Love and Logic Resource Links for Parents

Here is a brief article from our Counseling Corner that gives parents some resources and tools from Love and Logic, a great resource for parents and anyone who works with kids.

Have things been a little chaotic lately?   Looking for a few new tools to add to your parenting toolbox?

Perhaps you will find exactly what you need with Love and Logic.   Love and Logic provides strategies to help raise self-confident, happier, responsible, and motivated children while making parenting fun and rewarding.

Sound too good to be true? Check out https://www.loveandlogic.com/articles-advice/parents

This website is full of articles, video samples, and resources to get you on your way.

For frequently asked questions check out https://www.loveandlogic.com/faq

Love and Logic does offer online classes (https://www.loveandlogic.com/love-and-logic-parenting-on-line) and many short video clips can be found on Youtube.

CMS 8th Graders to Visit College Campuses Around Central Iowa

            Our 8^th graders have begun their final semester of middle school and now is the time we really begin to get ready for high school. But we do not only prepare for high school, we also prepare for life after high school. We have a focus on creating students who are “College and Career Ready” at Carlisle and for 8^th graders, this means a busy final semester. So while 8^th graders are making their 4-year plans and selecting high school courses, they are also going on one of six college campus visit days as well!

            Beginning this week with an Iowa State trip, groups of 20-35 8^th graders will go on a trip to either Iowa State University, Simpson College, Grandview University, Central College, Drake University, or Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) in Ankeny sometime in the next month or two. Each student was placed on one of these visits based on college or career interests they listed on a notecard. The goal of these visits is for students to see what a college or university looks like, help students see themselves on a college campus someday, and to get ideas and plans in their heads as they begin to plan their high school coursework. While not every student goes on to a 2 or 4-year college after high school, we want all students to know and understand this option and how a student could pursue this option if that is the route he/she chooses to go.

            Near the end of the year, the Carlisle Alumni Association puts on a Career Day for our 8^th graders. This event brings 20 or more Carlisle High School Alumni who are working their careers and want to help our students understand how to work towards getting into a similar career. This helps our students who have already seen what colleges are like to now see what a few careers are like. These two events combined are a great way to expose our students to the “College and Career Ready” culture we try to foster each and every day across our district. Being that this is our 5^th year of doing the college visits, when this year is done, every student grades 8-12 will have been on a college campus via this annual program!

School Counseling Week 2019!

School Counselors Celebrate During National School Counseling Week, February 4-8, 2019

National School Counseling Week, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), will be celebrated February 4-8, 2019, to bring attention to the unique contribution of professional school counselors.  National School Counseling Week highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and graduate college and career ready.

School counselors are actively engaged in helping students examine their abilities, strengths, interests and talents; work in a partnership with parents as they encounter the challenges of raising children in today's world; focus on positive ways to enhance students' social/personal, educational and career development; and work with teachers and other educators to provide an educational system where students can realize their potential and set healthy, realistic and optimistic aspirations for themselves. Professional school counselors are certified, experienced educators with a master's degree in school counseling. The combination of their training and experience makes them an integral part of the total educational program.

Carlisle Community School District has a strong team of professional school counselors who work with students every day.  The counselors host many events throughout the school year including:  College Planning Night, Financial Aid Night, Resource Fair, Mental Health Awareness Night, Career Day, 8^th Grade College visits, Character Education, and Operation Backpack. 

Be sure to thank the counselors for all the work they do with our students!

Elementary Counselor:  Alex Wright

Hartford and Middle School Counselor:  Kim Flagor

Middle School Counselor:  Ben Barry

High School Counselors:  Stephanie Guthrie and Leah Heidemann

Counseling Corner: Counselors Busy with 2019-20 Student Planning and Registration!

Counselor’s Corner

            Our High School and Middle School counseling staff is starting to get very busy helping our 8^th grade through 11^th grade students get prepared for the 2019-2020 school year. This means a lot of meetings with groups of students to look over possible courses and plan for courses for the next school year. This is an exciting time for students and an important time for students to be thinking not just about next year, but to be thinking about their future after high school graduation.

                Currently, Mr. Barry has been working with 8^th graders using our Naviance software. Naviance Student is an amazing system for students and parents to use to research possible careers and colleges for ALL students in grades 8-12. Eighth graders have taken a few surveys to learn more about their personality and career interests. They have also spent some time looking into other post-secondary options such as 2-year college, 4-year college, military, and other options that students bring up as possible interests. Be sure to ask your 8^th grade child about Naviance and have your child show you how they log in. Once logged in, you will be able to see what careers and colleges he/she has saved and favorited. This site is available 24/7 year round, so feel free to explore it with your child whenever you want!

