4^th Grade Exit Interviews (Grade 4)

Every fourth grade student participates in a 20-30 minute interview with the school counselor the June before they go to middle school. Students evaluate and discuss the academic goals that they have set for their 4^th grade year. Students engage in conversation about how factors such as attendance, attitude, work ethic, and perseverance have contributed to achievements. Student then set new academic goals for 5^th grade and use career interest inventory and Planning Your Future Day career activities to discuss future career goals.

ASCA STANDARDS ADDRESSED: C.A1.5, C.A2.7, C.B2.2, C.B1.3, C.C1.4,  PS:A1.3, PS.B1.9, PS:B1.12, A.A1.1,A.A3.1, A.B1.1, A.B1.5, A:B2.1, A.B2.2, A.B2.3, A.B2.4, A.B2.5, A.B2.6, A.B2.7

Planning Your Future Day (Grade 4) Planning Your Future Day is an opportunity for 4th grade students to begin thinking about the many possibilities for the future. Students are introduced to a variety of guest speakers in hopes that they will be inspired to set personal goals and then put in the hard work needed to achieve those goals.  There is a career awareness portion of the event that helps them to identify careers that might interest them based on results from a career interest inventory completed during regular guidance lessons. Guest speakers typically include former South Lewis graduates and current high school seniors.

ASCA STANDARDS ADDRESSED: C.A1.1. C.A1.2, C.A1.5, C.A1.7, C.A1.8, C.A2.7, C.B1.2, C.B1.4, CB1.5, C.B1.6,  C.B2.1, C.C1.1, C.C1.2, C.C1.3,  C.C1.5, C.C1.7, PS.B1.9, A.A1.5

Challenge Day (Grade 4)

Loosely based on programming from Challengeday.org, this half day event was adapted to meet the needs of an elementary school audience. Students in 4^th grade talk about the definition of bullying, the types of bullying that exist, and how this issues are present in their current 4^th grade community. Discussion of labels, cliques, and barriers to overcoming bullying are also discussed. Once students gain awareness of the problem, the next step is taking ownership. Students are challenged to participate in Think-Pair-Share activities through the whole day to learn to interact with new students. Personal disclosure activities such as “Step On the Line” and “If You Really Knew Me” are introduced to give students a chance to openly share. As in the Challengeday.org programs, there is a great deal of discussion about tolerance, respect, and acceptance. Students are NOT required to share, but encouraged to do so. “Be the Change” is the closing conversation as students think about what role they play in the problem, and generate ideas about how they can better be a part of the solution to the bullying epidemic in educational institutions.

ASCA STANDARDS ADDRESSED: PS.A1.2, PS.A1.5, PS.A1.6,PS.A1.7, PS.A1.8, PS.A1.10, PS.A1.2,PS.A2.2, PS.A2.3, PS.A2.6, PS.A2.7, PS.A2.8,  PS.B1.2, PS.B1.3, PS.B1.5, PS.B1.8, PS.C1.3, PS.C15, PS.C1.6

Random Acts of Kindness Week (Grades Pre-K- 4)

Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Week celebrates the importance of kindness, compassion, empathy, and caring. Students are challenged to seek out opportunities to be deliberately kind to one another. They are challenged to think about how the amount of kindness they put into the world is directly related to the amount of kindness that they receive. To help them understand this concept, students use paper hearts to write about each individual act of kindness done to them over the week. The counselor has discussions with each class about how being able to fill out many hearts is an indication that an individual is also a kind and compassionate person to others. Classes compete against one another to complete the most RAK hearts. Winners receive a RAK from the counselor.

ASCA STANDARDS ADDRESSED: PS.A1.2, PS. A1.6, PS.A2.3, PS:A2.8

Kindergarten and 1^st Grade Career Fair (Grades K-1, 4)

This end of the year activity is meant to jumpstart the career exploration efforts in early primary grades. During classroom guidance lessons prior to the event, Kindergarten and First Grade students will complete a developmentally appropriate career interest inventory so that they can identity which 3 of the 16 career clusters are most closely aligned with their interests and abilities. During the career fair, students will use this information to visit 3 of the 16 career cluster stations, with the help of a 4^th grade buddy. Together the pair will examine careers at each of the three stations, and use the corresponding hand-outs to create two career booklets. One booklet to keep and the other to serve as a document for the career portfolio that begins in Kindergarten. Fourth grade students will benefit from participation as well, as it will also expose them to new career ideas.

ASCA STANDARDS ADDRESSED: C.B1.2, C.B1.4, C.B1.7, C.B2.1, C.B2.5

KidsKamp and Challenge Week (5^th, 8^th)

In August, before the beginning of each school year, incoming 5^th graders and incoming 8^th graders are invited to attend a weeklong event wherein students begin engaging in the process of self-discovery and planning for the future. Many exciting activities and trips are planned through-out the weeklong event to inspire and motivate our students. Both groups of students will be visiting Beaver Camp where the students spend the day on the ropes course exploring the lower and higher elements as well as teambuilding activities to inspire discussion about adversity and obstacles. Our students also visit college campuses during the course of the week. This is a great opportunity to expose our middle school students to post-secondary education options. These visits are usually facilitated by campus staff and college students who conduct tours and activities meant to get our students interested in higher learning. We also invite guest speakers to talk to the students about the importance of having and accomplishing goals and dreams despite challenges and obstacles. The culmination of the event is a goal-setting project and discussing academic and career goals.

ASCA STANDARDS ADDRESSED: PS.A.1.1, PS.A1.2, PS.A1.3, PS.A1.4, PS.A1.5, PS.A1.9, PS.A1.10, PS.A2.6, PS.A2.7, PS.A2.8, PS.B1.1, PS.B1.2, PS.B1.3, PS.B1.6, PS.B1.9, PS.B1.10, C.A1.3, C.A1.4, C.A1.6, C.A2.1, C.A2.7, C.B2.1, C.C1.1, C.C1.2, C.C1.5, C.C1.7, C.C2.1, C.C2.2, C.C2.3, A.A1.2, A.A1.4, A.A1.5, A.B1.1, A.B2.1, A.B2.6, A.B2.7, A.C1.3, A.C1.4, A.C1.5, A.C1.6

Red Ribbon Week (Grades Pre-K- 4)

This event is a week of activities meant to to raise awareness of the dangers of alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and violence. A guest speaker from a local agency (Ex: Mountain View Prevention, Cornell Cooperative Extension) typically starts off the week with an assembly about making healthy choices. From there students participate in daily Red Ribbon Week Challenges meant to inspire good choices (see sample chart). A poster and/or essay contest, and lunch time activities (signing a drug free pledge, drug free photo booth, coloring/activity sheets) help round out the week’s activities.

ASCA STANDARDS ADDRESSED: PS:A1.2, PS:C1.7, PS. C1.8