Centerville school counselors help students stay positive
As the school building closure was extended through the end of the school year, Valerie Durkle, the school counselor at Centerville’s Normandy Elementary, began talking with her colleagues about how they could help their students continue to find hope during such a challenging time.
“As we thought about it, the old saying ‘April showers bring May flowers’ kept coming to mind,” Durkle said. “So we decided to challenge our elementary students and their families to turn their feelings of sadness about missing friends and teachers into something positive.”
In short, the school counselors wanted students to see hope blooming just like the flowers outside their windows.
Throughout the month of May, elementary schools in Centerville are hoping to spread some joy across Centerville and Washington Township. They’ve invited everyone to create and decorate a flower using materials from around the house, then place it in their window as a symbol of unity and hope. Families can share photos of their creations using the hashtag #ElkHopeBlooms.
“This is just one way we’re trying to reach out to our students and families as they navigate through tough times,” Durkle said. “We are really looking forward to watching everyone ‘bloom where they’re planted!’”
Centerville Schools are using a variety of ways to support students socially and emotionally, even from a distance.
School counselors, principals and staff members are connecting with students through virtual lunches, creating ways for students to check-in online to communicate their feelings, sending games and toys through the meal pick-up program, sharing mental health resources and crisis information, and using social media and video announcements to encourage students and families.