                Our high school counselors will soon join Mr. Barry and work with 8^th graders to actually learn about high school, learn about the courses the high school has to offer, and eventually create a 4-year plan of courses that will help each student graduate with enough credits. This is a big step for 8^th graders but a fun one.

                Our high school counselors also stay very busy in February and March working with each high school grade of students to help the students get registered for their next year of courses. If you have a high school student or an 8^th grader, February and March is a great time to ask your child about their career and college interests and what courses they are thinking about taking in the next year.

                By the time our students hit Spring Break, with the help of our counseling staff, their parents, and their own hard work and planning, all 8^th graders through 11^th graders should have an updated 4-year plan and should be registered for their 2019-20 courses. From there, our HS counselors have the tough job and getting all the students placed into their courses and adjusting the master schedule to make everything work as smooth as possible. It is a tough job, but getting everything to balance so that our students can benefit and achieve as much success as possible makes it all worth it. If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to any of our counseling staff.

Key Dates for Students/Parents with Course Registration

February 13^th: HS Counselors will have met with all HS students on course selections.

February 13^th/19^th: HS Counselors work with 8^th graders on HS course selections and 4-year plans

***February 26^th***:  9^th grade Registration/Orientation Evening for 8^th graders and parents in the HS Auditorium at 6:30pm

March 7^th: By this date, HS students will have registered for 2019-20 courses

March 12^th: 4-year plans from 8^th graders DUE!

April 2^nd: ACT testing for all juniors (no school for 9^th, 10^th, and 12^th graders)

April 5^th: No school for Juniors

Counseling Corner: Our School Food Pantry...What is it, How Do I Use it, and Where Did it Move to?

School Counseling Corner

Our K-12 Counseling team would like to highlight the Carlisle Schools Food Pantry.  The pantry is an extension of the Food Bank of Iowa.  The pantry is open to the public on the 1^st and 3^rd Thursdays of the month from 4-6pm.  The pantry is now located in the elementary just across from the nurse’s office.  Visitors to the food pantry should use the West Entrance of the elementary.    We ask that community members wait until all students and buses are off campus before visiting the pantry (around 3:45pm).  Carlisle students are also able to access the pantry during the school day by contacting a school counselor. 

There is also a Carlisle Community Food Pantry located at the Holy Cross Lutheran Church on the 2^nd and 4^th Tuesdays of the month from 4-5:30pm. 

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

Families and community members of the Carlisle School District. 

ARE THERE INCOME GUIDELINES?

There are no income guidelines. A brief, one-page application must be completed once per calendar year by individuals visiting the school food pantry.  

WHAT FOOD ITEMS ARE AVAILABLE?

Available foods will vary depending on Food Bank of Iowa’s supplies. Basics such as pasta, rice, breakfast cereal, canned vegetables, canned fruits, juice, etc., will always be available. Fresh dairy, produce, and bread are typically available during the times open to the public.

Can I make a donation to the School Food Pantry?

YES!  We accept donations at any time to the pantry.  You can drop off donations at the elementary or high school office during school hours.  We are always in need of personal care items such as shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toilet paper, deodorant, etc.  We also accept monetary donations that help us purchase milk, bread, and eggs each time the pantry is open. 

We would like to say “Thank You” to many groups in our community that have helped organize collection drives or make regular donations to the pantry.   Some of the groups include:  American Legion Auxiliary, Great Western Bank, Peoples Bank, Carlisle Student Council, Eagle Scout projects, Carlisle Wrestling and Football teams, and many others.  THANK YOU!

6th Grade Needs Assessment

6th Graders, please take the following survey. Your answers will not be seen by anyone other than Mr. Barry and Ms. Flagor. The results from the 6th grade as a group will be reported to your 6th grade teachers. Mr. Barry and Ms. Flagor will review the individual results and may invite you to groups based on these results. If you are in immediate need of talking to someone, please stop down and visit with one of us.

Great Links for Parents when it Comes to ESDs (Electronic Smoking Devices)

  Instead of making a variety of posts on our Counseling Facebook page, I figured it would be easier to put all the links in one blog post. Thank you to ISTEP (Iowa Students for Tobacco Education and Prevention) for all of these links and more in their recent newsletter. Electronic Smoking Devices (ESDs) such as Vapes and JUULs have exploded in use in middle and high schools across the country including our own schools. Some kids don't think it is that big of a deal. But it is. For teens and adolescents, these are not "Smoking Cessation" devices, these devices are designed to encourage students to smoke more and more and even take up smoking cigarettes. The information is there, the research is there, but our kids aren't seeing it, hearing it, and/or believing it. As parents and adults, educating ourselves so we can educate our children is key. With that being said, please take some time to click on these links and review the information.

