Starting a new program

With the start of the second quarter (and a MUCH needed teacher workday), I feel refreshed and ready to start a new program at my school!  When you have been something for awhile, it is important to keep changing things so you are not getting bored or complacent.  That's why I'm going to start a Student Ambassador program at my school.  Currently, we (there are two of us at my school) meet with the new students at the start of the school year and the start of the third quarter.  To help ensure we get to meet these students a little earlier, we will have Student Ambassadors show them around and introduce the new students to the specialists.

Do you have a Student Ambassador program at your school?  If so, what is the criteria you use to select those students?  Also, who do the new students see on the tour?  I'm thinking I want Student Ambassadors to be both fourth and fifth graders who do not necessarily have perfect grades but who try their best at school (good conduct/work habits).  In addition, they need to be out-going enough and very helpful.  As for the tour, I'm thinking the new students should meet the: principal, assistant principal, counselors, nurse, and possibly the specialists.

Check-back in the next couple of weeks and I'll let you know how it's going!  Fingers crossed that it will be a success! :-)

Mix It Up Day!

This past week we sponsored one of my favorite days of the year, Mix It Up Day!  It's such a simple idea but it truly has a big impact!  Students are asked to sit in a new spot in order to talk to students that they do not normally get to talk to and hopefully, meet a new friend.  I love the day since it has students practice all those friendship skills we talk about all the time, such as listening to others, asking questions, being respectful, etc.  To help those students that are shy or do not know how to start conversations, I printed conversation starters and put them on all the tables in the cafeteria.

The day is really successful for students in grades 1-3.  I have to figure out to have the older students in grades 4-5 truly buy in.  Maybe I'll give them numbers when they walk into the cafeteria that will tell which section they can sit in.  Or perhaps, group them by the color shirt they are wearing.  What are your thoughts?  How do you get those reluctant students to participate?

Also, in case you want more information about Mix It Up Day, the official site is: http://www.tolerance.org/mix-it-up/what-is-mix  Do you do Mix It Up Day at your school?  What's it like there?  I would love to hear all about it!

Balancing it all

In the era of high-stakes testing, accountability is a necessity.  As a School Counselor without a classroom schedule, it may appear to other school professionals and/or administrators that we have lots of "free" time.  There are days where I do have an hour of time that is not set aside for lessons, small groups, meetings, consulting with teachers, calling parents, etc.  However, most of the time, that hour ends up being used by individual student requests, handling emergencies, assisting with school-wide programs and/or checking-in on students.  In fact, there are lots of days that I do not even take a planning period due to other circumstances.

So my question is, how do you turn your schedule into an administrator with that "free" time posted knowing that in reality, that will not end up being the case?  My fear is that I'll turn in my schedule and be assigned to other duties during that time which will hamper my ability to do my job effectively.  What are your thoughts?  Is a conversation with my administrator good enough or should I put in something that I "anticipate" will take up my time during that slot?