 Guidance
Guidance Services
Helpful Information for Parents
Newsletter
Guidance Staff
Janet Gift, Counselor
Grades Kindergarten
610-921-8028, Ext. 6121
Beverly Packard, Counselor
Grades 1 and 2
610-921-8028, Ext. 6112
Karen Madeira, Counselor
Grades 3 and 4
610-921-8028, Ext. 6113
Kim Nelson, Secretary
610-921-8028, Ext. 6125
The Guidance Department welcomes you to a new school year and hopes that your child has a positive year of learning and making new friends.
Throughout the school year, counselors have scheduled ten guidance lessons in classrooms, covering topics that are appropriate to your child's grade level. In addition, each of us has scheduled sessions with individual students and groups of students to help them with the normal, developmental tasks of childhood.
We encourage you to contact us if you believe we can be of assistance to you and your child.
We recognize that all of us have experienced anxiety about tragic events in schools both near and far. Please visit the following link which contains helpful parent information: http://www.cmionline.org (there are free files to download on the bottom right side of the home page).
Developmental Guidance Program in the Classrooms
Counselors use classroom guidance lessons with their assigned grade level students to foster skills such as awareness and expression of feelings, communication skills, conflict resolution, career education and many other skills that help children make a successful adjustment to school and life.
Individual and Small Group Counseling
Counselors meet with students individually or in small groups to foster personal development and a good adjustment to the academic demands of school.
Consultation with Teachers and Parents
Counselors spend a lot of time meeting with teachers and parents to work toward the optimum adjustment of students in our school.
Coordination of Testing Programs
Counselors coordinate the PSSA (Pennsylvania School State Assessment) for students in third and fourth grade.
Participation on Teams
Counselors participate on teams which are designed to help students adjust well to the school environment in all areas of their development. Counselors participate in the Response to Intervention meetings which help us to target skill deficits in main subjects as well as behavior and then plan interventions to foster growth in those areas. Counselors manage Chapter 15 plans for students, and are members of Behavior Team, Elementary Student Assistance Program Team, and Multi-Disciplinary Team when a student is being considered for Special Education.
Behavior Support Team
The behavior support team is a group of school personnel who meet as needed to formulate behavior plans for students whose behavior impedes learning. Classroom teachers or other professional staff members may refer students to the behavior support team. Team members vary, but may include guidance personnel, classroom teachers, special education teachers, the school psychologist, and building administrators.
Elementary Student Assistance Program
ESAP is an additional resource to students and their families who have mental health and chemical dependency issues. The program operates through a core team made up of principals, guidance counselors, the nurse, school psychologist, and other specialists who work with our children. The purpose of the program is to provide a systematic approach to assisting students who are at risk for not achieving their potential and refer these students and their families to the appropriate resources - both in school and in the community.
We also offer a number of educational support groups for students with similar obstacles such as divorce, recent death or loss, or social skills needs.
For more information, please contact Matt Horst, Student Assistance Program Coordinator, at horstm@mail.muhlsdk12.org.
Home & School Visitor Services
The Home and School Visitor for grades K-12 serves as the intermediary between home, school, and the community to facilitate optimal school performance and personal development of individual students. He is an advocate for students and their families and also serves as a resource for principals, guidance counselors, psychologists and other professional staff in dealing with student concerns. Students are referred for Home & School Visitor services through a core team of principals and pupil services personnel, however, parents are welcome to request services through their child's guidance counselor.
Web Wise Kids!
Please visit our list of helpful links for parents. There you will find a letter from Patrick Meehan, United States Attorney, serving the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, representing the Project Safe Child Pennsylvania. He encourages schools to offer a link and password to you, as parents, so that you can access needed information concerning the safety of the internet for your child. Please take advantage of this important site, which you can get to by the link below, http/www.webwisekds.org/PSCPA.
