During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) school closure , all members of the guidance department will be available to help students Monday-Friday from 9:00am-11:00am and 12:00pm- 2:00pm. Please email your counselor with any concerns or questions you may have during your time away from school. In addition to contacting your counselor through email, we will also be available to video or audio chat with students through www.zoom.us. If you are not familiar with this software, please download it using your student email and familiarize yourself with it. Simply email us with your request to have a video or audio conference, and we will get back to you with an appointment time. Please review our guidance page frequently for further information regarding community resources, services and coping strategies to help you through this difficult time. Stay safe and healthy!
JUNEis here!! You are so close to finishing this school year and starting your summer break! Stay POSITIVE! Stay FOCUSED! Stay MOTIVATED! YOU CAN DO THIS!!
I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. At this time let us remember those heroes of the past and the current heroes. Americans always rise to challenges put before them. We can be proud of those who helped defeating those challenges of the past and we will defeat this new challenge. When it seems demanding and times get tough remember those heroes and what they went through.
This is the time to work hard & complete any missing assignments for the 4th marking period! You can do this!!!!
Also - remember to take care of yourself.. try the following ideas..
Seniors, although we are sad that you will be leaving us at the end of the week, we are extremely proud of all your accomplishments. Please remember to tie up any loose ends before the end of the week. Although we cannot celebrate you in the traditional way, we know that we are sending you off into the world prepared and ready for anything that comes your way!. Congratulations!
Juniors, sophomores and freshmen, although you are not quite at the ultimate finish line, you will be one step closer at the end of the school year! Stay motivated and your perseverance will pay off!
VIRTUAL GAMING LAB?
VIRTUAL DUNGEONS & DRAGONS?
OH THE HORROR! VIRTUAL ESCAPE ROOMS?
THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE FUN, VIRTUAL THINGS YOUR BUFFALO & ERIE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY HAS BEEN DOING AND THERE ARE TONS MORE!
We keep getting closer and closer to the end of the school year and the end of this pandemic. Don't loose your motivation now. Let's finish strong! Keep up all the great work!!
It is important you take time to check on yourself as we settle into our new normal.
Have you tried the following? These are great ideas to "Check-In" with yourself and to help keep you feeling good..
Unfortunately we have had plenty of rain, both literally and figuratively! Spring in Buffalo can be pretty wet, which can reduce our already limited list of safe activities we can do during this unprecedented time of social distancing. Our figurative rain (social distancing, cancellations, anxiety, and stress, etc.) has also taken a toll on our mental and physical health. Let’s keep watching for the rainbow… it will come! In the meanwhile, keep checking back to the postings on this website for tips and reminders to help all of us get through this difficult time.
First, thank YOU for helping control the spread of the corona virus by staying home, staying safe, staying healthy and staying positive!! Thank you for helping out at home with chores and helping with your younger siblings! Thank you for your patience, determination and perseverance in getting your classroom instructions and completing and submitting your assignments online!! WELL DONE!! We Are So Very Proud Of You!!
There are others, as well, that we can be thankful for during this challenging time. Our essential workers daily face exposure to the corona virus, but still they report to their jobs ready to provide our necessary services: cashiers, pharmacists, daycare workers, mail carriers, CNAs in nursing homes, nurses and doctors...to name a few! Maybe you have family members and friends who are "essential workers" or "key workers". They are our heroes!
Please consider showing your appreciation for all of them by posting a sign with a message of gratitude in your window. It can be something uniquely creative of your own or you can select from any of these:
You are doing great! Keep up the good work and continue to work on your classroom assignments. This will pass, we will be together again. We are all so proud of you! Stay Safe & Healthy
It is also VERY important to remember during this time that we can’t control a lot of what is happening around us, so focus on what you can control to center and ground yourself if you are feeling overwhelmed. See the chart below for some examples and remember... if you can’t control it, let it go! Everyone is doing a tremendous job under very difficult circumstances. Keep it up and use the tips below to help yourself and others.
*** Do not forget grades close this week***
The work during this crisis and your grades count! Make sure you finish all that your teachers have assigned you before Wednesday. If you are having trouble email your teachers and let them know so they may help you or take your issues into account. Without that communication teachers will just assume you are choosing not to do their work, and your grades will reflect that.
Here is another stress reducer to add to your toolbox!
Visualization
Imagine yourself in a beautiful place that you love. Perhaps it’s your favorite place to watch the sunset, a stream, a lush forest, a secret beach, a field of wildflowers, or even your bedroom. Invite all of your senses to imagine yourself there. Hear the evening crickets, feel the sand in between your toes, and smell the flowers. The power of the mind is that we can travel back in time to visit a good memory and experience the positive feelings in the present moment.