Infographic on what Juuls are and how they hurt our young people

4 things Parents need to know about Juuls

Another Infographic from the CDC on ESDs such as Juuls

Smoking E-cigarettes Increases Likelihood Adolescents Will Smoke Cigarettes

8th Grade 2018-19 Needs Assessment

8th graders: Please take this Needs Assessment by clicking "Agree" or "Disagree" for each question. Make sure to type in your first name and last name in the first two questions. Please know that your answers may not be reviewed immediately, so if you do need to see Mr. Barry or Ms. Flagor about something important, come see them and do not wait for your survey to be reviewed. Your personal answers WILL NOT BE SHARED with anyone other than our counselors. Grade level data/answers will be shared with teachers, BUT NOT EACH STUDENT'S RESPONSES! Thank you!

8th Grade Bully/Harassment Survey

8th graders: Please take the following short survey and click submit at the bottom of the survey. We will use these results in a variety of ways to constantly improve how we work with students and staff on our Bullying and Harassment policies and procedures. Thank you!

Three Weeks Until School: How to Gently Get Your Child Back into School Mode!

     Self-disclosure....I have 5 school-age kids now and the transition back to school has highs and lows. The highs are pretty much limited to the excitement of the first day and getting all dressed up and running on adrenaline. The lows....are pretty much everything else. Earlier to bed (I can't sleep..it's light out!), earlier getting up (what time is it? Where is the sun?), schedule changes all over, homework, sitting in a desk for 7 hours a day, earlier lunch and no mid-afternoon snack (so we won't eat lunch at 1 p.m. Dad?), evening practices, not enough time to do all the fun stuff we want to do, etc., etc., etc.  Bottom-line, the two weeks it takes to adjust to this schedule is not fun for the kids or the parents. And I haven't even talked about the ramping up the skills needed to start at the next grade level. But, there are some simple things you can do to get your child ready for this change without having them freak out that you are ruining their summer (and if they do....remind them they got the first 10 weeks to do nothing, you are only using about an hour a day of their final 2-3 weeks!)

   *Start slowly changing their sleeping hours. Depending on the age of your child, the times may be different, but my guess is they are going to bed later and waking up later than normal. This doesn't happen for everyone, but it does for most. For my oldest two (6th/9th grade), they are now going to bed around 10 and waking up around 8 or 9. Hmm....that won't work. I need them in bed at 9 and up at 6:30. So, in August, we try to get there by August 23rd a little at a time. Begin with the wake-up process. I'm now getting them up at 8 a.m. at the latest. Sometimes I go to "work" at 7:30 or 8, so I get them up even earlier to help with watching the little kids. Do I have to go to work? No. But, by doing so, they have to get up and get going with their day. Win-win! By August 20th or so, we hope to have everyone up and ready for the day by 7:15 or 7:30. Next, work on the bedtime. Our goal is to get kids in bed and reading by the time we would normally want them asleep on a school night in a few weeks. They don't have to be asleep, but in bed with devices off and reading with start training their brain that this is time for bed. By the first week of school, their brain will see this as normal. With all the anxiety and excitement of the first day and week of school, it will be tough to sleep anyway.

  *Reading/Language Arts: If your child doesn't read daily, start this habit. It is the one habit that will not only help them in every subject in school, but study after study shows it leads to more success in life, a healthier life, and a longer life. Let your child pick the book or reading material, but don't settle for "I don't want to read", "I'm too old to read", or "No, I'm not reading." Here's a key point though....kids read more and fight you less if they see parents reading as well. So, find yourself a good book and take time each day to read. We pick a set time each day and call it "Reading time". Whole house shuts down and kids and parents read for 30 minutes. For my wife and I, it is one of our favorite times....it is QUIET and PEACEFUL! And I think it helps our stress level as well.

*Math: Elementary/Middle School age....take 5-10 minutes and do some basic math drills. If you have a device the kids like to play, put some math games on there and tell your child they have to do 10 minutes of math games if they want to play the device each day in August. There are a lot of fun math games out there. Find fun math videos on Youtube or online. Do practice problems. Take your child shopping and let them help you shop and explain how you are paying for it all. Financial literacy! Have your child pick up 10 toys and put them away. 20 toys! (Our house....20 toys each!). Anything to get your child using numbers and thinking numbers. Ten-fifteen minutes a day may not sound like much, but again, it gets the brain in number-mode which helps the transition back into math go much smoother.

