COUNSELOR ADVISORY COMMITEE (CAC): On January 27th we had our first quaterly Counselor Advisory Committee meeting. The purpose of the committee is to visit what the counseling department does and how we can become better. The members on the committee are comprised of teachers, parents, administrators, school social worker, school psychologist, and business members in the community. If you feel as though you would like to join the committee or have any suggestions please contact either Mrs. Cottle-Makhene or Mr. Singer. GROUPS: This nine weeks we will be offering study skills, test taking skills, and coping skills for anxiety groups. If you have any students who you feel as though may benefit from the groups please let us know. Groups will run from 7-9 weeks (depending on the group) and will meet weekly for 30 minutes (usually during lunch and recess). This year we will be compiling groups based on struggling academic achievement so that we can assess how well each group impacts the students learning. We know that there is no possible way that you can determine the need for a particular group at the beginning of the year, however if you already have a child in mind please send us an email. The groups we were thinking about doing throughout the year are as follows: Changing Families - Divorce, separation, etc. Friendship/Social skills - problems making/keeping friends Anger/Impulsivity Grief Organizational Skills Study Skills Incarcerated Family Members Anxiety Other groups may be cut or added depending on our school population and student involvement. Once a child is invited to a group we will send home a permission slip to be signed and returned by the child's caretaker. Thank you so much for your time and cooperation. We welcome any suggestions that you may have.