Guidance Help Topic: Help Your Child Take Responsibility for Belongings and Schoolwork
Your child did his math homework -- you watched him work on it for an hour. But after the bus left, you found the assignment lying on the kitchen table. Or, your daughter suddenly remembers there's an assignment due tomorrow. But she can't do it -- she left the book in school.
Situations like these can be upsetting for both parents and teachers. Fortunately, there are some ways to help kids learn to take responsibility for belongings and school work. Here's how:
Make Sure Homework Gets Home
Tell your child to be sure he writes his assignment down in his planner, and that he checks it at the end of the day to see what he has to take home. Many teachers have folders that students take back and forth, with one side clearly for 'homework to be returned tomorrow' and one side for 'papers to keep at home.' Expect your child to bring his planner home every night, whether or not he has homework.
Make Sure Homework Gets To School
For many children, getting ready for school each day involves a daily scavenger hunt: Where's my homework? Who took my lunch box?
You can save time and tempers. All you need is a cardboard box for each child. The box needs to be big enough to hold everything your child takes to school each day. Have each child choose a place for the box -- near the front door or in his/her room. Every afternoon, the first task is to place all belongings that will go back to school in the box. When homework is finished, it goes in the box, too. In the morning, the box is the last stop before heading out the door.
Make Remembering Easier
Try a large family calendar. Keep one calendar for the entire family. Use different colors to keep track of each person's activities. Add things like major tests, whether it's a gym or art day, for instance, and big school projects. Help your child get into the habit of checking the calendar each day, before and after school.
Put up a bulletin board. Post a bulletin board for each family member (or one large one using different colored notes for each family member) at a spot where it will be seen each day. Tack anything your child needs to remember to the bulletin board.
Don't Make It Easy To Forget
If your child has forgotten his homework, don't drive him to school to retrieve it. If he loses a text or library book, don't rush out to replace it. When parents constantly replace lost items or retrieve homework, they deny their child a chance to learn to take responsibility for his belongings through experiencing the consequences of not having them.
Be A Good Role Model
Show your child that you have to take responsibility for your belongings as well. You have to remember to take your briefcase, purse or toolbox with you. And if you bring work home, you must remember to take it back to the office.
Figure Out Why Your Child Is Forgetting
There are some students who always seem to forget to bring home their homework, despite all of your efforts. Ask yourself:
Is my child looking for attention? If so, don't react when your child tells you he's forgotten. Stay calm -- and let him accept the consequences.
Is the homework too hard? Talk with the teacher. Is your child the only one having problems? Is she capable of doing the work? What extra help could she receive?
Does your child understand the importance of homework? Ask for a three-way conference with you, your child and the teacher. Have the teacher explain the importance of homework now...and in the future.
Have Faith In Your Ability To Help Make Your Child Responsible
Children respond to their parents' expectations. If we expect children to be responsible for their belongings and their school work, and if we show them some ways to do it, they will usually do their best to be responsible.
Adapted from "QuickTips," The Parent Institute, 1995 by Beverly Packard.
Guidance Library
The guidance office has books, pamphlets and videos available to students, staff, parents, and the community. These may be signed out in the guidance office and taken home. We encourage you to take advantage of these materials at any time.
Please contact Kim Nelson, guidance secretary, to sign out materials.
Books
Self Esteem
Stick Up For Yourself
My Life as a Fifth Grade Comedian
Why Am I An Only Child?
Your Body Belongs To You
I Am Me!
Whoever You Are
I Should Be Me
ABC I Like Me
Handling Emotions
Relax
Mad Isn't Bad: A Child's Book About Anger
From Mad to Worse
Giggle E. Goose
Life's Not Always Fair
Decision Making
Minou
Clarissa
Finders Keepers
What Would You Do?
Friendship
Leonard the Llama that Lied
How to Be A Friend
Dog Breath: The Horrible Trouble
With Hally Tosis
Telling Isn't Tattling
Individual Differences
Wow! It's Great Being a Duck
What if the Zebras Lost Their Stripes?