  *All the other stuff....science, social studies, foreign language, computers, etc. Well, your child has already committed to losing about an hour of daylight by changing sleeping habits and now another 30-60 minutes doing reading and math, so piece in the other parts where you can. Go to the State Fair and really take in all the exhibits and things to see. Visit the State Capitol Building. Go hiking or fishing. Watch some cool science or travel shows on TV. Download Duolingo to your device/child's device and brush up on their Spanish if they are 6th-12th grade (Duolingo is AWESOME!). But make learning fun. Teach your child that life-long learning is and can be fun.

*Devices. Oh....continue to use them but set limits. So much of the new research is really scary about smart phones/technology and use by teens (and all people). And please....please.....keep the technology out of the bedrooms. Studies are unanimous about that idea. Smart phones, laptops, TVs in the bedroom of a child is NOT GOOD. Did you know the blue screen of phones actually keeps us awake? Companies know that if they used a yellow/dim screen at night, it would trick our brain into producing sleep-inducing hormones and cause us to fall asleep. So they purposely chose a color that does the opposite so we use their product more!! So....keep the tech out of the bedrooms and build good sleeping habits with your children.

   This may all sound like a lot, but really it is slight adjustments day by day to your child's sleep schedule and about 30-45 minutes a day of reading and some fun math stuff. You might be surprised at how it works and you may find your child has more immediate success to start the school year with their homework/grades.

How Can I Talk to My Children About Who Contacts Them Online?

   With school starting back up soon, kids will finally be seeing each other every day in real life and having real face-to-face conversations! But that doesn't seem to lessen the amount of time they spend online talking to each other either. And what I have learned, is as school starts up, some kids add new social media apps and accounts and start contacting all sorts of people they hear they should add and friend. 99% or more of these people are just other kids in their school and other school and likely safe online friends to have. But, this is also a great time for predators to try to start up conversations, online chats, or put out friend requests hoping a child or teenager will add them not thinking much about it.
    My office hears from students throughout the year about creepers, stalkers, people who ask for pictures or information, people who pop up in chat messages asking very inappropriate questions, etc. If it hasn't happened to your child yet, it probably will. And then you have your child's actual peers and friends who sometimes will be inappropriate, ask for pictures or information, or threaten with pictures or information they say they have or can get. How does your child process through all this? How does your child respond? Well, many times they do it on their own. They are afraid or ashamed to reach out to a parent or a trusted adult. And other times they just feel they are old enough to handle these issues on their own. But these are issues that a parent should be involved in. Here's the trick...they probably aren't going to seek you out. They worry you will take their technology or social media accounts, worried you will make it into a big deal, worried you will make it worse, or worried you will be disappointed or angry with them. So the trick is that parents need to start the conversation and be calm, rational, and supportive. And LISTEN!! (Kids tell me all the time...I just want my parents to listen....not talk, not judge, not freak out....but just LISTEN!)
    If you are not sure how to have these conversations or what to ask, well, I don't have the perfect answer but I think Common Sense Media has about as close as you can get to having a perfect parent/child conversation and discussion guide. So I will let them do the rest of the "talking". Please click the link below and read how you can have these discussions with your child.

Common Sense Media How to Talk to Your Child About Online Predators

Online (and Other) Babysitting Courses

So....my daughter has been asking for a year or so to sign her up for a babysitting course so she can be an official babysitter. I posted the question to Facebook and got a lot of great suggestions and links. Problem was most of the links were old. What I eventually found out was that there are a few communities who offer babysitting courses and by calling those communities (City Hall?), I am sure you could find out for sure or not if they are being offered. But we also found that the Red Cross offers an online Babysitting Course for less than $40 and everything can be completed through online modules. So we went with that option. After about 4 hours of work, my daughter is now a "Red Cross Certified Babysitter" and has already babysat once. So, what did she like and not like about the program? Here are her words....

Pros: You could work at your own pace, the program used real-life situations and you had to answer what you would do, you didn't have to travel anywhere, and the documents I could save and use for my babysitting business (things like a resume, a list of important numbers, and sheets you can bring to fill out after talking to the parents)

Cons: With our internet, our videos buffered a lot and this made it take longer, it didn't save my progress a few times (figured out it was best to finish a module completely and log out and then back in to be sure), a little tough to navigate into the program, and of course some things are best face-to-face.

Overall, she loved it and we watched her babysit soon after she finished and the course really made her seem to take the job seriously and put a lot of effort into her babysitting work. As parents, we were impressed. And being a Dad of 5 and not needing to drive my daughter to several classes was a nice perk!

So, if you are looking for a babysitting course, we would recommend the Red Cross course. We also considered doing the Urbandale course since it was offered at a variety of times.

Red Cross Childcare courses click here!

Urbandale course click here!