Counselors' Corner
A Counselor's Guide to Mental Health and Wellness
This article was originally published by Bradley University here. Depression
Suicide Prevention
Eating Disorders
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention
Anxiety and Stress Management
Proper Nutrition and Health
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College Week: October 2-6
October 2nd-6th is college week here at ISD! What is College Week? A week where the ISD High School celebrates higher education through visiting university representatives, teacher hosted informational sessions on the college they attended, presentations on how to choose the best fit in a college, and a school wide promotion of higher education. This week is all about getting our students to think about university and explore schools in places they may not have thought about before. We have two visiting schools on the ISD campus during college week with presentation options for both students and parents. Northern Kentucky University: http://nku.edu/about.html Student Presentation - Monday Oct 2, 11:25 am, ISD PAC You know the kind of place that offers a comfortable, safe, energetic learning environment - a place that will get the most out of you and mold you into a person who will shape the future? We're that kind of place. Welcome to Northern Kentucky University, a growing metropolitan university of more than 15,000 students served by more than 2,000 faculty and staff on a thriving suburban campus near Cincinnati. Located in the quiet suburb of Highland Heights, Ky. - just seven miles southeast of Cincinnati - we have become a leader in Greater Cincinnati and Kentucky by providing a private school education for a fraction of the cost. While we are one of the fastest growing universities in Kentucky, our professors still know our students' names. And while growth in numbers and reputation is wonderful, we are not satisfied with this success. We want more. University of British Columbia: http://you.ubc.ca/admissions/how-to-apply/ Student Presentation - Monday Oct 2, 11:50 am ISD Library Parent and Student Presentation - Sunday Oct 1, 2:00pm Radisson Blu Dakar What if the best university in the world was in Canada? Come learn about study options in Canada, and how students from all over the world choose the University of British Columbia. UBC is consistently ranked among the top 40 universities globally. With a campus in Vancouver and the Okanagan, on the west coast of Canada, students discover an environment that is perfect for their personal experience. A wide range of academic programs, and a focus on active learning, lead to employable degrees that are recognized around the world. Learn more about the international student scholarships programs available, and the application process that is student focused. Come discover Canada and all about UBC! UBC BY THE NUMBERS 36 – Ranked globally in 2016 Times Higher Education World Rankings 99% - Full time Professors have PhDs , highest in Canada 34,000 – Population at Vancouver Campus 8,000 – Population at Okanagan Campus 151 – Countries represented in student body 212 – Undergraduate Programs 15:1 – Student / Teacher Ratio USD$25,000 – 1 Yr International tuition for Bachelor of Arts Degree 52% – International incoming class to received a merit based scholarship |
Orientation - New MS Students
The Middle School Orientation for all new MS students will be on Wednesday, August 9th from 1:00 – 2:30 PM. Students will meet in the Performing Arts Classroom (PAC). They will connect with other students who are new to the middle school. This includes ISD students who were in grade 5 for the 2016-17 school year. We will play some get to know you games, take a school tour, meet teachers, and answer questions. The entire middle school staff will be ready to welcome your adolescent. To ensure your son or daughter gets the most from this experience, please make sure your son or daughter is dropped off and picked up at the times listed above. If you have any questions, please email me at EileenK@faculty.isd.sn. |
Transition Meetings
Looking Ahead Every year of middle and high school has its unique opportunities and challenges. The secondary school counselors will be holding parent meetings every day next week from 8:30 – 9:30AM in the Admin Conference Room. In these meetings parents will learn the general academic focus, grade level requirements, student expectations, and social-emotional demands at the new grade level. Counselors will also share what parents can do to support their student’s learning and development. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend these important informational meetings. Tuesday, May 9 8:30 - 9:30AM Incoming Grade 7 Parent Transition Meeting Wednesday, May 10 8:30 - 9:30AM Incoming Grade 8 Parent Transition Meeting Thursday, May 11 8:30 - 9:30AM Incoming Grade 9 Parent Transition Meeting Friday, May 12 8:30 - 9:30AM Incoming Grade 10 Parent Transition Meeting Monday, May 15 8:30 - 9:30AM Incoming Grade 6 Parent Transition Meeting |
ISD is Hosting Mr. Michael Kabbaz of Miami University in Ohio
Dear ISD High School Parents, ISD is pleased to host Mr. Michael Kabbaz of Miami University in Ohio on Tuesday March 21. Mr. Kabbaz is the Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Success at Miami University. Mr. Kabbaz will be visiting ISD as part of the Overseas Schools Project through the US State Department. We would like to invite you all to an evening parent presentation on Tuesday to hear from Mr. Kabbaz and have him answer some of your questions on the US college application system. What: Demystifying the US Higher Education System and College Application Process When: Tuesday March 21 5:30-6:30pm Where: ISD Conference Room We hope to see you there! |
Tim Burns Parent Workshop Video Now Available
Secondary Counselor: kaylb@faculty.isd.sn Middle School Counselor: eileenk@faculty.isd.sn Elementary Counselor: pamp@faculty.isd.sn |
Let's make MS Career Day a Success!
