School Counselling at CCS

Mrs. Schinkel RP, MC:AT Registered Psychotherapist, Art Therapist School Counsellor   Office Hours: Wednesday and Thursday

Back to School Resources                                

August 31, 2020

As we plan ahead for the return to school in September, some children may be feeling nervous, anxious, and unsure. As parents, we may also have a mix of feelings. How do we balance our own worries and manage our kids' worries at the same time? 

5 tips for transitioning back to school:

1. Get back into a routine - Create night time routines, morning routines, after school routines, and visual schedules/checklists. These will all help to establish structure, which is so important and may have been a bit lost this summer, because, let's be honest, it was needed! 

2. Prepare the night before - Get kids involved in packing their own lunches, packing school bags, and picking out clothes the night before. Give a bit more time for kids to unwind before bed: put on some quiet music, read a book, use a prayer journal. 

3. Validate emotions - Recognize that even uncomfortable emotions, such as worry, fear, and stress are normal emotions that may be heightened given the circumstances. Be understanding and help normalize their feelings. Look at things that will be the same about returning to school and what things will be different. Prepare your child, as best as you can, for what school may look like. 

4. Utilize coping skills - When emotions are high, it can be difficult to think clearly, reason, or make sense of things. Each child has things they do that can help them stay calm or return to calm. Come up with some new skills together; including using transitional items - stuffed animals, scented items, stress balls. 

5. Talk to your child about ways to follow new safety rules - Discuss how to safely engage with friends, how to wear masks, wash hands, etc. Make it fun; model the norm and they can follow your calm and fun approach to these new practices. Feeling prepared can help calm some of these fears.

Anxiety Canada - coping with back to school anxiety

HWDSB resources for mental wellness

Edvance Christian School Association (Facebook page) - (provides resources great for educators and parents) - recently posted reference to books by Julia Cook to address big feelings 

Centre for Disease Control - parent checklist for return to school

Child Mind Institute: Helping kids back to school routine

Parent Guide to a Mentally Healthy Return to School - Niagara District School Board

Free Hamilton Workshops for Back to School Anxiety - Your Space

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June Membership Meeting Slideshow              

At the June Membership meeting, Mrs. Schinkel presented information about her role, this past year, as school counsellor. 

click HERE to view the presentation

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April 30, 2020

Are there days where your kids just do NOT want to do their learning from home? Where you are trying to encourage and motivate them, without loosing your patience? I am sure we all have days right now, where we are just not motivated to do things, and this can lead to some pretty negative thoughts about life! People’s Church Hamilton had a fun video for kids that explored the idea of how to stay positive and focus on “the donut, rather than the donut hole” (what we have, rather than what is missing)! 

Tips for motivating kids: 

• Be flexible
• Be patient
• Be creative and try to make it fun
• Offer choices
• Create checklists/calendars/schedules
• Find inspirational quotes/bible verses (see below)
• Negotiate and problem solve goals together
• Use First (what needs to be done)/Then (what we want to do) (but avoid threats to get work done)
• Validate their feelings
  • I understand that this is hard/sad/frustrating...because it’s different/it's going on so long/we can’t see the end...I got you/we are in this together...Let’s put our heads together and figure this out
  • Does this need to be done today?
  • Can we choose a different activity?
  • Come back to it later or do it tomorrow?
  • Teachers are putting a lot of work into this for us, let’s try
• If all else fails...LEAVE IT FOR ANOTHER DAY!! And try it again tomorrow!

Tips for motivating yourself: 

• The above tips and tricks can leave any parent feeling exhausted and can lead us to loose our cool every now and then. It’s ok to be a “good enough” parent! Can I Be a Good Parent and a Good Professional during Covid-19
• Be kind to yourself when you mess up and ask forgiveness from your kids (they see how we can correct our mistakes and they can learn from us)
• Remember SELF CARE - we can’t give from an empty cup...no time? Do one small thing for yourself each day!
• Stop comparing yourself to what you see others doing on social media!
• Lower your expectations for yourself and your kids (If you keep that bar low, you will have more successes in your day!)
• This too shall pass!

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April 16, 2020

Mental health and wellbeing is of such great importance and has an impact on all of us, especially at this time of uncertainty in our world.  Below is a list of resources for you to browse. In addition, Mrs. Schinkel, school counsellor, will be available with limited hours, typically on Wednesday's and Thursday's for email and phone consultation. 

Some thoughts to consider:

• We are all in a place of unknowing.
• We all respond to crisis differently.
• Rest in the peace that Christ can give.
• Take time for your own self care as a parent; as we cannot give from an empty cup!
• Be gracious with yourself and others and give yourself permission to keep things simple. 
• If you are feeling overwhelmed, take a break, including limiting the news/social media. 
• Communicate with your spouse/partner/other support people of what you need.
• Be real and honest with your struggles! It is ok not to have it all figured out or to feel happy all the time!
• Keep low expectations of yourself and others.
• Take it one day at a time and continue to give it all over to God!

Crisis Response Resources: 

• COAST (Crisis Outreach Support Team) Hamilton

         905-972-8338 or 1-844-972-8338 

• KidsHelp.ca (text, phone, live chat, and resources available) 
  
  1-888-668-6868
• 911
• Go to McMaster Children's Hospital ER: CHYMES (Child and Youth Mental Health Emergency Services)

Local Virtual Counselling:

• Shalem Mental Health (Faith Based)
   
• Bayridge Counselling Centres (request Faith Based)
           
• Bounce Back (for adults and youth aged 15+)         

Mental Health Resources:

• School Mental Health Ontario
• Focus on the Family
• Child Mind Institute: Helping your child cope with frightening news
• Child Mind Institute: Going back to school after tragedy
• School Counsellor.org - Tips for self care
• School Counsellor.org - Tips for Parents

January 2020

Some of you may have heard your kids talking about OCEAN BREATHING or SQUEEZIES!! Over the last few months, I have been visiting the classrooms with the Occupational Therapist, Nicole Raftis, teaching students about emotion regulation, using concepts from the Zones of Regulation. This is part of a school wide initiative to increase social and emotional well-being by learning how to label, express, and manage emotions. There are 3-4 main concepts that are being taught.

November 17-23, 2019

This week is Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week, Ontario Ministry of Education
Here are some of the resources teachers are using to address this important topic:

Ontario Ministry of Education - Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week

Psychology Today - "Is it rude, is it mean, or is it bullying?"