Greetings St. Joe’s families. I’m thankful to be serving as your Professional School Counselor. I will be in my office, also known as the “calming room” at St. Joe’s, on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week. I will also be available to meet with our students who have gone the virtual route via secure ZOOM meetings. This is my 14th year of school counseling, and I have worked with students ages Pre-K-12th grade addressing such topics as:
- Building social skills
- Helping arrange academic support when needed
- Learning life skills (i.e. response to disappointment, anger, fear, etc).
- Increasing self esteem
- Strengthening peer relationships
- Managing Anxiety
This will be a unique school year, but I’m here to help. Please see the attached links both for our students and parents. In addition, here is a link to the paperwork parents need to sign in order for their child to meet with the professional school counselor.
Lastly, the counselors of the Diocese of Knoxville are publishing a newsletter called “The Counselor Connection” to provide additional support and helpful information, especially during COVID-19.
The Counselor Connection Newsletter
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, I’m here for you! Please reach out to me at counselorgilpin@gmail.com.
Blessings,
Sarah Gilpin
SJS Professional School Counselor
For Students
For our SJS Virtual Students who want to pursue a virtual secure ZOOM meeting with Ms. Sarah: Please fill out and submit this form. Please do this with your parent/caregiver if you are in grades PreK-5th.
- https://family.gonoodle.com/
channels/flow GoNoodle is an awesome way to get moving to keep your brain happy and healthy! This link will guide you into unwinding your mind. Includes links in Spanish. - https://www.gonoodle.com/blog/
gonoodle-games-movement-app- for-kids/ This link has ONLINE GAMES for kids from GoNoodle - https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=hvr2cwOnqlk A safe link with healing music and visuals that you can put on in the background while doing your paper/pencil homework, or take a moment to relax after a long day. - https://nathanfriend.io/
inspirograph/ An online spirograph to make some beautiful art and calm your mind. - https://www.
montereybayaquarium.org/ animals/live-cams/open-sea-cam . Monterey Bay live sea-cam. Watch, learn, and relax.
For Families
- https://www.pbs.org/parents/ Provides helpful, updated information for parents (including resources for parents in how to deal with the pandemic with regard to their children).
- https://kidshealth.org/en/
parents/ Provides information about healthy growth/development for children and teens. - https://keltymentalhealth.ca/
parents-caregivers Includes a resource library for parents/caregivers of primary and middle school age children, including a family toolkit. - https://www.jedfoundation.org/
jeds-covid-19-resource-guide/ Covid Resource Guide for parents to encourage mental health at home. -
https://www.cdc.gov/
coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily- life-coping/parental-resource- kit/childhood.html: Social, Emotional, and Mental Well-Being of Children during Covid-19, with suggestions for how to stay mentally healthy during quarantine.
Link in Español: https://espanol.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/ daily-life-coping/parental- resource-kit/childhood.html
