School Counseling Newsletter

To be honest, I wasn't sure if creating a newsletter for the new month was the best decision right now. I told myself that parents are overwhelmed with information from the school, and do not want yet another thing to read. Everyone is stressed and scared because of the pandemic, and has more important things to things to do. The more I thought about it though, I decided to continue with the monthly newsletter because this is a way of connecting with you, and that makes me happy. It has not been easy adjusting to this new way of life, albeit temporary, to say the least. Even though we are not physically in the building, that hasn't slowed us down! Our teaches have been working around the clock to make sure that your student's education is not interrupted.

Exciting News

The CCT school counseling department has created a website with departmental information and A TON of resources related to COVID-19. Please check it out here!

Google Classrooms

Just like with the academic classes, the counseling department also has classrooms where students can find important announcements and resources. Not all students have joined their school counseling classrooms yet, so please encourage them to do so. An email went out to all students with the code to the classroom for their respective grades.

Your Teen's Emotions

I wanted to keep this newsletter as upbeat and positive as possible, but I would be remiss to not touch upon the emotional stress that your student may be feeling at this time. I came across a great graphic pictured below that I think explains how your teen may be feeling perfectly. The way they behave outwardly may be indicative of some other emotions they are experiencing below the surface. For example, is your student has been acting more argumentative and disrespectful than usual, there'a good chance those behaviors are manifestations of deeper emotions that they may not know how to express to you.

Your Emotions

Parents, I give you all SO much credit for trying to manage life right now. My heart hurts when I think about the strain that is currently on families. If you're having a difficult time managing, please refer to our website (link above) for mental health resources.

Psychology Today is another great resource for learning how to care for yourself and your family. If you'd like to find a therapist in your area, they can help you with that. They also feature amazing articles that can help you with parenting. Check it out here. Please don't ever feel like you are alone.

One of the ways I like to release stress is through movement. Getting my body moving, such as through my yoga practice, helps release tension that gets built up in my body, especially during trying times. There are so many fitness apps and at home workouts online that are offering free trial periods due to everyone being at home. Cape Wellness Collaborative came out with a list of resources to support general health and wellness for everyone including yoga, meditation, nutrition, art, music, and more! Check it out here and click on view resources.

The Action for Happiness calendar pictured below offers 30 actions to look after ourselves and each other as we face this global crisis together. "Everything can be taken from us but one thing: the freedom to choose our attitude in any given set of circumstances" -Viktor Frankl

Extra Sympathy for Seniors

The picture below on the right says it all. All students are experiencing a range of emotions right now, but a little extra sympathy goes out to our seniors, who may not able to experience the end of year events in the traditional way that many students look forward to their entire high school career. While senior events such as awards night, the prom and graduation do not have a definite plan yet, CCT is doing its best to make sure that seniors get the sendoff they deserve!

That's it for now. Thinking of you all. Stay well!