Welcome to February!

A month that is considered the month of love because of Valentine’s Day, a nationally recognized holiday. February’s birthstone is the amethyst, which represents courage, and strengthening relationships.

To me, February is about connection and love to those who are important and meaningful in your life.  Why is connection important?  As a species, we are meant or “built” to connect with one another, part of why the pandemic was so hard for so many – we lost our connection.  Our relationships impact our overall well-being, including our physical and mental health. Having good connections is associated with boosting mood, reducing stress, and improving self-esteem.

– Laura Lupo, Mental Health Coordinator

NATIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELING WEEK
FEB. 5-9

Please take a moment to recognize our amazing school counselors!  Did you know that school counselors have standards for counseling just like teachers have standards for teaching?  A standard is a way to measure excellence or quality. School counselors use standards to develop a plan to support your child’s success in school and to build a strong foundation for learning. Their job is to help students develop the skills to be successful in school and life, including academics, social-emotional learning, and life readiness.

School Counselors

Irene Reither Elementary
Emily Holt
Sabrina Kalil

Meridian Middle School

Kathy Greshock
Brett Muskavage

Meridian High School
Cheryl McBride
Don McMains

HEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

Healthy: compromise, own friends, consistency, support, both are equal, own interests, compliments, encouragement, honesty, friendship, respect, privacy, choices and options, love, own space, reliability

Unhealthy: feeling anxious around other person, erratic behavior,  feeling overwhelmed, lies, control, cheating, manipulation, feeling trapped, abuse, checking facebook/phone, over jealousy, stalking, criticism, isolation

DEAR PHONE:

Do you have an unhealthy attachment to your phone?  Check out the article on:

Everything You Need to Break Up With Your Phone

The average amount of time we pick up our phones is 144x/day.
The average American checks their phone once every 10-12 minutes.
1 in 5 smartphone users spends upwards of 4.5 hours on average on their phones every day.

“Put this all together, and it makes sense that spending a lot of time on social media could be associated with depression and lower self-esteem. What doesn’t make sense is that we are deliberately choosing to relive the worst parts of middle school.” ― Catherine Price, How to Break Up with Your Phone: The 30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life

Additional articles:
How To Set Limits on Screen Time
Does Social Media Use Cause Depression
What Age Should a Child Get a Smartphone: Pros and Cons of early phone use

CONNECTING WITH OUR KIDS

So…How was your day?  Why this question doesn’t work.

I’m guilty of asking my kids this question and being frustrated with the short response of “good” or “fine.”  Check out the following articles on different ways to communicate and connect with your child.

10 Habits to Stay Connected to Your Child

FEBRUARY DATES

Black History Month
Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
Health Awareness Month
National School Counselors Week – Feb. 5-9
World Cancer Day  – Feb. 4
Valentines Day  – Feb. 14
International Child Cancer Day  – Feb. 15
Random Acts of Kindness Day – Feb. 17
Mid-Winter Break (No school) – Feb. 16
Presidents Day (No school) – Feb. 19
Leap Day – Feb. 29