October 26th 2012

October 26th, 2012

Upcoming

1. Departing student: Good bye to Danielle Tan, 8th grade.We will miss you in 8th grade at AISC and as a student Ambassador!! We wish you the best in your new school.

Student Ambassadors

 New students

Our Student Ambassadors are still hard at work. They are regularly having training workshops and learning ways of improving their role as student Ambassadors. Two improvements that they are implementing now is to having regular check ins with new students, once every two or so weeks to to see that they are adjusting well and to observe that they are participating and happy in middle school. 

Advisory Activity Leader

All Student Ambassadors will be leading an Advisory group in an activity called " Alphabet Activity". After the fun activity is over, the Student Ambassadors will be facilitating a discussion on what the students learn from this activity and how it relates to making good choices, which is our Advisory theme at this time. To prepare for this, all the Student Ambassadors attended a meeting on October 24th. We discussed what kind of questions would be appropriate. Each group of Ambassadors are collaborating to make questions that could be used with this activity. We have shared it on Google Docs and the final 5 questions will be ready next week. Each grade level group of Student Ambassadors will meet at lunch to finalize the presentation of their Advisory activity. 

6th grade Student Ambassadors will visit 6th grade Advisories on November 16th

7th grade Student Ambassadors will visit 7th grade Advisories on November 9th

8th grade Student Ambassadors will visit 8th grade Advisories on November 16th

Advisory Update                                  "Making good choices"

The Advisory classes are well into way working with the them, "Making Good choices". Each Advisory have been working through a series of activities based on the theme that help the students learn more about themselves, what are values, what are their values and how do I make choices based on my values and beliefs.


The following are just a sample of some of the activities that the students have done so far in Advisory class.

Myers Brigs Personality Test

"I like everyone who....."

What's important to you?

What's in a name?

"I am" poem

Different values 

What are my values

October 18th

Middle School Counselor

October 18th, 2012

Upcoming:

1. Friday October 18th. Welcome to our new 6th grade student, Yujin Kim! Jenny will be her Student Ambassador!

2.  Wednesday, October 24th 3:35-4:30pm  Student Ambassador meeting. All Student Ambassadors are expected to be present.

3. Friday October 26th. Professional Development day for teachers. No school for students.

Note:

 I  will be out of the office on Friday, October 19th for a Counselor's conference in KL, Malaysia. There will be over 40 counselors and psychologists in attendance. There will presentations on Advanced counseling skills, self harm, Anger, Anxiety and Depression as well as Bullying Prevention, Expressive Arts for Sexually Abused Children and Adventure Based Counseling. I am looking forward to networking with  the counselors in our region and participating in the workshops. 

Welcome back to our 7th grade students on their WWoW trip!!

They are having a wonderful adventure in Nagarhole, visiting the local school and interacting with the students of Kutta. They have had great weather and food and participated in team building activities, talent show, nature walks and safaris and many more activities. They saw their first TIGER last evening!!

Social Interactions

Getting along with people and learning how to keep friends is a skill that can be learned and is an on going challenge for many of us. Everyone is unique and  has has their own way of thinking and doing things. As we enter our adolescent years, we want to "fit in", we want to "be one of the group" and worry when we stand out or don't "fit in". "Trying" to fit in sometimes has the the opposite result because you are trying to be someone you are not. Be yourself and true to your values and beliefs and you will be respected and accepted for who you are. 

Here are some tips on  friendships:

1. Be yourself: Never change who you are to try and fit in. If your friends don't accept you for you, they're not really friends. 

2. Be kind and caring: Always say positive things and make someone else feel good. People like compliments and to feel good around you.

3. Assume the best: Always assume that someone is doing something well or in your best interest. Ask them questions first before you jump to conclusions.

 4. Be open: Communication is paramount! express how you feel and ask questions to find out how the other person is doing.

5. Be honest with others: If something is bothering you or you are not feeling well,  tell someone how you are feeling rather than ignoring them. They are not mind readers and may think that it is about them, when really it is about you are going through.

October 12th 2012

Middle School Counselor 

October 12th 2012

Upcoming
1. October 16th-19th: Grade 7 WWoW trip to Nagarhole Tuesday October 16th-19th
2. Monday, October 15th: Welcome back 8th grade from WWoW trip!
3.October 24th 3:30-4:30pm  Student Ambassador meeting for all Student Ambassadors


Congratulations to all our wonderful middle school swimmers for your performances and hard work  in the SAISA swim meet over the the past weekend!! Your contributions have been commendable!

Advisory Theme

Making Good Choices 

September-December 1st

Middle school students have been engaging in activities based on the theme: Making Good Choices. The activities components are  knowing yourself, what are values, knowing your values, and how to make a good choice/decision for yourself.   The following article shows how to be a successful student in middles school.  These habits fit nicely with our theme of making good choices. We can reinforces these habits at home, iat school and in the community. Habits are formed after repeated usage and trials. Sometimes they take a long time to form, but if we keep practicing them, they will become a habit:-)

Eight Habits of Successful Middle School Students

http://www.bvps.org/vmscounseling/eight_habits_of_successful.htm  

1. Be Responsible and Know Yourself

• When the word “responsibility” is broken down, the key words are “respond” and “ability.” A

successful person has the ability to respond to challenges.

• Choose your own response to a difficult situation beforehand, rather than wait for it to

happen and not be prepared.

• Begin by looking honestly at your personal strengths and weaknesses, and determine your

own sense of responsibility for your behavior, and for your family and friends.

2. Reflect Success

• Have a clear picture of the kind of person you would like to become and the types of goals

that you want to achieve.

• Identify a positive adult role model, who has achieved the same goals and reflects the same

success that you desire. You can imitate similar pathways to success.

• Not every role model has to be a famous basketball player or movie actor. Some of the best

role models are in your own neighborhood, schools, churches, and even your own home.

3. Aim Toward Your Goal

• Put life, family, friends, and values in a good perspective.

• To design a successful career, start by first identifying the end goal, and then determine the

steps necessary to obtain it.

• Find a caring adult who will be able to help you put your plan into place one step at a time.

4. Prioritize and Maximize

• Now that you have a successful vision of yourself, you can begin prioritizing your daily

routine so that you are able to make the best use of your time and your energy.

• Don’t get caught up in things that may take you away from your goal, such as alcohol, drugs,

or negative people.

• Anything that does not benefit your vision of success does not benefit you.

• Organize your work area and keep it free from distractions.

• Improve your organizational skills by using a daily planner, a personal “To Do” list, and a

regular personal evaluation meeting with an adult or a mentor to check your progress.

5. Be a Winner

• Build relationships in which you and the other person both succeed. These are called “winwin”

partnerships.

• These “win-win” partners should be friends whom you can call on for support, tutoring, or for

conversation that helps you stay on track.

• Teachers, coaches, principals, and mentors could be partners who help you succeed.

6. Communicate

• Communication is the essential key to understanding.

• Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and when answers are given be sure to listen.

• The cycle of communication is usually broken when you try to second-guess what others are

trying to say.

• Try to understand the motivations and goals of others around you. This can improve your

communications and increase your network of positive partnerships.

7. Connect to a Good Power Source

• Having access to strong, positive partners will increase your ability to succeed.