Living the Possibilities!!!!!!

REWIND ~ UPDATES!

2009-01-20T07:47:00.000-08:00

Wow, where did the time go? I can't believe it has been so long since I blogged! Can't let that happen again. The last few months have flown by so fast. All of our students are working hard and we just completed our second nine week grading period. Many of our students are participating in our in-school and after school Safety Nets.

It is hard to believe we are just over half-way through the school year. Our Character Education Lessons are continuing every month. This month the fifth grade will begin learning about Careers through our county Career Awareness program. We hope to bring in some guest speakers after Spring Break who will share their careers with us.

Please post your comments and let me know what type of information you would like for me to share here on my blog. Stay tuned for more parent information.

BUILDING SELF-CONFIDENCE

2008-10-06T06:20:00.000-07:00

Children begin to build self-confidence through success and sometimes trial and error; in the development years children attempt to learn through accomplishing. Parenting becomes the fine art of supervising while allowing children to attempt jobs and begin to be more responsible. When parents support and encourage rather than perform a task themselves, they allow their children to develop decision-making skills. Self-esteem and self-confidence are nurtured throughout the life span as we learn and develop by accomplishing new tasks. Making decisions and incurring the consequences whether they be negative or positive are sometimes the best learning situations.

Our children must learn to make decisions and know that they have gained through their own merits. They can then be more independent and self-confident.

LET'S TALK ABOUT....RESPONSIBILITY

2008-09-25T09:46:00.000-07:00

One of our Character Traits for the month of August was responsibility. Responsibility is defined as responding when appropriate, to be accountable for your actions, behaviors and duties.

As parents and teachers, let's all work together to ensure our Mayport students become responsible individuals.

A responsible student:

~uses appropriate behavior and language
~models respect for rules
~respects self, classmates, adults
~respects property - own and others
~does own work
~completes assignments
~comes to class prepared
~pays full attention in class
~follows directions
~tells the truth
~is reliable and dependable

Why Elementary School Counselors?

2008-09-15T07:58:00.000-07:00

You may often ask yourself why do we need counselors in elementary schools. For many people the word "counselor" takes them back to the image of someone they saw a few times in high school to help them with their class schedules, testing, college applications and discipline. However, elementary school years set the tone for developing the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary for our children to become healthy, productive adults. Elementary counselors are responding to today's needs by providing a comprehensive developmental counseling program. Counselors work as a team with teachers, parents, and community to create a caring atmosphere whereby children's needs are met through prevention, early identification and intervention.

(Adapted from the ASCA Governing Board, April 1997)

BLOGGING, BLOGGING, BLOGGING!

2008-09-09T10:29:00.001-07:00

To think, one month ago I didn't know what a "Blog" was and now I am "Blogging" all the time. I still have a lot to learn ... but I am having fun learning all the neat things I can do as I personalize my blog. While I continue to be challenged by technology I am beginning to understand why kids love it so much!

Fifth Grade Fun!

2008-09-07T05:22:00.000-07:00

This week I visited each of our fifth grade classrooms. We shared a bit of ourselves with each other. It was the first opportunity we had to get reacquainted and to meet new students. After our sharing time we talked about the character traits of the month. We discussed responsibility, which was August's character trait and then we shared our thoughts about cooperation and citizenship which are the traits for September. We discovered how these traits work together in a positive way to make us all students with character.

Focus ... Focus ... Focus

2008-08-31T14:46:00.000-07:00

After completing two days of school our new routine was suddenly interrupted by Hurricane FAY! Luckily Mayport survived Fay as she swept over us. After this challenging beginning we have just completed our first week of school.

The first few weeks of school are always busy and I for one find it most difficult to stay focused. There are a million "little" things that need tending to all at once. I must constantly remind my self to set goals and chunk them into small steps in order to accomplish the bigger tasks at hand.

I am excited to begin guidance classes this week beginning with fifth grade. We have a lot of exciting topics to cover this year and I can't wait to get started! Hope everyone has a great week!

Guidance Imagineer Reporting for Duty

2008-08-09T20:08:00.000-07:00

O.K. I have finally done it! I have slipped off my flip flops, put the cap back on my sun tan lotion and vacuumed the last grain of sand from my car. It was a wonderful summer reading, traveling, going to the beach and spending time with my family! The rest and relaxation has helped me gear up for another thrilling year at Mayport Elementary! (GO DOLPHINS!)

As I reflect on all of the accomplishments our school made last year I become overwhelmed with excitement as I IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES for this school year. During my recent visit to Disney World I was inspired by many of the World's Most Famous Imagineers! Look out the possibilities for Mayport's Guidance program will be endless!