Happy Catholic Schools Week! This busy and fun-filled week always reminds me how grateful I am to be part of the St. John community. Looking to next week, I’ll be continuing the celebrations as February 6-10 is National School Counseling Week! The goal of National School Counseling Week is to focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within the U.S. school systems. To learn more about the role of school counselors, please check out this infographic or head to my website.
I feel so fortunate to be your child’s school counselor. It’s an honor to do this work, and I feel so blessed to be supported by the wonderful St. John community!
February Resources
- In my January newsletter, I highlighted the January 24 PNW Parent Education event with Dr. Lisa Damour. I heard from a number of families that this talk was informative and worth their time, so I want to share Dr. Damour’s podcast. Dr. Damour has weekly episodes that answer listeners’ real-life questions. I highly recommend checking out this podcast and Dr. Damour’s books if you’re raising a tween or teen!
- Looking for pointers on how to praise your child in a way that grows their intrinsic motivation? Check out this article, The Ultimate Guide to Praising Your Kids, which is full of excellent tips. Hint: try to avoid giving your child “person praise” (e.g., “You’re so smart!”) in favor of “process praise” (e.g., “I like the way you tried all kinds of strategies on that math problem until you finally got it!”).
- I was alerted by a concerned St. John parent about a worrisome app about which families should know. The app is called “Omegle,” and its tagline is “talk to strangers!” An app with this mission clearly poses serious safety concerns for minors, so I wanted to spread the word and make sure our community is aware. When considering if apps are safe and appropriate for your child, I always recommend heading to Common Sense Media, a website that provides age-based media reviews. See their review of Omegle here.
