Welcome to Purdy Elementary School
COUNSELOR'S CORNER
Hello again to all. As we move on into the New Year, we watch
our students grow and learn. And we all have this opportunity
to engage as a team to guide this process and create the optimal
learning environment for all students.
If you are checking
this site for the first time and do not already know me, my
name is Sue Wilner and, oh my gosh, this will
be the seventeenth year I have had the pleasure
of serving as the school guidance counselor here at
Purdy.
Each year brings a fresh opportunity to work with students and
families and help enrich the educational experience.
My background includes a Bachelors degree in sociology from the
University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), and a Masters
degree in education/school counseling from the University of Puget
Sound in Tacoma. I have previously been a counselor at Peninsula
High School and Kopachuck M.S. before moving to
Purdy.
Thank you for checking in. I appreciate the opportunity to
work with students in celebrating their exciting moments and many
successes, and helping them work out difficulties and challenges,
as well as learn to solve problems and dilemnas. I will be
adding information to my website as it arises. Meanwhile, please
feel free to email back to me any thoughts or concerns you may
have. And thanks for supporting your child's education, and social
and emotional development.
At Purdy, we are all a TEAM.
Following are some activities in the
social/emotional/behavioral arena that have been
ongoing:
During the
first few days of school, Jim Rudsit ,our Principal and
I visit each classroom and talk about school safety and
positive behavior choices. We especially focus on
harrassment and zero tolerance for bullying. Students
also clearly here items not okay for school, including any kind of
weapon or toy weapon, or any material or clothing relating to
drugs, alcohol or violence. When students all get the
same message at the start of school, there is no misunderstanding
about what is okay and not okay. We take this proactive
approach for a positive school climate.
♦ I meet with all students new to Purdy in small
groups. We take a picture and each student makes a small
poster with their picture to post on the "New Purdy
Panther" board.
♦ Schoolwide,
we start our monthly character themes in September. Students can
earn a Panther Paw that goes up on the wall in the Commons
lunchroom by demonstrating that trait in daily behavior.
Themes for this year will be:
September= Goals/Vision; October = Responsibility;
November=Kindness, Friendship and Inclusion;
December=Respect;
January=Courage; February=Self
Control; March=Honesty; April=Cooperation; May=Perseverence;
June=Citizenship.
♦ I will be presenting
the "Kelso's Choice" problem solving program to all
Kindergartens, 1st and 2nd grade classrooms early in the
Fall. I will then visit 3rd, 4th and 5th graders
with the same message about Kelso. We will again
practice "Kelso's Rap" which is pretty fun, and put the 9
choices into context. Students will continue to practice
using these strategies if they have a problem with another person
-- a common language to use within our school for conflict and
problem solving situations. Feedback from many parents tells
us that lots of families are out there using Kelso's Choices at
home as well.
♦ I will be beginning small lunch groups, as well as other
"friendship" or social skills groups, that continue
through the school year as a method for getting to
know Purdy students, facilitating their bonding with school
and other students, model and practice positive friendship skills,
and allow kids some special fun
time.
♦ The MSP (Measurement of
Student Progress / previously the WASL) will be given late in
the school year during May. I will update you
when the State testing window is, and when we at Purdy will be
testing within that window. If you need to know that
dates at this time for family planning, feel free to give me a
call and I will get you that info. Here at Purdy,
we always put together a testing schedule within that
window that we think will be optimal for students'
concentration and success. Starting last year, the MSP
includes fewer testing days needed to complete all subject areas
required. Please feel free to give me a call or send an
email if you have any questions about this new version of our
State's testing.
I will add other activities to this list as
they arise. Please feel free to contact me at any
time with any questions you may have about your child,
something I am doing, or other events or occurences around
school. My direct phone number is 530-4630. You can
leave a private voicemail on this line. Or email
through this website, or to wilners@psd401.net .
Thanks
for visiting!!
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(Feel free to CLICK on the "Announcements" Tab for school-wide
social skills
programs)
(CLICK on
"Events" for other program
dates)
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