
TCE Counselor Parent Newsletter
APRIL 2022
Tear Soup - A Story About Healing After Loss
BOOKS THAT HELP KIDS PROCESS GRIEF AND LOSS
When Sadness is at Your Door
Sadness can be scary and confusing at any age! When we feel sad, especially for long periods of time, it can seem as if the sadness is a part of who we are--an overwhelming, invisible, and scary sensation. This book approaches this feeling as if it is a visitor. The author gives it a shape and a face, and encourages the reader to give it a name, all of which helps to demystify it and distinguish it from ourselves. She suggests activities to do with it, like sitting quietly, drawing, and going outside for a walk. The beauty of this approach is in the respect the book has for the feeling, and the absence of a narrative that encourages the reader to "get over" it or indicates that it's "bad," both of which are anxiety-producing notions.
Saying Goodbye to Lulu
A young girl and her lovable dog, Lulu, are the best of friends. They play games together, explore their neighborhood, and even cuddle up to read bedtime stories each night. Lulu is the best dog a girl could ever hope for, but when she grows older and gradually becomes weak, the little girl must face the sad possibility of losing her dear friend, and inevitably, cope with the death of her canine companion. Though she is deeply saddened by Lulu's passing and misses her very much, over time the little girl discovers that the sweet memory of her beloved Lulu will live on forever... in her heart.
Life Without Nicco
FAMILY GRIEF RESOURCES
Please reach out to any TCE staff member for support as we process our grief together as a community. You may email the counselor directly at kmatlock@coppellisd.com.
Family Social Emotional Literacy Library
View the SEL Titles (below), use the link to request the titles you would like to check out (below), and then use the corresponding conversation starters (below) to facilitate discussions at home. Books and discussion questions will be sent home with learners in book bags and may be returned after 2 weeks.
GREAT PARENTING READS
The Whole-Brain Child by Dan Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson
Complete with age-appropriate strategies for dealing with day-to-day struggles and illustrations that will help you explain these concepts to your child, The Whole-Brain Child shows you how to cultivate healthy emotional and intellectual development so that your children can lead balanced, meaningful, and connected lives.
UnSelfie by Michele Borba
Teens today are forty percent less empathetic than they were thirty years ago. Why is a lack of empathy—which goes hand-in-hand with the self-absorption epidemic Dr. Michele Borba calls the Selfie Syndrome—so dangerous? First, it hurts kids’ academic performance and leads to bullying behaviors. Also, it correlates with more cheating and less resilience. And once children grow up, a lack of empathy hampers their ability to collaborate, innovate, and problem-solve—all must-have skills for the global economy.
In UnSelfie Dr. Borba pinpoints the forces causing the empathy crisis and shares a revolutionary, researched-based, nine-step plan for reversing it.
The good news? Empathy is a trait that can be taught and nurtured. Dr. Borba offers a framework for parenting that yields the results we all want: successful, happy kids who also are kind, moral, courageous, and resilient. UnSelfie is a blueprint for parents and educators who want to kids shift their focus from I, me, and mine…to we, us, and ours.
Parenting with Love and Logic by Foster Cline & Jim Fay
Designed for preschool and beyond, this helpful and practical psychology-based parenting method is an invaluable guide for all parents! Teach your children healthy responsibility and encourage their character growth from a young age. Learn to establish healthy boundaries with your children through easy-to-implement steps without anger, threats, nagging, or power struggles.
Trusted by generations of parents, counselors, and teachers to lovingly raise responsible children, Parenting with Love and Logic includes solutions for dozens of specific topics such as:
- Tantrums
- Managing screen time
- Grades and report cards
- Chores
- Getting ready for school
- Peer pressure
- Cyberbullying
- Navigating crisis situations and grief
- And much more!
Each issue is indexed for easy reference. Learn how to tame tempers and re-establish a calm, healthy relationship and positive communication with your child today!
2021-2022 Guidance Lessons
Click on the links below to view 2021-2022 lessons, videos, handouts, and other resources.
LESSON ONE: "What Does the Counselor Do?"
Powtoon: The Role of a Counselor
Charles Mortimer Alexander McGee by Maureen Fernandez
The Color Monster by Anna Llenas
LESSON TWO: "My Brain & Feelings"
Your Brain by Heather Bryant and Maureen Fernandez
Sesame Street: Cupcake Breathing
LESSON THREE: "Making Healthy Choices"
Kinder Guidance Lesson: Healthy Choices
1st Guidance Lesson: Yes or No?
2nd Guidance Lesson: What is Peer Pressure?
3rd Guidance Lesson: Escaping Peer Pressure
4th Guidance Lesson: Peer Pressure Refusal Skills
5th Guidance Lesson: Peer Pressure Exit Strategies
Social Experiment: Waiting in Line
LESSON FOUR: "Communication"
Kinder Guidance Lesson: How to Talk to a New Friend
1st Guidance Lesson: Whole Body Listening
2nd Guidance Lesson: Communicating Through Actions
3rd Guidance Lesson: Active Listening
4th Guidance Lesson: More Than Words
5th Guidance Lesson: Communication Styles
Do You Want to Be My Friend by Eric Carle
Elmo Knows How to Listen (Sesame Street)
The Rabbit Listened by Cory Doerfeld
LESSON FIVE: "Perspective"
K-5 Guidance Lesson: Perspective
It's Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr
LESSON SIX: "Personal Safety"
Tarrant County "Play It Safe" Curriculum
Joe & Suzy Dolls
K-5 Videos (available upon request)
LESSON SEVEN: "Conflict Resolution"
K-5 Guidance Lesson: Conflict Resolution Wheel
Share & Take Turns (The Olive Branch)
Kelly Matlock
Email: kmatlock@coppellisd.com
Website: www.coppellisd.com/tce
Location: 185 North Heartz Road, Coppell, TX, USA
Phone: 214-496-7800
Twitter: @TCE_Counselor