Monthly Focus  //  January 2020

Helping kids manage stress and anxiety

What is the role of the elementary school counselor?

The elementary school years set the foundation for developing the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary for children to become healthy, competent, and confident learners. Elementary school counselors have an impact on these years by implementing a comprehensive school counseling program and collaborating with school staff, parents, and the community to create a safe and respectful learning environment. By providing education, prevention, early identification, and intervention, elementary school counselors help their students achieve academic success, develop an understanding of career opportunities and develop social/emotional skills in response to issues they face.
- American School Counselor Association, 2017 -

stress and anxiety

Monthly Focus  //  january 2020

Our focus for this month is helping students deal with stress and anxiety. The pandemic has caused individuals to feel overwhelmed and discombobulated. We struggled to keep our kids learning during the shutdown at the end of last year, and we have worked hard to give them a sense of normalcy during this school year. This delicate balance has caused us some stress and it is being reflected in the anxiety many children are displaying.

The counseling lessons for this month are centering around stress and anxiety. The students will learn coping strategies to can use when they are facing difficult situations. We are teaching them these skills so they can identify their feelings and understand how to feel more calm. It improves learning and helps them recognize when their emotions are hijacking their brain and lessening their ability to think clearly.

These skills develop over time and they will have several strategies to choose from. We want to be there for your children and give them a safe place to go. Directing our attention to the social and emotional development of the students prepares them to be lifelong learners.
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"Our life is shaped by our mind, for we become what we think."
                                                                                                                                                                                               Buddha

5 Top resources: Counseling

resources  //  2020-21 School year

​These resources are links to sites that can provide additional help and support for you and your child(ren). 

ABOUT ME

My name is Michele D'Avignon. Most of the students just call me Ms. D (it's a lot easier than D'Avignon). This is my fourth year working as a school counselor. I have the great honor of counseling at Diamond Valley. The students at this school display a wide variety of characteristics that keep me moving. Before getting my Master's Degree from Utah State University, I worked as classroom teacher at Lava Ridge Intermediate School for 10 years. I was privileged to work as a Special Education teacher, English as a Second Language (ESL) Coordinator, At-Risk teacher, Social Studies teacher, and Language Arts teacher over the course of my tenure. 
As a counselor, I will be working with your child to develop social/emotional skills to help them succeed at school. This process requires classroom lessons, small group sessions, and individual counseling. Working with students at the elementary level gives me the opportunity to instill important traits before they move to secondary school. 

Educational links​

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