, when I made them, were nothing but a sketch; the only thing I needed to count on was that the dogs and I would make decisions along the way. 

One of the most surprising things about distance mushing is the need to front-load rest. You’re four hours into a four-day race and then dogs are charging down the trail, leaning into their momentum, barely getting started – and then, despite their enthusiasm, it’s time to stop. Make straw beds in the snow, take off your dogs’ bootees, build a fire, heat up some meat stew (for the team, but hey, you can have some too) and rest for a few hours. The dogs might not even sit down; they’re howling, antsy to keep going. It doesn’t matter. You rest. Four hours later, you rest again. 

You keep doing that, no matter how much your dogs want to keep going. In fact, if you’re diligent from the start, they’ll actually need less rest at the end of a trip – when their muscles are stronger and their metabolisms have switched from burning glycogen to fat – than at the beginning. It’s far easier to prevent fatigue than to recover from it later. 

But resting early, anticipating your dog’s needs, does something even more important than that: It builds trust. A sled dog learns that by the time she’s hungry, her musher has already prepared a meal; by the time she’s tired, she has a warm bed. If she’s cold, you have a coat or blanket for her; if she’s thirsty, you have water. And it’s this security, this trust, that lets her pour herself into the journey, give the trail everything she has without worrying about what comes next. You can’t make a sled dog run 100 miles. But if she knows you’ve got her back, she’ll run because she wants to, because she burns to, and she’ll bring you along for the ride.

What this means for people, for us, is that we can’t just plan to take care of ourselves later. We shouldn’t expect to catch up on sleep when we really crash, or to reach out to loved ones after we’re struck by loneliness. We should ask for support before we need it. We should support others before they ask. Because if you don’t know how far you’re going, you need to act like you’re going forever.

Planning for forever is essentially impossible, which can actually be freeing: It brings you back into the present. How long will this pandemic last? Right now, that’s irrelevant; what matters is eating a nourishing meal, telling someone you love them, walking your dog, getting enough sleep. What matter is that, to the degree you can, you make your own life sustainable every day.

Sled dogs can run farther, in a shorter time, than almost any other animal. But they only think as far ahead as they can see, hear and smell. They catch the scent of a deer; they see a curve in the trail. It is, in its way, that simple. If they team meets an unexpected challenge, if they come to a steep mountain or take shelter in a storm, they’re better off for their restraint. Because they’re healthy, content; they have what they need, and they have each other. There’s no stronger way to meet the unknown.

Until next week,

The Counseling Team 

Felice Kassoy, Sarah Perry, Sarah Moyer, and Megan Montana

Counselors' Corner October 26

10/26/2021 9:04 am

Counseling Team updates:

Just a reminder to email Dr. Kassoy (fkassoy@uaschools.org) if you are interested in having your child participate in IDEA Mentors.

As a progressive school we are preparing our students to be informed,  engaged, and anti-bias citizens of our democracy. This group uses the power of peer culture to develop role models who will be ambassadors within our classrooms, on the playground, and other common spaces to make courageous conversations a part of our school culture where everyone feels seen, heard, and welcome.

Food for Thought:

As a school counselor, I have the privilege of helping children to develop the interpersonal skills necessary to resolve conflict. Many of the situations I encounter often necessitate an apology. I have observed over the years that the most common response from the child who is on the receiving end of an apology is to say, “that’s okay.” Of course, telling someone who has wronged you in some way that it is *okay* is really NOT okay! If it were okay, they wouldn’t be apologizing.

So as adults, we can model for children how to offer and receive an apology. Though this NPR Life Kit podcast is created for adults, I think it provides a helpful framework for thinking about how we teach our children how to say they are sorry... and to do it in a way that repairs the damage that has been done and deepens the relationship.

I invite you to listen to this podcast. You will hear Harriet Lerner, a renowned psychologist, discuss this important topic. She provides these tips on how to Elevate Your Apology:

1. No "ifs" or "buts"

2. Don’t overdo it

3. Be genuine

4. Stay focused on the current conflict

5. Use it as a powerful to grow closer to someone

6. Be accountable, courageous, and share what you're genuinely sorry for by meeting the moment with an open ear and an open heart

As always, we hope this article validates something you are already doing or provides a new perspective for this very important life skill.

Until next week,

The Counseling Team 

Felice Kassoy, Sarah Perry, Sarah Moyer, and Megan Montana

Counselors' Corner October 19

10/18/2021 1:05 pm

Counseling Team updates - October 19

Our early fall groups will be wrapping us this month. We have enjoyed having your children engage in these meaningful opportunities. The late fall groups will start the first week of November. If you are interested in having your child participate, please email Dr. Kassoy (fkassoy@uaschools.org).

• IDEA Mentors: This group uses the power of peer culture to develop role models who will be ambassadors within our classrooms, on the playground and other common spaces, to make courageous conversations a part of our school culture. This group of students will focus on Identity, Diversity, Equity, and Action (IDEA). Our vision is to develop informed and engaged anti-biased future citizens.