The Colors of Us
The Biggest Nose
Rosie's Story
Three Cheers for Tacky
Grief/moving
Boomer's Big Day
The Empty Place
Lifetimes
Idora
Different Kinds of Families
Zachary's New Home
Robert Lives With His Grandparents
All Families Are Different
My Parents Are Divorced, Too
Totally Uncool
Family Troubles
Dad's In Prison
A Family That Fights
The Words Hurt
The Mad Family Gets Their Mads Out
Bottles Break
Up & Down the Mountain
Special Needs
Hurry Up, Harry!
Learning to Slow Down & Pay Attention
Ian's Walk: A Story About Autism
Sit Still!
Bullies
Beware of the Bears
Bully On the Bus
Bullies Are A Pain in the Brain
Videos
Parents Can:
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Motivate Children
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Build Responsibility in Children
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Help Children Learn
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Talk and Listen to Children
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Can Build Children;s Self esteem
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Can Read With Children
What to Do If Your Child Is Having A Problem In School
How to Work With Your Child's Teacher
Teachers' Learning Secrets to Use At Home
Ways Busy Parents Can Help Children Succeed In School
Parents Are Teachers, Too!
It's Never Too Late to Get Involved
About Your Child's Report Card
Get Ready For the Parent-Teacher Conference
Pamphlets
25 Ways Parents Can:
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Build Children's Self-Esteem
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Read With Children
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Talk and Listen to Children
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Help Children Learn
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Build Responsibility in Children
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Motivate Children
Off to a Good Start
(Ways Parents Can Help Children Get Ready For School)
The Discipline Series
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Remember: You Are the Adult and You Are In Charge
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Instilling the Desire for Success in Your Child
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Teaching Children Responsibility for Their Learning and Behavior
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Helping Your Child Develop Good Character Traits
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Building Respect for Rules, Authority and Other People
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The ABC's of Discipline At Home
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Helping Children Learn Self Discipline
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Helping Children to Resolve Conflicts
Quick Tips
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There's More than One Way to Be Smart
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Basic Facts about Learning Disabilities
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Help Your Child Balance School and Extracurricular Activities
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Is Your Home A Learning Place? A Quiz for Parents
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You CAN Control the TV Set!
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Sharing the Family Work Load Teaches Responsibility
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It's Never Too Late to Get Involved
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Teachers' Learning Secrets to Use at Home
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Seven Habits of Highly Responsible Students
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Expect the Best From Your Child and Get It!
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Including All Students Can Help Everyone Learn
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Helping Children with ADD and ADHD
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Is Your Child Under Too Much Pressure?
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Learning Activities for Rainy Days and School Vacations
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Homework Time Made Easier and More Effective
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Help Your Child
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Take Responsibility For Belongings and Schoolwork
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Learning is Your Child's Responsibility
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Teach Your Child How To Set Goals and Reach Them!
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Parents Are Teachers, Too!
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Get Ready for the Parent-Teacher Conference
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Understanding Dyslexia
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Help Your Child Avoid Problems with Diets and Eating Disorders
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Helping Your Child Cope with Divorce
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Help Your Child Do Better on Tests
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Help Your Child Make Responsible Decisions
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Recognize Your Child's Strengths and Motivate Success
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Help Your Child Develop an "I Can Do It" Attitude
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How to Work With Your Child's Teacher
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About Your Child's Report Card
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Basic Facts about the Gifted and Academically Talented
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Facts Parents Should Know About Children and Depression
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Ten Ways to Help Your Child Deal with Peer Pressure
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Secrets for Making Children Want to Read
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Teach Your Child the Responsibility of Remembering
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Help Your Child Learn from Mistakes
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Teach Your Child the "Success Secret" of Hard Work
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What to Do If Your Child is Having a Problem in School
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Ways Busy Parents Can Help Children Succeed in School
Skills for School Success
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Listening Well and Following Directions
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Expressing Ideas in Speech and Writing
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Reading for Meaning
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Help Children Learn
Recommended Sites for Parents
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