Mrs. Andrea Irwin

Counselor's Corner

Andrea Irwin

Spring Hill Primary School Counselor

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THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR PRECIOUS CHILD WITH US!

Important Dates:

November 9th – 24th :  Canned Food Drive

November 16th – Dec. 14th : Electronics Recycling Fundraiser

November 25-27th :  Thanksgiving Holiday

 

             

 

Character Education

This month’s Character Trait is Cooperation.  Cooperation means working together so you can do more than you can do alone.

·        Individuality and cooperation go hand in hand.  As important as it is to help children understand their unique talents and personalities, it is just as important to help them see how their uniqueness can complement others to accomplish more.  Children need to see that cooperating with others confirms their individual worth and acknowledges the benefits of working toward a shared purpose.

·        Cooperation turns individual discouragement into shared success.  Realistically viewing a difficult situation or task can be very discouraging.  The issue is not the analysis of the problem but the emotional response.  Teaming up to tackle a task breaks what appears to be an overwhelming chore into achievable pieces.  Children need to see that working cooperatively overcomes discouragement and multiplies the feeling of success.

·        Recognizing personal limits encourages cooperation.  Learning to become a confident individual is important.  But even the most self-assured cannot do everything.  Perhaps a benefit of difficult situations is that our personal limits are defined for us.  Though such discoveries are somewhat uncomfortable, these times help us see where cooperation makes seemingly impossible tasks possible.

 

“It is amazing how much people can get done if they do not worry about who gets the credit.”    -Sandra Swinney

CHARACTER TRAITS FOR 2008-2009

SEPTEMBER: WISDOM

OCTOBER:  INDIVIDUALITY

NOVEMBER:  COOPERATION

DECEMBER: COMPASSION

JANUARY: SELF-DISCIPLINE

FEBRUARY: HONOR

MARCH: HONESTY

APRIL: FRIENDSHIP

MAY: PATIENCE

                                                                                                                                                                       

For those parents and students who are new to our district, I would like to take this opportunity to tell you a little about what I do as the primary school counselor.

I teach Character Education to all grade levels. The program used for our Character Education is called "Coreessentials". This program is donated by our local Chick-fil-A restaurant. The program focuses on a different trait each month and lessons are based on that theme. Children are recognized for exhibiting that particular value and get to put their name in the "caught you being good" jar. Names are drawn each Friday for special prizes.

In addition to Character Education, I provide individual and group counseling forthose students referred either by the parent or teacher. A student may request individual counseling as well.  I am available for parent conferences regarding family changes, academics, behavioral issues, information on available resources in the area, testing and interpretation of testing data, and any other concerns in regards to their child.

I feel very lucky to work at a school district that values the respect of all individuals, cares for one another, and has high academic expectations. It is a privilege to be a part of this wonderful district and I would like to express to you how happy I am to know and work with your child.

- Email: airwin@springhill.esc7.net