Notes from our ISA Counsellors - Mrs. DeGraw and Ms Barker
Our high school and careers counsellor, Ms. Barker, has been busy supporting students in preparation for their university applications. Grade 12s have filled out their UCAS applications with choices and the students are working on their personal statement or US essay drafts, with some already in the reviewing stages with Ms. Barker.
Professor Vera Kempe virtually visited the grade 9s and 10s to discuss learning strategies proven by science. Ms. Barker has been following up with grade 10s individually during advisory times to revisit the strategies and offer additional organization and time management. Professor Kempe will visit all the grade 9s during their scheduled SDL (self directed learning) time. She will be further discussing the learning strategies, how to implement these, and students will make a plan to utilize the skills in their daily routines. Professor Kempe and Ms. Barker will also discuss strategies for managing exam anxiety with this group as they face their first set of exams in December.
Mrs DeGraw, our social emotional counsellor, has enjoyed visiting 7th grade health to talk about balancing perspectives on stress, peer pressure, and how to rethink social influences. In fourth grade we practiced some executive function skills with group work (perseverance, flexible thinking, attention, and self control); we even got to try it out on the teachers which was a lot of fun. In 3rd grade we introduced flexible thinking and learned all about how using this executive function skill helps us to have success with friends. In first and second grade we opened our coping skills toolbox to learn about strategies for self regulation using a choice wheel. We have started lunch bunches in primary, and all the students will get a chance to have a group lunch with the counsellor, and to reinforce friendship and self regulation skills.
Our middle and high school ambassadors have been busy meeting with Ms. Barker and Mrs. DeGraw to help plan transitions for new students, and to help create a positive social ethos at ISA. Thank you to our ambassadors for all their support, especially at the recent open house and open morning event.
Have a lovely weekend!
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