Santiam Academy
Learning Without Walls
Santiam Academy Counseling Program
Mission Statement
The heart of the Santiam Academy counseling program is advocacy for all students, ensuring the diversity of our student body is respected, appreciated and represented in all aspects of student life.
As a School Counselor I believe:
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All Students have worth, are deserving of respect and have the right to learn in an environment that is physically and emotionally safe.
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In utilizing a team approach to eliminate barriers in school achievement
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The school counselor's role is to provide a data driven developmental counseling program based upon the ASCA professional model and code of ethics, it is designed to be delivered through guidance curriculum, individual student planning, responsive services and system support
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The counseling program addresses the following: an understanding of self and respect for self and others; problem-solving;and decision-making;emotional regulation;skills for learning;and a bridge to their next transition.
CURRICULUM
With the help of teachers, counselors, and educators, the Second Step program is building a strong foundation for a new generation of socially and emotionally savvy children. Through the program, Early Learning–Grade 8 students gain the skills and know-how to be kind, caring, and responsible members of society. Today students learn to solve problems on the playground; tomorrow they’ll manage conflicts in the workplace and everyday life.
Superflex®: A Superhero Social Thinking Curriculum provides educators, parents and therapists fun and motivating ways to teach students with social and communication difficulties.The three-part cognitive behavioral curriculum helps students develop further awareness of their own thinking and social behaviors and learn strategies to help them develop better self-regulation across a range of behaviors.
Learning Objectives:
Students will learn that their body is their own and they are in charge of it.
Students will acquire the skills and techniques to identify unsafe situations and to react appropriately.
Students will learn to respond assertively to unwanted or inappropriate touch.
Students will learn to leave and tell a trusted adult.
THE FOUR ZONES: OUR FEELINGS & STATES DETERMINE OUR ZONE
The Red Zone is used to describe extremely heightened states of alertness and intense emotions. A person may be elated or experiencing anger, rage, explosive behavior, devastation, or terror when in the Red Zone.
The Yellow Zone is also used to describe a heightened state of alertness and elevated emotions, however one has more control when they are in the Yellow Zone. A person may be experiencing stress, frustration, anxiety, excitement, silliness, the wiggles, or nervousness when in the Yellow Zone.
The Green Zone is used to describe a calm state of alertness. A person may be described as happy, focused, content, or ready to learn when in the Green Zone. This is the zone where optimal learning occurs.
The Blue Zone is used to describe low states of alertness and down feelings such as when one feels sad, tired, sick, or bored.
The Zones can be compared to traffic signs. When given a green light or in the Green Zone, one is “good to go”. A yellow sign means be aware or take caution, which applies to the Yellow Zone. A red light or stop sign means stop, and when one is the Red Zone this often is the case. The Blue Zone can be compared to the rest area signs where one goes to rest or re-energize. All of the zones are natural to experience, but the framework focuses on teaching students how to recognize and manage their Zone based on the environment and its demands and the people around them. For example, when playing on the playground or in an active/competitive game, students are often experiencing a heightened internal state such as silliness or excitement and are in the Yellow Zone, but it may not need to be managed. However, if the environment is changed to the library where there are different expectations than the playground, students may still be in the Yellow Zone but have to manage it differently so their behavior meets the expectations of the library setting.
MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness can add to the quality of our lives in numerous ways, from nurturing a sense of inner peace to improving the quality of a workout, from enhancing self-confidence to facilitating deeper and more meaningful relationships with others.
In children specifically, mindfulness has been found to:
mitigate the effects of bullying
enhance focus in children with ADHD
reduce attention problems
improving mental health and wellbeing
improve social skills when well taught and practiced in children and adolescents.
Character Strong
We focus on 10 traits (Courage, Respect, Perseverance, Gratitude, Honesty, Kindness, Empathy, Responsibility, Cooperation, Creativity)
Activities are designed to give students an opportunity to connect with each other through purposeful play, learn more about each other as people, and build more meaningful relationships with a focus on the current character trait. 1-10 minute quick activities that can be used for quick, but meaningful interactions and 10-20 minute activities that go a little deeper
PROMOTING SELF CONFIDENCE
Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve.
– Roger Lewin
Kids with strong social and emotional skills are confident communicators. They have a sense of who they are, both their strengths and limitations. They can identify their emotions and actively manage those emotions in a constructive way. They know how to build and maintain friendships with peers and relationships with adults. They can play and problem solve collaboratively. And they can evaluate the consequences of a decision and make responsible choices based on that evaluation. Parents can be confident that when our children are at school, at summer camp, or involved in a community project, they have the skills to relate to others in ways that are caring, constructive, and contributing. And when our children are faced with difficult decisions, they are equipped with the tools to think through the consequences of their actions, empathize with others involved, and ultimately make a responsible choice.
Much of what children learn from their parents is through modeling. They learn through our actions and choices. Developing social and emotional skills is a continual lifelong learning process. We can always become more empathetic, practice patience, improve our response to conflict situations, and deepen our listening and reflection abilities. Just being more aware of ourselves as social and emotional models for our kids can impact our choices and reactions to day-to-day situations.