Counselor’s Corner - Hey all,

Here’s what’s going on in the world of Winterhaven Counseling.  For the K-6 classrooms we will be focusing on diversity.  I had the pleasant experience of learning that the lessons I shared earlier (from Teaching Tolerance) that I was planning on teaching had already been taught in various classrooms around the school.  That’s one of the best parts of having such an incredible staff here at Winterhaven.  Instead of those lessons (which I will still pick and choose from), I’ll be doing other things.  Currently, we are looking at the work that Momondo did on testing DNA from people and learning that these ideas we have about where we are from often aren’t true and most of us are far more diverse than we think.  That then allows us to have a conversation about why we may treat people who look differently certain ways. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyaEQEmt5ls&list=PLyon3Rc2gtzci-FrBfPLcHRS_hfHY9peQ

Last Thursday, we had an anti-bullying assembly for the middle schoolers by Kaiser Permanente and the Children’s Theater. It was their last show of the season and for the most part, the kids appreciated it.  

Franklin High School was here Friday to work with our dozen students headed their way.  If you could please make sure the paperwork gets back to me this Friday, signed by you, that would be great.  The proof of address that both Lincoln and Franklin are asking for can also be turned in to me.  

Cleveland High School will also be here on February 16th for the 35 kids headed to them.  Look for paperwork to follow.

We’ve been looking at the bigger questions of race over the last many weekly questions.  In light of the lessons I’ve been giving to your students, a step back to look inward might be in order. It is their homework from me to ask you:  “What is your family story?  Where are your ancestors from?”  I realized a couple years ago that my family story was the story of the men in my family, but the women, even those only one generation back were overlooked and unknown as far as the genetics they brought into the mix that is us.  Even those women that did their own genealogy work end up discounted and forgotten. I suspect my house isn’t the only one that did this. So a bonus question could be: “Are there people in your family whom you don’t know much about?”

Teenagers and Screen Time

Does your child spend a lot of time looking at a screen?  Do you wonder what the impacts of that are?  Join us for the viewing of SCREENAGERS: Growing Up in the Digital Age, a documentary about the biggest parenting issue of our time will be shown at the Cleveland High School Auditorium on Wednesday, February 28, 2018 - 7 pm. The Winterhaven middle school will have viewed the film in an assembly earlier on the same day.

Event is FREE - Space is limited - Registration is encouraged to reserve your seat.  

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Cliff Shaw
School Counselor
Winterhaven School