Big Announcement for our Boone Bear Family

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT FOR OUR BOONE BEAR FAMILY . . .

On Monday, October 2 we will have two new staff members join us at Boone Elementary School their names are Andy and Meeko.  They will look a bit different from the rest of our staff because they are four-legged . . . a therapy dog and therapy guinea pig!  

I’m so excited to introduce Andy and Meeko to Boone. Andy is a Corgi mix dog that loves to play and has a big heart for children.  Meeko is about 1 ½ years old, and adores time with others and eating his vegetables.  Beginning September 18-29, I will give an orientation to all grade levels during their guidance lessons about having therapy animals at school.  We will cover:

·       General expectations

·       How to pet Andy and Meeko

·       When to approach them, which includes good times to say hello and goodbye

·       Learning canine and guinea pig body language and communication

·       Difference between therapy and service animals

They are both registered therapy animals through Pet Partners, which requires extensive medical and behavioral evaluations.  I am also a graduate of Texas State’s Animal Assisted Academy which included over 120 hours of training.  I’ve include both site’s links for further information.

http://aac-academy.clas.txstate.edu/about.html

https://petpartners.org/

Please contact me with concerns regarding food and pet allergies.  Part of my protocol is to give Andy and Meeko regular baths, and to wipe Andy down with an anti-dander spray every day he comes to work.  

Fall 2017 Groups for Children and Parents at ACGC

AUSTIN CHILD GUIDANCE CENTER
 
Fall 2017 Groups for Children and Parents
Eight Sessions, One night a week
Located at Austin Child Guidance Center 810 W. 45th St. 78751
Free Childcare Provided for Children 2 years old and up.
REGISTER NOW - GROUPS START LATE SEPTEMBER!
 
ADHD Parents Group in ENGLISH
English speaking parents of children 5-12 years old with ADHD
              Improve use of positive attention, rules, and appropriate discipline.
                  Meets every Thursday from 6-7:30pm beginning September 28th
               $10 per session

Anger Management/ Conflict Resolution
Group for children 9-12 years old
Identify common triggers of anger, identify positive ways to manage and express anger, and to apply problem-solving skills
                   Meets every Monday from 5:30-7:00pm beginning September 25th
               Low Cost, Sliding Fee Scale.

Social Skills Group
Group for children ages 6-9 years old
For any children who struggle with understanding and using positive friendship skills.
Meets every Wednesday from 6-7:30pm beginning September 27th
Low Cost, Sliding Fee Scale.
 
For more information and to register call: 512-451-2242 ask for Sara Walters
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Flipping your lid?

I was able to visit the classrooms the first 2 weeks of school to welcome our preschoolers, kindergarteners, new students, and returning students. We talked about my roles as a school counselor at Boone and all the services I can offer to them and their families.

We have just started our guidance lessons this past week.  I have started introducing Dan Siegel's hand model of the brain and Your Fantastic Elastic Brain: Stretch It, Shape It to the 2nd-5th graders. We are having some great discussions about the brain, how it works, and it's connection to our feelings and learning.

K-1 is learning and reviewing Kelso's Choices.  We are talking about the difference between "small" and "big" problems.  Students are learning simple choices that empower them to solve their own small problems.   

Kelsos Choices

Five Tips to Help Ease Kids' Anxiety About School

In this video, Dr. Tina Payne Bryson shares five tips to help ease kids' anxiety about school. This is part one of a four-part video series and is available for free on YouTube.

Helpful Back to School Tips

Helpful Back to School Tips

There are a lot of mixed emotions starting a new school year for our kids and us.  Here are some resources to help you along the way! As always, please feel free to contact Ms. Lozo if you have any questions or concerns.

Making your morning routines more manageable

Back-to-School Checklist

Separation Anxiety: Letting Your Child Go