• Worry Warriors: For kiddos who have a lot of *big worries* about the world around them. Whether it has to do with the challenges of COVID-19, experiencing a new school year, or something else outside of school, it can be very overwhelming for kids to try to tackle these worries on their own. We hope that this group will empower these children to gain control over their worries and discover their inner warriors!

• Super Sibs: For children who have siblings with *different* needs. The goal of the group is to provide support for these students and give them a safe space to share common experiences that come along with having a sibling who has different abilities. Through stories, conversations, and activities, our hope is that these kiddos will feel supported knowing that they have a group of friends at school who also understand what it means to be a Super Sib!

And we are delighted that TOAD Talks and Mindful Mornings will continue on designated Tuesdays shared by Ms. McEvoy, Lucy Cheng, and Ann Bixel.

Food for Thought

As we continue to explore the impact of the pandemic on our children, I will be sharing information from a variety of sources.

This article is from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). KFF is a nonprofit organization focusing on national health issues, as well as the U.S. role in global health policy.

Although this was written in August of 2021, I think it sheds light on some current findings regarding the wellbeing and health of children from a broad research and policy perspective. There are many links within this article that may also be helpful.

In the coming months, the Counseling Team will continue to provide support for our students through classroom visits, groups, and individual counseling. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if there is anything we can do to for your child or family.

Until next week,

The Counseling Team 

Felice Kassoy, Sarah Perry, Sarah Moyer, and Megan Montana

Counselors' Corner

10/11/2021 1:05 pm

Counseling Team updates - October 12:

Our early fall groups will be wrapping us this month. We have enjoyed having your children engage in these meaningful opportunities. The late fall groups will start the first week of November. If you are interested in having your child participate, please email Dr. Kassoy (fkassoy@uaschools.org).

• Worry Warriors: For kiddos who have a lot of *big worries* about the world around them. Whether it has to do with the challenges of COVID-19, experiencing a new school year, or something else outside of school, it can be very overwhelming for kids to try to tackle these worries on their own. We hope that this group will empower these children to gain control over their worries and discover their inner warriors!

• Super Sibs: For children who have siblings with *different* needs. The goal of the group is to provide support for these students, and give them a safe space to share common experiences that come along with having a sibling who has different abilities. Through stories, conversations, and activities, our hope is that these kiddos will feel supported knowing that they have a group of friends at school who also understand what it means to be a Super Sib!

And we are delighted that TOAD Talks and Mindful Mornings will continue on designated Tuesdays shared by Ms. McEvoy, Lucy Cheng, and Ann Bixel.

Food for Thought

I stumbled upon this article after my Sunday morning stroll with my friend, Chris. Each week we walk our COVID-rescue puppies (now dogs) together. Over the years, we have really bonded through these outdoor visits!  Research actually shows that conversations in nature might help families connect. Gina Decaprio Vercesi, a journalist for National Geographic, explains why and how you can get started (or why you should keep doing it)! 

And I hope this blog by Ohio Health gives you some new ideas of ways to experience the beauty of this fall while enjoying the benefits of being outdoors with your family.

Happy walking, talking, exploring, and connecting!

Until next week,

The Counseling Team 

Felice Kassoy, Sarah Perry, Sarah Moyer, and Megan Montana

Counseling Team updates - September 28

9/27/2021 8:32 pm

Counseling Team updates:

Thank you for your enthusiastic response to our fall groups. Soon, we'll share the list of new ones being offered starting in November. 

In addition to groups and classroom visits, we also work with children individually. If we can support your child (or family) in any way, please reach out to Dr. Kassoy (fkassoy@uaschools.org).

Food for thought:

The Counseling Team has been reflecting on our visits with individual children and small groups of students since we have returned to school. We have heard and seen the ways this ongoing pandemic has affected them. There are so many things to celebrate, starting with their resilience! And then there are also areas of social and emotional learning (SEL), an integral part of education and human development, that need some extra TLC.

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning describes SEL as “the process through which all young people (and adults) acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.”

As this school year unfolds, we would like to partner with each of you to work together to support these areas of growth in developmentally appropriate ways.

Please be on the lookout for tips, strategies, and articles that provide the research to support these ideas. Our hope is that together we can continue to navigate this storm and help our children to thrive.

Until next week,

The Counseling Team 

Felice Kassoy, Sarah Perry, Sarah Moyer, and Megan Montana

COUNSELING TEAM UPDATES - SEPTEMBER 24

9/27/2021 10:09 am

We would like to thank everyone for their enthusiastic response to our fall groups. Please be on the lookout for the list of new groups that will be starting in November.

Our classroom visits have begun. It is great to be back in the classroom with all of the children and see their *smiling* eyes.

In addition to groups and classroom visits, we also work with children individually. If we can support your child (or family) in any way, please reach out to Dr. Kassoy (fkassoy@uaschools.org)

Until next week,
Felice, Sarah P, Sarah M, and Megan