Ms. Pell Counselor's Corner

The Counselor’s Corner 

Working together to help each child reach their STAR potential!     

Greetings! What a busy January it has been.  I feel that I am getting settled in here at Valley Elementary as the new school counselor.  So thankful for all of the students, parents and staff that have made my mid-year school switch go so smoothly.

Here’s a SNAPSHOT of our month:

Pre-K: I have introduced myself to all three classes and look forward to beginning our lessons in February. Parents of Pre-K students: Look for a parent/child activity handout to come home with your little one each month.

Kindergarten: The students were so excited to have Froggy & his friends in for a visit to talk about the word prejudice.  We learned how important it is not to decide things about others before we get to know them. 

First Grade: First grade students also met with Froggy for the first time this year, also learning about prejudice and how judging others by what we see on the outside is unfair.

Second Grade: Wow! Who knew crayons could talk? Our 2^nd grade boys and girls heard the story “The Crayon Box that Talked” by Shane Derolf. We each decorated a puzzle piece and put it all together to see how our own uniqueness comes together with others to make great and wonderful things.

Third Grade:  We made a class PIZZA! Not an edible one though. Students listened to the story of Proud Pepperoni who didn’t want to be mixed with the other toppings that were not like him. We learned the value of individual characteristics and how our special traits contribute to great things as a team. Each student chose a paper topping to go on our paper pizza to hang in the classroom as a reminder of our differences and working together.  Yum!

Fourth Grade:  Students participated in a teamwork activity to group themselves by the color of sticker on their head. The catch?  They didn’t know what color their sticker was AND they couldn’t talk while trying to find where they belonged.  It was a fun lesson on the importance of accepting others for who they are.

Fifth Grade: Students learned about the term stereotype, specifically focusing on gender stereotypes in careers.  Students individually completed a worksheet on gender in different occupations and we proved that most of us have the same stereotypes in our minds. We discussed that stereotyping others is unfair to them and doesn’t take into account individual differences. 

Thank you for sharing your child with me!

Please do not hesitate to contact me anytime.

Crystal Pell J

School Counselor