You know the story of the hare and the turtle. The turtle keeps putting one slow foot in front of the other. The hare races forward, then stops. Races forward again, then takes a nap because he thinks he’s so far ahead, he is entitled to a rest. But the turtle keeps on going, slow step by slow step, never stopping, never quitting.
You might say it is consistency that wins the day. That too is a very big part of it.
It is the patient person who, when the going gets tough, becomes calm and patient with him or herself, breathes, and believes that all is occurring at just the right speed and in exactly the right order – even if he or she wishes it would happen faster or in a different order.
They say patience is a virtue. In times of crisis, panic, anxiety or sudden change, it is the patient person who is grounded, able to smile in the face of whatever is transpiring, and who continues to move forward toward the destination and direction he or she is pursuing, just like the turtle, one small step at a time.
The key to having patience with anything is to be patient with yourself and with each moment.
Patience is that quiet confidence that helps you hold it all together in moments of crisis and in times of change. Patience is that still small voice inside that says, “Keep calm and carry on,” like Winston Churchill said so many years ago.
In our instant gratification society today, we want answers right now, resolutions to our conflicts and frustrations, and ultimately closure to those crises that feel like they could crush us and our spirits.
Just like the turtle, use the asset you have – patience – to your advantage. Smile and acknowledge yourself for the small steps you take and keep on taking them.
Inch by inch, yard by yard, you will only be able to succeed if you continue forth and don’t give in or give up.
When you are faced with a sudden crisis situation, remember that you really do have an unlimited supply of patience available to you.
How much or how little you choose to use is entirely up to you.
You have the right to remain fabulous!
Week 4...You are into the home stretch! Grades close this week! You have been doing an amazing job, so keep up the great work!
If you are the tortoise in this story, slow and steady will win you the race. You have:
accepted the challenges of your assignments
asked your teachers to explain assignments more so you have a greater understanding of what you are expected to do
found a way to complete them (whether using technology or completing paper copies)
used good time management skills and paid attention to due dates
checked your student portal to make sure all your work is done
CONGRATULATIONS! Your Hard Work Will Pay Off!!
If you are the hare in this story, it's time to HOP TO IT!! We are here to help you!
You Can Do This!!
Everyone is doing a tremendous job under very difficult circumstances. Keep it up and use the tips below to help yourself and others.*** Do not forget grades close this week***The work during this crisis and your grades count! Make sure you finish all that your teachers have assigned you before Wednesday. If you are having trouble email your teachers and let them know so they may help you or take your issues into account. Without that communication teachers will just assume you are choosing not to do their work, and your grades will reflect that.
Technology has become a vital part of this process, but it is not just here to help you with school work.. You can use it to help you when you are feeling overwhelmed, try out some of these apps to help you during social distancing time.
"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style." ~ Maya Angelou
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During this stressful and rapidly changing time in our lives, it is not uncommon to feel anxious, stressed and overwhelmed. While we continue to navigate through this difficult time, the guidance department wants to add as many emotional supports as possible to your calming toolbox. Watch this short video and give emotional grounding a try.
5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Exercise
When you’re feeling anxious, pause and settle your mind by naming:
Remember to Stay Safe by adhering to the following:
During Social Distancing you may be feeling all types of emotions. It is completely normal if you are feeling unsure about the future, maybe even a little anxious! The important part is how you manage these feelings, you must not let them take over! The best way to deal with these overwhelming emotions is SELF CARE! Here are some ideas to keep connected and help others.
WELCOME TO GUIDANCE!
We have 3 school counselors and one youth counselor available to assist students and parents. Our counselors are trained and experienced in helping students work through personal, social/emotional and academic problems and in guiding educational and vocational planning. You may enlist the aid of the counselors to identify interests, aptitudes, and career goals and to clarify diploma requirements. If personal problems are interfering with success in school, don’t hesitate to talk with the counselors.
➤As school counselors, we use a multidisciplinary approach, consulting with:
* Teachers
* Parents
* Administrators
* Physicians
* Community Agencies
* Social Workers
* Psychologists
* Clergy
* Mental Health Professionals
Counselors take an active role in positive communications with parents, students, and the community through various letters, phone calls, e-mails, brochures, parent nights, and student programs.
for helping control the spread of the corona virus by staying home, staying safe, staying healthy and staying positive!! Thank you for helping out at home with chores and helping with your younger siblings! Thank you for your patience, determination and perseverance in getting your classroom instructions and completing and submitting your assignments online!! WELL DONE!! We Are So Very Proud Of You!!
