• Welcome to
    Hall-Woodward's School Counseling Department's
    Homepage!!

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    We can hardly believe another school year is behind us here at Hall-Woodward Elementary!!! Hopefully, it was full of new and exciting experiences. We'd like to say congratulations to our "graduating' Fifth Grade students. We have truly enjoyed watching you grow over the years, and to see you finally take the step towards middle school warms our hearts.  Always remember that "every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, YOU have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world." - Harriet Tubman

     

     

     
    Character of the Month
    Character of the Month (COM) is a huge deal and honor at Hall-Woodward Elementary!  It is an opportunity for our teachers to recognize students in their classroom who demonstrate and/or embody the Character Trait for that month.   These students receive a certificate and are rewarded for showing their outstanding efforts. As Character of the Month nominees starts coming in, an Excel Spreadsheet listing the trait, teacher, and students will be sent out.  This helps us keep track of who is being nominated for COM and ensures different students are nominated each time.

     

      Middle School Transition

    How to Survive Middle School

    Overview

    • The School Day
      • Lockers
      • Organization
      • Self-advocacy
      • Grades
    • After School
      • Homework
      • Studying
      • Extracurricular Activities

    Academics

    The School Day

     

    Lockers 101-Your locker is your home base, your own personal space to do with as you please.  Here are some locker tips:

    • Memorize your combo
    • Clean it out once a month
      • Throw out what you don’t need
      • Organize everything else
    • Don’t leave dirty clothes in it
      • This is especially relevant to your gym locker…GROSS!
    • Get a magnetic mirror to keep on the inside for in-between class checks
      • Is there something in my teeth?
      • Did I write on my face with a pen?
    • Avoid storing food for later
      • GROSS!

    The Planner

    Read this list:

    1st period-Answer questions 12-27

    2nd period-Read chapters 5-7

    3rd period-Do worksheet 6

    5th period-Do problems 6-13 skipping 8 and 11

    Now without looking who can repeat that back to me? 

     

    Most schools will provide you with a planner…USE IT!

    • Write down all assignments, quizzes, and tests.
    • Record EVERYTHING in your planner
      • Field trips
      • Long-term projects
      • Friends’ birthdays
    • Write down details as your teachers announce it, so you know you’re doing the right stuff.
    • Check your planner before going home
      • Make sure you have any books, papers, etc. you’ll need for homework
    • Check you, planner, before leaving the house in the morning
      • Do you have practice after school? Then take your supplies.
      • Is there a field trip? Then pack your lunch.

     

    Self-advocacy-You will hear this lot!

    • Have a problem with a teacher?  Self-advocate!
      • Set up a time to talk with the teacher
      • Listen to what the teacher has to say.
      • Focus on the future, not the past
        • Instead of “I didn’t do that,” or “He’s lying.” Try, “I’d love to have a fresh start. How can I make that happen?”
      • Thank your teacher for taking the time to talk to you.
    • Need to rescue a sinking grade? Self-advocate!
      • Recruit help!
        • Talk to your teacher about it and let him know you want to do better, ask for help coming up with a plan.
      • Ask for extra credit
        • The worst the teacher can do is say no
    • ASK QUESTIONS!
      • There are no stupid questions
      • Someone else probably has the same question but is too afraid to ask
      • Ask after class if you are too embarrassed, but JUST ASK

     

    After School

     

    Homework-“The worst part of running up a hill is when you’re at the bottom, just thinking about running up the hill. The same is true for homework, so stop the head games and just do it!”

    • Eat a good breakfast
    • Set aside a homework space
      • Make it comfortable
      • Make it quiet
      • Decorate it to inspire you
    • Get rid of distractions
      • Cell phone?
      • Tablet
      • T.V.
    • Set a deadline
      • If you know you need to finish by a certain time you will be more focused and the end will be in sight.
    • Take Breaks
      • Every 20 or 30 minutes stand up and do a little dance
    • Give yourself a reward
      • Have something you really enjoy waiting for when you are done
    • Turn in EVERYTHING
      • Turn it in even it's late
        • Usually, you can still get some credit for late work
        • Some credit is better than no credit
        • Doing the work will keep you from getting further behind
        • Even if you didn’t get it done on time, still turn it in
    • Use Homework Help Times
      • Most schools have set times they offer extra help, find out that time at your school and use it

    Studying

    • Study in a group
    • Turn it into a game
      • Jeopardylabs.com
    • Teach it to someone else
    • Create mnemonic devices
    • Secrets of the Multiple-Choice Tests
      • Read the question twice
      • Cross off answers you know are wrong
      • If two choices are opposite, one is probably completely wrong which makes the other right
      • Teachers rarely give trick questions, so don’t overthink.
      • Go with your gut

    Extracurricular Activities-Students who get involved are statistically more successful.

    • Find out what activities are offered at your school
      • Sports may not be offered through the school, but often classmates will participate in the same community sports organization.
      • What are you interested in?
    • Find out what your grades need to be to participate, and keep them there.
    • Try something else
      • If you don’t make it into the activity you really wanted, try something else.
      • Middle school can be a time to try lots of things to find out what you want to continue pursuing in high school.
    • Don’t overdo it
      • Make sure you have the time to keep up with everything.
      • You don’t have to try it all at once

    Social Scene

    Overview

    • Friends
    • Rumors
    • Bullying

     

    Friends

    • Smile
    • Ask Questions
    • Stay Positive
    • Be a Uniter
    • Know Your True Friends

     

    Rumors

    • Take Action
      • Confront the Source
      • Clear it up
    • Talk to Someone

     

    Bullying

    What is bullying?   When someone tries to make you feel bad about yourself and it is hard for you to make it stop.
     
    Basically, there are three things that need to be present in a situation for it to be defined as bullying:
    • unwanted, aggressive behavior = words or behavior intended to harm or hurt another person
    • an imbalance of power = a real or perceived power imbalance between those involved; someone could be bigger, bolder, stronger, more popular, or part of a group 'ganging up on someone else
    • repetition = it happens more than once or has the potential to happen more than once
    Bullying can be verbal, social, and/or physical. It can be direct and confrontational, or passive. Bullying can be covert, with few or no witnesses, but it can also be very visible, even occurring through publicly shared media platforms. Whether teasing, name-calling, spreading rumors, hitting or purposely excluding someone, bullying always has negative impacts on those that witness the behavior and those that engage in the behavior.
     
     
    Report it!  BULLY PATROL is our dedicated online tool for reporting bullying located on the WS/FCS district home page. It is accessible 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. You can also find a teacher, School Counselor, School Social Worker or another staff member who will listen. No one has to face these problems alone.

    Please feel free to visit our district website, for more information about bullying, signs of bullying, and ways to combat it.: Resources About Bullying
     
     
     Be on the lookout for our Hall-Woodward Character of the Month Hall of Fame in our school Cafeteria!!
     

    Summer Break

    Thank you families, staff, and students for an amazing year, for all of your support and encouragement throughout the school year.  We hope you have a restful and relaxing summer, that is filled with reading, and working on math facts!!

     
Last Modified on March 8, 2022