ICS Counseling Newsletter

All counseling newsletters can be found on Powerschool and the ICS website under ‘Counseling’. Your counselors are connected and here for you. We are only an email away.

Middle School Counselor - Lis Christiansen - lchristiansen@lwsd.org High School Counselor - Kelsey Cummings - kelcummings@lwsd.org

We’re in the last stretch! The last day of school for 6-11 graders is June 19. Seniors, you are done

even sooner! Students, now is the time to work with your teachers to be sure you have met the basic standards for each of your classes. If you haven’t been in touch with your classes through

Teams, email, or PSL much during this closure, it’s a good idea to use the next couple weeks to be in contact with your teachers. Let them know how you are doing; they can help you figure out what needs to happen in order for you to meet the course standards and complete the course. There will be multiple options for resolving any possible incompletes. More information is coming about that.

Social Emotional Learning Opportunities

Edible Education for the Home Classroom Lessons around the themes of imagine, create, learn, connect, reflect, and support

Pen Pals! Do a Google search to find various programs that promote connections through pen pals around the world. There are a number of new programs popping up.

34 Earth Day Crafts With Recycled Materials It may not be Earth Day anymore, but these crafts look fun!

Washington Trails Association Find a hike and get outdoors in nature!

Everyone Needs a Mentor

Over and over, studies show that teenagers who have a trusted adult they can talk to openly and honestly, without feeling judged or reprimanded, are happier, healthier, more confident, less stressed, less likely to use drugs and alcohol, and do better in school. And yet for many, it’s hard to talk openly

with the adults who know them best – their own parents.

There are lots of reasons for this. Many parents first react with worry, frustration or anger when their kids make mistakes, which makes them less likely to want to talk to parents about their problems.

Also, teens are biologically programmed to connect more with their peers and less with their parents as they grow up. This is all normal! And yet, teenagers still need adult mentors who can help them

interpret and manage life’s challenges, navigate emotions, think things through before acting on impulses, and grow into who they ultimately want to be.

Luckily, our school has many adults for students to choose from for mentoring and other support: teachers, school counselors, and even a school-based Behavioral Health Support Specialist—that’s me! What exactly is a behavioral health counselor? It’s someone with education and experience in

supporting people through challenging mental health, identity and substance use issues. So if you’d like to talk confidentially about the frustrations of being at home, family conflict, or feeling depressed or anxious, please drop in so we can chat. If you have questions or concerns about drug and alcohol use, your sexuality, or your gender identity, we can talk confidentially about that, as well. If you’re a

parent or friend, concerned that someone you love might be struggling with any of these issues, give me a call and we can figure out how to support them. And if you’re curious how to go about finding an

adult mentor in your school or elsewhere, let’s talk!

How to Meet with Cora Goss-Grubbs, YES Counselor:

Zoom Office Hours: Every Wednesday, 1:00PM - 2:30PM; Register here anytime – Find your school’s office hours on the chart and follow the link. Telehealth (phone or video): Leave a voice message at 425-747-4937, ext 2719. Enter the extension anytime during the greeting. Be sure to leave your name and phone number, and she will get back to you within 24 hours on weekdays.

Cultivating Skills for Middle/High School and Beyond

Helping Students Stay Motivated - Jed Applerouth, Kendra Cherry

What is motivation? Motivation involves the biological, emotional, social, and cognitive forces that activate behavior. In everyday usage, the term motivation is frequently used to describe why a person does something. It is the driving force behind human actions.

As a result of current events, we are seeing a rise in issues related to motivation with students as they navigate remote learning and planning for the future:

-It’s harder to look forward to specific times given the uncertainty

- There is a loss of regulation and more worry and anxiety than usual.

-More isolation than normal. As social animals other humans are part of our motivational system.

-There is an increased need for structure, routine, accountability. Many of our normal structures are no longer in place.

- Students are feeling a loss of control.

What can students and families do to increase motivation?

Build new daily structures: Work on building a structure to your days and weeks. Follow routines and build a daily schedule for yourself to help stay on track. Consider attending to the rhythm of the day. When do you feel productive? When is it important to take breaks? Also, think about how your schedule will change during the summer.

Increase feedback and praise: Students should practice positive self-talk and give themselves credit for how they are doing. Celebrate your successes! Online learning environments are rarely as rich in feedback and interaction so we encourage parents and educators to assist in this area as well. Increase positive feedback and validation for your efforts not only for the outcome, but also throughout the process.

Continue to build relationships: Students should continue to connect with family and friends. We encourage families to consider creative ways of continuing to build relationships with others. Some ideas include, regular video or phone chats, setting up a movie to watch remotely between friends and calling to discuss the film after, setting up video call art sessions where students can do art activities together, mailing postcards or letters, etc.

Set goals: We need to adjust our expectations and, for now, learn to live with uncertainty. Set S.M.A.R.T goals for yourself. SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. Consider both short-term and long-term goals and break up each goal into smaller tasks/steps. Students who set their own goals experience increases in confidence, competence, and commitment to attain those goals. Ask for help in seeking out resources to help you move forward in your plan.

When you meet a goal, reflect on the process it took to reach that goal. What worked well? What didn’t work well? What have you learned? If you cannot meet your goal, reflect on why. Was not meeting this goal because of something you did or something out of your control? If in your control, what could you change?

Attend to your mental, physical, and emotional health: People will likely need to attend to the body more now than before given all of our time in front of screens. Find activities to do that bring you joy. Try exercising, journaling, playing music, practicing a new hobby, art projects, reading inside or outside, etc.

