Woohoo! Today was our 2011 Walk-A-Thon and it was such a blast! Have I mentioned lately how much I love our PTSA? They put the entire thing on as a fundraiser for our school and it was a huge success! The PTSA Walk-A-Thon is our school's major fundraiser and last year they were able to raise over $26,000 to help fund classroom grants, sponsor after school programs and field trips. I am realizing more and more how imperative it is to partner with our PTSA and parents and what a positive impact they can have on our school. THANK YOU PTSA FOR AN AMAZING EVENT!
I'm really enjoying this new book that my district purchased to use in classroom guidance lessons to help incorporate more career exploration with our students. The book is called Making the Link: Helping Children Link School Habits with the World of Work by Lisa King. I'd love to get a copy to use with my own students next year.
I hope everyone has heard of the amazing organization: Operation School Bell! There are different variations of the program across the country, but in my area Operation School Bell provides new clothing to over 2,300 children in three school districts grades K-9 through a gift card assisted shopping program with our community partner store, Fred Meyer. There are a limited number of gift cards available, but it is an amazing opportunity to help kiddos get new clothes, shoes, and coats for the winter! So if you haven't looked into it yet, look and see if your school is eligible to participate!
We had our back-to-school BBQ after school today that was put on by our PTSA. What a blast! We had hot dogs, hamburgers, a bouncy house, and face painting. The parents and kids loved it and it was a huge success! More than that, it was a great chance for me to get to know the students a better and introduce myself to the PTSA members and parents.
Back-to-school events like this are a great way for counselors to get to know parents better and build positive relationships with key stakeholders in students' lives.
It's August and the beginning of the school year is right around the corner. I'm eager to begin my internship as an elementary school counselor and share my experiences with you all!
