WELCOME BACK! KEITH VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL

Transcription

1 F A L L WELCOME BACK! KEITH VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL GUIDANCE NEWSLETTER Inside NEW YEAR, NEW FACES Meet the Department Staff at Keith Valley and learn more about what your school counselor can do for you! SMOOTH TRANSITION Can you believe that it s September already? It feels like just yesterday that we were outside waving goodbye to all of the students as they were departing for summer vacation, where did the time go? As exciting as it is to head out for the summer, we must admit that it is even more exciting to welcome everyone back! We would like to welcome our incoming 6th graders and welcome back our 7th and 8th graders! We hope that you are just as excited as we are to kick off another exciting year at KV! Welcome back! *SAVE THE DATE* 6th Grade Back to School Night MONDAY 09/09/13 7PM 7th Grade Back to School Night THURSDAY 09/12/13 7PM 8th Grade Back to School Night MONDAY 09/23/13 7PM Let s face it, coming back to school after summer vacation can be quite difficult. Check out these healthy habits to make your transition back to school as smooth as possible! SCHOOL SAFETY At Keith Valley we take school safety and school climate very seriously. Learn more about the newest additions and what you can do to help keep our school safe for everyone!

2 THE LOREMNewsletter New Year, New Faces Meet the Department Staff at Keith Valley Middle School Dr. Andrew Osborne 6th Grade School Counselor/Director of Services th I am very excited to be working with the 6 grade this school year and have the opportunity continue working with them throughout their KV career. I am eager to be working with the future of Keith Valley Middle School! Check out Dr. Osborne s full profile under the tab of Keith Mrs. Rebecca Lenthe 7th Grade School Counselor I m looking forward to a new year filled with new opportunities and adventures. Check out Mrs. Lenthe s full profile under the tab of Keith Mrs. Allie Schleifer 7th Grade Long Term Substitute School Counselor I am looking forward to getting to know all of our 7th graders this year. I am here for the first semester while Mrs. Lenthe is on maternity leave and I plan to make every minute count! Check out Mrs. Schleifer s full profile under the tab of Keith 2

3 THE LOREM Newsletter Miss Jamie A. Schoell 8th Grade School Counselor I m so thrilled to be working with 8th grade this year! I can t wait to take part in all of the wonderful activities that 8th grade has to offer! Check out Miss Schoell s full profile under the tab of Keith Mrs. Sue Dupre Secretary Welcome to the school year. I hope you have a great year filled with many wonderful memories. Check out Mrs. Dupre s full profile under the tab of Keith Want to get in touch with your counselor? Contact us! Dr. Osborne: 6th Grade Counselor Phone: aosborne@hatboro-horsham.org Mrs. Lenthe/Mrs. Schleifer: 7th Grade Counselor Phone: aschleif@hatboro-horsham.org rlenthe@hatboro-horsham.org Miss Schoell: 8th Grade Counselor Phone: jschoell@hatboro-horsham.org Mrs. Dupre: Secretary Phone: sdupre@hatboro-horsham.org 3

4 THE LOREMNewsletter KV Counselors: What can we do for you? Counselor Roles & Responsibilities The school counselor s at Keith Valley strive to make every student s middle school experience a positive one. If at any point in time you or someone you know could use an adult to talk to, don t hesitate to stop in and see us - we are here to help with all of your needs! Individual Counseling: o Academic o Social and Emotional o Family Issues or Concerns o Decision Making A lot of students think that you have to have a problem or concern to come to guidance. Well guess what, that s not true! You are always more than welcome to stop in to say hello, let us know how things are going, we would love to hear from you! Small Group Counseling: o Anger Management o Grief and Loss o Changing Families o Friendship Remember, your counselors are here to make your experience positive, utilize your resources! o Anxiety Parent Resources We offer a variety of resources for parents who are in need of outside mental health services. Contact your school counselor to learn more! Sample Services: Depression Drug & Alcohol Anxiety Self Harm Body Image Check out our website for a list of outside resources. Parent Partnership is a group that meets every Thursday night at 7pm. This group is for parents to discuss the challenges of raising children and young adults in our society. Learn more by contacting Kim Rubenstein via at Kim@rubensteins.net or by phone at Please note that this is a group of parents helping parents and all information shared will remain confidential. 4