Continue learning: Continue to try new activities, hobbies, classes, etc. Reach out to your friends, family, teachers, and counselor to help think up opportunities that could be a fit for you. Our newsletters during

the closure have also held a wide variety of learning and social-emotional online opportunities for students.

As you continue to navigate these unusual days, we encourage a shift in focus from the destination to the journey (the student's personal growth and self-discovery in the midst of the preparation). When you step back and think about it, none of us is certain even about tomorrow. We can't control how many days we are gifted, nor what fiery trials are heading our way. But we can choose how we react to those ordeals; we can choose to find joy and gratitude in the moment; we can focus on our own development as we learn to manage disappointment, we can adapt our mindset to focus on what we can control, and, in so doing, grow up into mature individuals.

ICS Updates

Please visit LWSD.org for access to remote learning updates. Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information

ICS Student Tutors Available

As a part of the transition towards curriculum-based remote learning, the National Honor Society is offering virtual tutoring for younger students! Our 11th and 12th-grade tutors can offer academic guidance for a wide breadth of subjects through email, messaging, or call. They are happy to help your student edit a piece of writing, work through a difficult math problem, prep for a standardized test, and more! If your student would benefit from this, please fill out the online form below so NHS can pair your student with a suitable tutor. They are striving to support their peers and build upon ICS' unique 6-12 learning community, even at a distance! Online tutoring form: https://bit.ly/3e70Ru1

Career/College Planning Activity of the Week

Choosing a Major

(Gear Up Washington State)

A major is the specialized area of study or program at a college or university. Some majors have a direct connection to a career path, like graphic design or criminal justice. Other majors might prepare you with important job skills like communication, interpersonal relationships, organization and problem solving. Below are some common questions you might have about choosing a major. Be sure to check out the resources for more information on choosing a major and field of study.

★ I have no idea what I want to study. How do I choose a major? You are not alone! Many students begin college without a clear choice of major. At many colleges, you may not have to

choose a major until the end of your sophomore year. Until then, you can take courses in a variety of fields as a way of exploring your interest areas. You’ll earn general education credits that count toward your degree, no matter what you major in. As you take different classes, you’ll probably find a subject area you love. Academic advisors and professors are also available to help you consider your interests and review your options.

★ Can I change my major? Yes! Many students try to enter college with a major in mind, but even students who enter college having chosen a major are likely to change their mind at some point. As you research, be sure to talk to admission representatives about options for changing majors while at their college. Some colleges are more limited than others, especially if you want to switch to a competitive major.

★ Does my major dictate my career options? In many cases, there is not one specific major required to enter a career field. Employers who are hiring college students look for well-rounded individuals with good transferable skills and relevant experience. There are some professional fields that do have qualifying or licensing requirements; for these, a student may have to select a certain major. Examples include nursing, accounting, and teaching. It is recommended that students in college work with career advising staff members who can help them identify how to best prepare.

Resources

Big Future: Major Exploration

Guide to Choosing a Major

Myths in Choosing a College Major

College Majors 101

MYTH: Big colleges are best if you haven’t decided on a major/field of study.

REALITY: Many students think because there are more courses to choose from, a large college offers greater options for undecided students. However, choices alone should not be the deciding factor. While this may be the case, the best college is one that has core requirements or distribution requirements that will offer help with exploration. This school may be large, small, public, private, etc.

Also, look for colleges with the strongest academic advising and career counseling programs regardless of their size. Good advising can help your student choose an academic and career path he or she will enjoy rather than one he thinks he or she might like right now.

Previous update

College Essay Guy’s: Personal Statement Boot Camp (June 1st-5th) Ethan Sawyer is a nationally recognized college essay expert. Each year he helps thousands of students and counselors learn about the college essay writing process through his online courses, workshops, articles, and books. Coming up this June, Ethan is hosting a College Essay Boot Camp for high school students! On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (June 1, 3 and 5), the College Essay Guy will meet live for 90 minutes, during which he will guide you through a series of exercises, then lead a Q&A. Tuesdays and Thursdays are your time to write.

During the boot camp, you can attend either the morning or afternoon session. (The material will be the same for both sessions, but you’re welcome to come to both.)

Live Session Dates/Times

Monday, June 1st Brainstorming

Wednesday, June 3rd Revising

Friday, June 5th Upleveling

** Live Sessions are held at 10:00-11:30am OR 4:00-5:30pm PST**

If you are interested in participating in the boot camp, please contact Ms. Kelsey Cummings, the ICS High School Counselor, via email at kelcummings@lwsd.org

Testing

AP - AP makeup testing will begin next Monday, June 1st. Previous updates were emailed to students over the last two weeks, including technology reminders. Please be sure to check the updates if you are preparing for June makeup testing. If you have questions and can’t find answers in the updates, please contact your high school counselor, Ms. Cummings.

Summer Opportunities

Teen Life Summer Programs

Summer 2020 will be unlike any summer that any of us has experienced! Despite the changing landscape, Teen Life remains extremely committed to connecting middle and high school students to

meaningful academic and enrichment experiences in whatever format they are offered! Thankfully, there are a growing number of interesting online courses and virtual ways of meaningfully engaging students if they are unable to leave home or travel. TeenLife's Guide to Online Summer Programs includes several that are eager to enroll students. Check out the link below for more information.

Virtual Summer Programs

Family, Community, and Stress and Crisis Resources

LWSD Community Resources

LWSD Family Services

Pantry Packs

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Mental Health Resources

Community Resources

Mental Health and Coping During COVID-19

Above all else, remember to:

Take care of yourself. Take care of your family. Do something kind for someone else. Reach out for help when you need it.

We are all in this together, and we will overcome this. We are Phoenixes!

Your ICS Counselors,

Lis Christiansen and Kelsey Cummings