Counselor's Corner
The talent of success is nothing more than doing what you can do well, and doing well whatever you do without thought of fame. If it comes at all it will come because it is deserved, not because it is sought after
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Teresa Silvas
Safe Schools/Healthy Students Counselor
Longfellow School
Welcome to Longfellow School! My name is Ms. Silvas and this is my second year at Longfellow School. This is my 9th year working as a school counselor. I am the
Safe Schools/Healthy Students counselor. I am federally funded by a three-year
grant that will finish at the end of the 2007-08 school year. Other schools that
are also funded under the grant are Stella Hills, Wayside, Fremont, Washington
Middle, Stiern Middle, Horrace Mann, Highland High School, and East High School.
Community partners are also an important component of the grant. The grant
collaborates with Kern County Probation, Kern County Mental Health, Boys and Girls
Club, Sheriff Activities League, Reach For Greatness, Inc., and many more. Below
are a few programs that the grant supports.
Too Good For Drugs
Throughout the school year I hold small groups for 10 weeks using the Too Good For Drugs curriculum. This is a research based program that is offered for grades K -6 district-wide.
Social Skills Groups
These types of groups are also offered in a small group setting for 8-10 weeks. We discuss topics like: friendship issues, communication, getting along with others, expectations, how to control our anger, goal setting, character building, and bullying.
Individual Counseling
Throughout the school year I have parents or teachers that may have concerns about a child/student . These concerns can be about family changes, grief/loss, bullying at school, conflict with others at school, and many others. Most of these concerns can affect their school performance. If you feel you need to speak to me. Please call me at 631-5350 or email me at silvast@bcsd.com. <o:p></o:p>
Kern County Mental Health
Families who receive Healthy Families or Medi-Cal may qualify for outside counseling services through KCMH. If you feel that you need a referral to them, please contact Ms. Silvas or call them directly at 868-6750.<o:p></o:p>
Families for Prevention:Drug and Alcohol Prevention/Common Sense Parenting Videos
I have available for checkout in my office two video series. Families for Prevention (Drug/Alcohol Prevention) is on VHS and DVD in English and Spanish. There are three videos in this series. I also have Families for Prevention (Common Sense Parenting) that has 6 videos in this series. The topics include : Parents Are Teachers, Encouraging Positive Behavior, Prevention Misbehavior, Correcting Problem Behaviors, Handling Emotionally Intense Situations, and Helping Children Succeed in School. If you would like to check these videos out, please call the school office at 631-5350.
Guiding Good Choices
Guiding Good Choices is a preventative program for adults who care for children ages 9-14. Parents, Grandparents, Foster Parents, and other guardians sometimes need support from others on how to help with the day to day issues that may arise in a child’s life. The class runs for 5 weeks with two hours each time we meet.The topics are as follows: How to Prevent Drug Use in Our Family, How to Develop Healthy Beliefs and Clear Standards, How to Say No to Drugs, How to Control and Express our Anger Constructively, and How to Strengthen Family Bonds. Our first session in Spanish will begin in February 2007. We will also have an English session in April 2007.
Friday Night Live Kids
FNLK is an afterschool club that is offered to children in grades 4-6. The purpose of the program is drug, alcohol, and tobacco prevention. Here at Longfellow, we meet every other Friday in the school cafeteria. Students must have written permission to attend this program.
Our Current schedule is :
February 9, 2007 3:00 – 4:00 March 2, 2007 3:00 – 4:00
February 23, 2007 3:00 – 4:00 March 23, 2007 3:00 – 4:00
Student Intervention Team (SIT)
The SIT is a way for parents, teachers, and support staff to come together and have a formal meeting to discuss any attendance, behavior, or academic concerns that are preventing that student from being successful in the classroom. We discuss strengths, known information, modifications, concerns, and brainstorm ideas that may be helpful. We sometimes follow-up 6-8 weeks later to discuss the progress the student has made.
Building Effective Schools Together/Positive Behavior Support<o:p></o:p>
Last year Longfellow a team of staff members created a Positive Behavior Support Program that is School-wide. We have adopted five school-wide rules at Longfellow. At the beginning of the school packets went out to all families outlining the program. The five rules are Cooperative, Peaceful, Responsible, Respectful, and Safe. The school has adopted the school wide saying “Show Me Five”. All students know that when they hear that phrase, they are to raise their hand and give their attention to the adults in the room. This year FNLK leaders have also created a school-wide poem so that all students may internalize our five rules.
THE LANCER FIVE
Hey listen up we’re Longfellow School.
What we’re about to say is very cool.
So open up your ears and listen hard……!
If you want to be cool and go to our school,
you have to know these 5 rules!
Put your hands up…..That’s right!
Show me 5….That’s right!
COOPERATIVE
PEACEFUL
RESPONSIBLE
RESPECTFUL
SAFE
So come on people join us and say…
If you want to be a Lancer like me and my friends,
then you have to be…
COOPERATIVE, PEACEFUL, RESPONSIBLE
RESPECTFUL, and don’t forget SAFE!
Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.
- Booker T. Washington<o:p></o:p>
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