Groups, groups, and more groups

 

Our school has over 720 students and there are 1.6 counselors. So far this year we have done short-term groups for new students and started a grief group.  We just finished up Parent Teacher Conferences on Friday so now the fun begins.  We will see over 100 kindergarten students in 4 session lunch bunches designed to take any stigma away from working with the counselors.  We talk about individual differences, feelings, friends, and solving problems with friends. We spread them out so any "group" might see us once a month.  In first grade we do friendship, impulse control, and changing families groups.  Second and third we do the same as first but add emotion management. In fourth grade we add study skills (and grief because of the need).  In fifth we do book clubs (for personal/social), study skills, and stress management.  We added the stress management based on students expressing need at one minute meetings with our new part-time counselor.