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| March Counsellor Newsletter |
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![March Counsellor Newsletter]() |
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 | The countdown is on leading up to a well deserved spring break. We hope that you will have the opportunity to rest, play, and connect with family and friends. Please continue to send requests for professional learning our way and take care during your busy days.
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Our theme for this year is "Healthy Relationships through a Trauma Sensitive Lens."
Our Counsellor meetings offer an opportunity for connection, professional development, and consult and collaboration around individual students and work. We value this time to connect and have received your feedback about which resources and community agencies you would like to hear more from.
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Counsellor
Collaboration Dates Wednesday, March 1
1-3 pm Virtual Link will be sent out
Thursday, April 13
9-11 am In Person Tolmie Boardroom
Tuesday, May 30
1-3 pm Virtual Link will be sent out.
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 | BC School Counsellors Association Comprehensive School
Counselling Model Updated in 2021. The Executive of the BCSCA recognized the need for an updated resource that would serve to inform school counselling roles and practices within the province, and which could serve as a quick reference guide to many of the resources that are regularly used by school counsellors.
Note: School districts in BC hold the final decision regarding standards and practices of counselling in schools.
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| If you spend any amount of time outdoors, you know nature is good for you. You can feel the difference while you‘re outside breathing in fresh air.
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But how exactly does taking nature in through all our senses benefit us? And why? Nature‘s prescription has multiple active ingredients, including aromatic phytoncides, negative air ions, soil mycobacterium, biodiversity, natural sights and sounds, decreased air pollution and an escape from city heat and violence. Many of the
40 benefits in this article can be traced back to one or a combination of these. The bottom line: nature is an incredible tonic, so go ahead and get some for yourself!
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Everyday Anxiety Strategies for Educators (EASE)
B.C. educators now have the option of selecting from two online, professional development EASE courses - one for grades K-7 and the other for grades 8-12, in both English and French. They are provided at no cost.
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What is EASE? EASE helps educators teach students strategies to address the thoughts, feelings and behaviours associated with anxiety, while also supporting social and emotional learning and the mental health literacy of educators.
Educators get access to a collection of school-based, evidence-informed, curriculum-aligned, anxiety management and resilience-building classroom resources and online professional development courses for use with B.C. students in grades K-12.
EASE complements the First Peoples Principles of Learning and supports the integration of locally adapted and applied Indigenous perspectives.
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EASE K-7EASE for grades K-7 was developed in 2019 by the B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) in collaboration with B.C. educators, school counsellors, Anxiety Canada and other subject experts in the field of child and youth anxiety. EASE K-7 is also available in French. EASE 8-12In response to requests from B.C. educators, EASE 8-12 was developed for B.C. secondary school educators. EASE 8-12 is also available in French. For more information about EASE K-7 and 8-12
visit Healthy Minds BC.
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EASE at Home
EASE K-7 classroom lessons have been adapted for use by parents and caregivers to support children’s mental health across home, school and community settings. EASE at Home K-7 activities have been designed for all children to learn life skills that will benefit them now and into the future. When children practice EASE strategies at home, they are more likely to use them. EASE at Home activities are available as downloadable PDFs in English and seven additional languages: French, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Tagalog, Arabic, and Spanish. at Healthy Minds BC.
EASE at Home 8-12 activities will be available in late spring 2022.
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| We encourage you to read the information linked above. On May 31, 2022, Health Canada approved the Province’s request to decriminalize personal possession of illegal substances in B.C.
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Decriminalization came into effect on January 31, 2023 for an initial 3 year period.
Criminal penalties will no longer apply for possession of small quantities of drugs for personal use when abiding by the terms of the exemption.
Trafficking will remain illegal, regardless of the amount possessed.
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Stress, Trauma, and the Brain:
Insights for Educators--The Neurosequential Model The Neurosequential Model in Education, based on an understanding of the structure and sequential nature of the brain, can help educators increase their students‘ engagement in learning and mitigate behavioral problems. Listen as Dr. Perry describes the model and its significant impact on how we interact with our students, our own children, and each other. It may be helpful to share these with staff via staff meeting, pro-d, or other.