5 THE LOREMNewsletter Smooth Transition Healthy Eating Habits It is so important to feed your body with healthy foods but lets face it, it s not always easy when we are scrambling to get ready for school in the morning. Eating a healthy, well-balanced breakfast will help you maintain focus throughout the day and curb your craving for junk food. Packing school snacks? Try some fruits, vegetables, nuts, granola bars, and other healthy alternatives! Healthy Body, Healthy Mind Not only is it important to feed your body with healthy foods, it is also equally important to stay active. You don t have to be a star athlete to stay active! Walking, jogging, biking, hiking, and other outdoor activities are great exercises for your mind and body. Staying active will help keep you healthy both physically and mentally! Consistency Routine, routine, routine! Admit it, you ve all asked the question can I stay up for 15 more minutes, please? Maintaining consistency in all aspects of your life will help you in the long run. It is recommended to get at least 8 hours of sleep at night - those extra 15 minutes of sleep will make a difference when your alarm goes off in the morning! Set a schedule and stick to it! Stress Management Setting a schedule and sticking to it also helps decrease the amount of stress and anxiety in your life. Instead of putting off your homework until after dinner, try doing it as soon as you get home and enjoy your evening! Are you a procrastinator? Procrastination can lead to higher levels of stress and anxiety so don t wait until the last minute to complete assignments and projects! 5

6 Newsletter 2013 THE LOREM 2012 School Safety: Our top priority at Keith Valley FAQ S: Have a question? We can answer it! A lot of changes have been made over the past few months at KV to increase the safety of our students and staff. You may have noticed that there are staff members greeting the students in the morning at the doors of the main lobby, or you may have experienced the new visitor identification system in the front lobby. All of these additions have been put into place to help keep KV as safe as possible. Over the summer KV added a new camera and video system, a new more secure swipe access system for all staff members, as well as doors both internally and externally that lock in case of an emergency. We would like to welcome Mr. Jeff Tomlinson, former FBI agent and director of security, to his permanent home at KVMS. Along with Mr. Tomlinson, two part time security guards can be seen monitoring the halls during the AM and PM hours of the building. Not only is security important, we also believe that school climate is just as important. At KV we take bullying very seriously and do not tolerate any form of bullying. If you or someone you know is experiencing bullying please talk to a teacher, a principal, or a counselor and we will do everything we can to stop it. Want to report bullying without telling us in person? Easy, you can report it through the online Reach Out Box! Head to our website and click on the KV K NEX tab. You can anonymously report incidents of bullying and an will be sent to the appropriate team of staff members who can rectify the situation Q: Can I talk to a counselor without my mom or dad knowing? A: Confidentiality is key in maintaining a positive therapeutic relationship. Mom and dad don t need to know everything that we talk about however, there are three things that we must tell other adults if you tell us. 1. If someone is hurting you. 2. If you are hurting yourself. 3. If you are going to hurt someone else. Q: Do I need permission to see a counselor? A: If you would like to see your counselor all you need to do is ask! Grab a pass from a teacher and come on down! Our doors are always open and we love to see new faces! You can even schedule a time to eat lunch with your counselor if you are unable to come down during any other time of the day! Q: Can I come in with a friend or do I have to come alone? A: That is totally up to you! Friends are always great when it comes to support but think about what you want to share with others. Depending on the situation we may ask your friend(s) to return to class if we feel necessary. Remember, you don t have to have a problem or concern to visit with your counselor. We are here to help with more than you think! Stop in today to say hi and learn more about the services that we offer to all students!

7 Newsletter 2013 Stay tuned for more! Thank you for taking the time to read all about the wonderful things that the Department has to offer! We would like to wish parents and students alike a successful year at KV! Please stay tuned for our second issue of the Newsletter that will be coming out in the winter months! Best of Luck! Keith Valley Middle School Department 227 Meetinghouse Road Horsham, PA (P) SAVE THE DATE: Tuesday, November 5, 2013 November 5, pm-7pm KVMS Upper Gym Please contact Jamie Jschoell@hatboro-horsham.org to schedule an appointment