This Week's LAFF

Love and Belonging: Crossroads Church Women's Support Group, dinner out with Steve, FaceTime with Seth, walk with Julie, dinner invitations from friends.

Achievement: Assembly Plans made and announced, RTI plans finalized and announced, parent meetings, teacher meetings, counseling referrals, and plans for a health fair in the works.

Fun: Lego and story time with kids, listening to Sky's choir kids sing the happy song.

Freedom: Whitney taught health on Wednesday and I had the freedom to observe and take pictures:)

Favorite Quote of the Week

As I walked into the Pre-K class to do an introductory lesson, I overheard a little boy ask the teacher, "Is this the visitor who is NOT a princess?" The teacher nodded yes, then looked at me and said, "But she's really pretty and nice." Then she explained to me that the icon for a special visitor on their daily calendar is a princess. I hope my visit wasn't too big of a disappointment!

Harvest Time!

Bigfork Buddies

It's Day 2 of School and the Bigfork Buddies program is up and running. The high school students met their buddies today. What I love about this program is that it is totally pro-active. Elementary kids who can use the support get paired up with a high school student who is committed to working with their buddy everyday of the school year, one period a day. Teachers sign up the littles in the spring so that we are ready to go as soon as school starts.

A common complaint of school counselors is that they have to spend so much time "putting out fires". that they don't have time to run support groups or do class lessons. I am so blessed to be the counselor at Bigfork Elementary School because I work with solution-focused staff and administrators who place a priority on meeting the social-emotional needs of students. The buddy program, Bigfork's student support groups, monthly character assemblies, and class meetings provide a rich framework of social-emotional and behavioral support for students. I'm occasionally called to help "put out a fire", but the majority of my work is helping to create a caring climate in which both teachers and students can thrive. I love my job!

First Day of School!

Love and Belonging: hugs from lots of littles and even a couple of bigs (8th graders).
Achievement: recreating Amy Thoreson's cool viking/choir drawing.
Fun: working with Sky. His tie just says "fun".
Freedom: choosing back to school outfits:)

Summer LAFF

Love and Belonging: celebrated our 34th anniversary, and Walt and Beverly's 68th anniversary, spent time with the Schiller clan at the mountain, the Ahnerts and Sheehans at the ocean, Jesse and Axl in Puyallup, and enjoyed visits from Dunbars, and Pam and Jackie.

Achievement: trained more staff members in SAP, painted a bench, a door, cleaned some cupboards, made jam, knitted balls for Axl to play with, grew some food, and lots of flowers.

Fun: laughed a bunch, flew a kite, picked some berries, played Space Team, Words With Friends, and Mexican Train, hiked in Glacier and the Olympic Peninsula.

Freedom: read Masie Dobbs series, The Hidden Hand, Psalms, Letters From Skye, and Ordinary Grace, and The Irresistable Blueberry Bakeshop and Cafe.

Refreshed and ready for the school year to begin!