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| Episode 2: How Stress Impacts the Brain Stress is a natural part of life and we experience it daily. However, we don‘t often think about what stress does to our brain, our ability to learn new concepts, get along with others, or recall information. Dr. Perry discusses the impact of stress on students and teachers, and explains how creating a safe, secure environment is critical to allowing students to reach their full potential.
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Episode3: The Power of Connection Relationships are essential to human life. Research demonstrates that when teachers establish a true empathic connection with students, they are able to engage and reengage students in learning, and actually heal and grow children‘s brains. Dr. Perry discusses the important role relationships have in learning, and gives us practical ways to do this in the school setting.
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| Episode 4: Regulating Yourself and Your Classroom Human beings are social creatures, and because of that, our moods and personalities are extremely contagious to one another. Dr. Perry explains how students and teachers can often impact each other‘s mood and brain function, and shares effective classroom strategies that help keep students and adults calm and regulated, decrease behavior challenges, and improve academic engagement.
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Episode 5: Educator Strategies for the Classroom Research shows that traditional behavioral modification techniques and full reliance on rewards and consequences are often ineffective with the students who need it the most. Dr. Perry lays out several easy-to-implement strategies for teachers and their classrooms, resulting in a significant impact on the overall social, emotional, and academic functioning of the students.
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| Collaborative and Proactive Solutions: 2 Day Virtual Training with
Dr. Ross Greene
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Thu, May 4, 2023, 9:45 AM –Fri, May 5, 2023, 5:15 PM EDTIn this webinar, Dr. Greene will provide an overview of the CPS model, along with more advanced coverage of the nuances of assessment and engaging kids in solving the problems that affect their lives. You don't have to participate on both days. On day one, Dr. Greene will provide a general overview of the CPS model, including key themes, using the assessment instrumentation (ALSUP), and solving problems collaboratively. On day two, he will dive deeper into various facets of the model, with extensive use of video examples and ample time for questions and discussion. If you've already attended an introductory training with Dr. Greene, you may want to sign up for the second day. If you're only interested in an introduction to the CPS model, just sign up for the first day. Or you can sign up
for both days. The recordings of both days will be available for viewing following the live webinar. (Usually within 5 days after the live webinar
ends.) Registration Link
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MARCH SNAPSHOT TOPIC: Social Media
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District Mental Health Team Our work focusses on supporting schools and families with students who present with complex profiles that may include emotional, behavioural, mental health, and substance use concerns. We collaborate with district levelled teams and school teams for the purpose of complex problem solving and integrating supports. This also includes collaboration with community agencies (i.e Discovery, CYMH, Police) to develop consistent interventions to offer increased wrap around support to the students and families that we serve. Professional learning opportunities, snapshots, and newsletters are created to promote ongoing education and resource sharing with colleagues, students, and families. Additional work includes VTRA (Violent Threat Risk Assessment) and CIRT (Critical Incident Response Team) response when these needs arise in our school community.
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District Counselling Team Contact Info:
Middle District Counsellor: Monique Moore mmoore@sd61.bc.ca
Elementary District Counsellor: Maureen von Tigerstrom mvontigerstrom@sd61.bc.ca
Youth & Family District Counsellor: Jen Aston jaston@sd61.bc.ca
Indigenous District Counsellors
Secondary Joanne Mitchell jomitchell@sd61.bc.ca
Middle David Davidson ddavidson@sd61.bc.ca
Elementary
Pam Russ pruss@sd61.bc.ca
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Additional Members of the District Mental Health Team:
District Vice Principal: Christina Pelletier cpelletier@sd61.bc.ca
Deputy Superintendent: Harold Caldwell hcaldwell@sd61.bc.ca
Mental Health Resource Coordinator: Marnice Jones mjones@sd61.bc.ca
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