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| Barbara's Blogs |
| Visit Barbara's Blog to be inspired by people and experiences that corner the market on character. |
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| About the Counselor |
Barbara Gruener,
counselor and character coach at Westwood is in her
28th year as an educator. Born in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where
she grew up working on a large family dairy farm, Barbara graduated
from the University of Wisconsin in Madison in 1984 with a Bachelor
of Science degree in English and Spanish. She began a Spanish
Department in a small high school in central Wisconsin before
heading to Texas in 1985. She taught Spanish and ESL classes
at North Shore Middle School for a year before moving to FISD
to teach Spanish and coach volleyball and softball at Friendswood
High School.
Mrs. Gruener earned a Master of Science degree
from the University of Houston Clear Lake in Education in 1989,
followed by a Master of Science degree in Counseling in 1994.
After 16 years of teaching and counseling
at the secondary level, Barbara decided to try elementary school
and has found her niche as the counselor at Westwood.
Barbara is a published author whose work has
appeared in magazines such as Teaching Tolerance, Teaching K-8,
and Daughters. In the Fall of 2000, Barbara became a certified
trainer for Character Counts! and she enjoys presenting her high-energy
workshop - Sing, Dance, Laugh, and Build Character - to share
her ideas with other educators nationwide whenever the opportunity
presents itself. In her spare time, Barbara likes
to knit, bake, read, write, take long walks, visit with friends,
and hang out with her family. She lives in Friendswood
with her husband, John, and their three children. |
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| Counselor's
Corner |
Weren't the bluebonnets beautiful this year? I sure hope that you were able to take time out of your busy spring schedules to enjoy the bounty! And if April showers really do bring May flowers, then we've still got some bloomin' beauty to look forward to around here.
A huge thank you goes to the PTO Round Up Volunteers who've helped to make that annual FUNdraiser a huge success. I'm also so grateful that they put aside some scholarship wristbands, t-shirts, and tickets so that we could share with our families in need. Character always comes first, and I appreciate their generosity!
 What a fantastic time we had playing host to the Character Counts! Character Development Seminar recently' it's such an honor to serve as a Model School and a Regional Instructional Center. I enjoyed the interaction with character educators from close by as well as those from as far away as North Dakota and my birthplace, Wisconsin! In the picture, you'll see that I was invited to participate in leading a few of the activities and discussions about how we integrate character education into the very fabric of our school routines. My happiness meter was off of the charts!
The end-of-the-year craziness can be overwhelming, so I'm going to ask that you pause periodically just to be. Be present. Be rested. Be in the moment. Be joyful. Be appreciative. Be available. Just BE. We'll have a bit more state-mandated testing days, then we'll finish strong with some field trips and field days as we slide into summer. As always, if I can do anything to help make your time at Westwood-Bales more enjoyable, please do not hesitate to ask. |
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| Here's a snappy song (sung to the tune of the Addams Family) that you can use to reinforce Anger Management skills: |
 When I get mad (snap, snap),
when I get mad (snap, snap),
Here's what I do,
to get me through
when I get mad (snap, snap).
I practice taking deep breaths,
I slowly count from one to ten.
I talk it out or exercise,
'til I am glad again. |
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| It's Empathy (sung to the tune of A Rum Sum Sum) |
It's empathy, it's empathy.
When you put yourself in place of me, it's empathy.
It's empathy, it's empathy.
When I understand your feelings, it's called empathy.
I like it, I like it.
When you put yourself in my shoes and feel empathy.
You'll like it, you'll like it.
When I put myself in your shoes and feel empathy! |
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| About Face! |
 If you're looking for a way to help your students figure out their feelings, why not draw faces from the ever-popular How Are You Feeling Today? poster on the ceiling tiles and turn them into feeling tiles? My daughter did just that with a Sharpie Chisel marker on ten of my tiles; they now serve as a great visual when students want to connect the actions of a storybook character (or themselves) to a real-life emotion. |
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| Do A Ditty |
| We can't all talk at the same time, but we can all sing at the same time! And students are likely to remember information with a chant or a song. So, if you're looking for a way to "seal the deal" on a lesson or activity, click here to Do A Ditty or Sing A Song. |
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| Anger Management |
| Anger isn't necessarily the most pleasant emotion, but it is definitely a feeling that we can learn to manage. Click here for some tips regarding healthy ways to deal with your anger. Visit here for some additional strategies to help get the angries out. |
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| Take Effective Action Against Bullying |
| Education.com, a Web destination for parents of school-aged children, and the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) have launched a Special Edition on Bullying at School and Online. This resource provides new information and tools to help parents take an active role in addressing bullying. In creating the Special Edition, Education.com and AASA worked with contributors from around the world to compile new evidence-based, peer-reviewed content to dispel common myths and empower parents and their children to take effective action against bullying. The result is a collection of more than 30 original reference articles, plus video clips, quizzes, online workshops, community forums and quick-fact lists-all available free of charge on the Web site. Click Here |
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| What Can Your School Counselor Do For You? |
 The following information provides a brief description of the main counseling services available at Westwood Elementary.
Curriculum – We are all learning to be Bucket Fillers at Westwood! Guidance lessons teach and model skills that complement the Six Pillars of Character - Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship. These interactive sessions are designed to reinforce the character values of the FISD Board-adopted Character Education Framework. Mrs. Gruener also schedules special assemblies throughout the year to enrich the material in these lessons.
Coordination – Mrs. Gruener coordinates activities for special events like the National Red Ribbon Campaign and Character Counts! Week. She also works with the PAL (Peer Assistance and Leadership) program to pair high-school-aged role models with students who might benefit from that extra connection and assists with service projects like our annual Santas for our Soldiers. Other programs that she helps coordinate include the Knitting Club service-learning group, the Buddy Backpack program, Principal’s Partners, Career Awareness Day, Family Character Night, and the Compliment Club. Mrs. Gruener also attends and leads PLC (Professional Learning Community) meetings as part of her leadership role with faculty and staff.
Consultation – Parents can make appointments with Mrs. Gruener to process an individual concern, normalize a behavior, or celebrate a success. Parent education materials are located in the Parent Resource Center to the back of the Character Court and available for check out to assist parents as they continue developing and refining their parenting skills. Mrs. Gruener serves as a behavior interventionist on our Problem Solving Team. Individualized behavior management plans will be developed for students who exhibit chronic behavior challenges and need additional assistance learning self-discipline and control. Behavior management plans are the result of the collaborative effort of the administrative staff, the teacher, the counselor, and the Problem Solving Team. Behavioral and Developmental screenings are also available through our counselor’s office as needed. Additionally, Mrs. Gruener keeps a wealth of up-to-date parenting information and resources on the school’s website.
Counseling – While school counselors are not therapists, they do work with students individually and in small-group sessions to assist them as they learn and practice life-long skills like working cooperatively, making friends, processing feelings, resolving conflicts, and solving problems. Referrals to visit with Mrs. Gruener can be initiated by a staff member, a parent, an administrator, or the student. Activity-based small-group counseling classes are offered by grade level in six-week sessions each semester. A list of area counselors, therapists and tutors is available upon request.
Volunteers are always welcomed; please let Mrs. Gruener know if you would like to be a part of the school counseling team! |
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