Inspire Young Minds Do you or someone you know have an interesting job? If so, please sign up, or encourage your friend to sign up, to give a Career Day presentation. Career Day will be Friday, February 17th from 12:30 – 3:20pm. Presenters will spend approximately 25 minutes with a small group of middle school students each session. There will be approximately four sessions throughout the afternoon. Please help us make the MS Career Day a success by volunteering your time. Just complete this form and more information will be sent to you. If you have any questions, please contact Eileen Knobloch at Eileenk@faculty.isd.sn. Quotes from Career Day 2016 Speakers: “I had a blast, and found the students' questions thoughtful and the students engaged and polite. “ MS Parent “Thanks so much for the opportunity! That was super fun and some (students) had great questions. “ MS Parent “Thank you for giving us the opportunity to talk about our jobs to the middle school students. They were such an engaged and interested bunch of children. “ MS Parent Quotes from teachers about Career Day 2016: “The kids loved their day . . . and it opened their eyes to something new!” “They (the students) were intrigued by the variation of jobs and this got them to thinking about their own variety of interests.” |
Mindfulness
Give Mindfulness A Try . . . Tim Burns, a mindfulness educator and presenter, spent three days at ISD this week. Tim enlightened and inspired students, staff, and parents throughout the week. He shared images and research about the brain and how it functions. He gave tips on how to keep the brain in top shape and how use it most effectively. Perhaps the strongest suggestion he shared was to give mindfulness a try. Most of our students and staff had the opportunity to experience mindfulness during their sessions with Mr. Burns. Many have used this experience to begin a practice of their own. Approximately 35 individuals attended the parent workshop on Friday and were able to learn about the brain as well as the benefits of mindfulness. If you were unable to attend the session due to scheduling conflicts but are interested in the topic, please explore the links below for more information about Tim Burns and the value of mindfulness. Can mindfulness really help parents and students have better relationships? Read the following article to find out. Mindfulness has a positive impact on elementary classrooms. Read this article to learn about the details. If you want to give mindfulness a try but aren’t sure what to do, read the following article. http://www.mindful.org/meditation/mindfulness-getting-started/ To learn more about Tim Burns and the types of presentations he offers, explore his website. http://www.timburnseducare.com/ |
Mindfulness Expert Tim Burns at ISD
Dear ISD Parents,
We are Thrilled to announce that next week, January 18th-20th, mindfulness expert Tim Burns will be on campus to speak with our grade 2-12 students on Mindfulness and the Developing Brain.
Before Mr. Burns moved into his role as professional development specialist, he was a high school teacher, counselor, and university professor. He has presented to over 3,000 schools, professional organizations, businesses and agencies across the America's, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
ISD High School Counselor, Kayla Bishop, had the opportunity to attend several of Mr. Burn's presentations at a Professional Development conference in 2015. Through the ISD Innovation Grant, the ISD Counseling Team, with support of the Physical Education department, was able to bring Mr. Burns to ISD to further educate our community of students, parents, and teachers on mindfulness exercises aimed at reducing stress, and promoting psychological well-being and physical health.
On Wednesday, Mr. Burns will speak with our middle school students for two 75 minute sessions, On Thursday he will see our high school students for two 75 minute sessions, and on Friday he will visit with students in grades 2-5 and deliver one 45 minute session per grade. We encourage you to speak with your students about mindfulness and what they learned through these sessions.
All ISD parents are invited to attend a parent session on Friday, January 20th from 8:30am to 10:30am in the conference room of the administration building.
You can access more information about Tim Burns and his workshops at www.timburnseducare.com.
For more information on mindfulness and it's benefits, please see http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/mindfulness/definition
For further readings about mindfulness and why we think this is a great initiative to support ISD's social emotional learning program please see the online article How Mindfulness and Social Emotional Learning Can Work Together. http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_social_emotional_learning_and_mindfulness_can_work_together
Remember to mark your calendars with the following:
What: Mindfulness and the Developmental Brain Parent Session When: Friday January 20th 2017, 8:30am-10:30am Where: ISD Conference Room, Administration Building
ISD Counseling Team |
How to Awaken Joy in Kids
Many times, the counselors come across articles or have articles shared with us that we love and get us thinking about our students and families at ISD. We will begin sharing these sources with you through Counselor's Corner on the Jag Journal. Many of the articles have to do with themes we are discussing with your students through the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) program at ISD. These common themes are taught across grade levels and can be easily transferred into conversations at home. This week's article is about awakening joy in kids through gratitude and building resilience. Two weeks ago, I led a high school advisory lesson with grade 12 students. I started the lesson by asking the students to take a moment for gratitude and share something they were grateful for today. The majority of the students in this advisory class shared that they were grateful for their parents. Many of those students elaborated by saying they were specifically grateful for the opportunities their parents had provided and the support they are given. So, thank you parents for all you do for your children. They may not often tell you, but they are certainly willing to tell others. I do hope you enjoy this weeks article, How to Awaken Joy in Kids by James Baraz and Michele Lilyanna. Warmly, ISD Counseling Team |