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Guidance
Guidance
Professional School Counselor
Professional School Counselor
Mrs. Kristin Minkoff
(757) 850-5081
MEET PHILLIPS’ SCHOOL COUNSELOR:
Good evening,
It's Kristin Minkoff, the school counselor at Phillips. I've really enjoyed working with all of our students during this first nine weeks, which has flown by. In kindergarten through fifth grade, I've taught fun classroom lessons to students about 1.) What I do as a school counselor and how I can help them. 2.) Kindness 3.) Kelso's Choices/A Schoolwide Conflict Resolution Program 4.) Feelings and Coping Skills. In some grade levels, we've also started learning about Empathy vs. Sympathy vs. Apathy. In the other grade levels, that is yet to come. The students really enjoy learning these concepts and it's so cool to see them remembering what I taught them, repeating it later, and also putting it into practice. Below is some detailed information about me and my school counseling program. Please reach out to me at any time if you have any questions or concerns. I look forward to hearing from you! :)
MY CLASSROOM SEL LESSONS (K-5):
The purpose of my classroom SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) lessons is to teach all of our students very important life skills which will help them to be successful in the social, emotional, academic, and career realms of their lives. I will provide classroom SEL lessons in all classrooms (K-5) approximately 2x per month, with a total of at least 15 lessons throughout the entire school year for each grade level. Some of the social-emotional skills students will be learning in my lessons are kindness and friendship, conflict resolution, identifying feelings and coping skills, empathy, diversity, mindfulness, bullying prevention and resolution, self-control, goal setting, making good decisions, test-taking strategies, career exploration, and having a growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset.
SMALL GROUP COUNSELING:
Small group counseling gives students the opportunity to learn and practice new skills related to specific social, emotional, and/or academic areas of need. It also gives students the opportunity to work with their peers towards a common goal, mastery, and understanding of concepts in a fun way. In addition, small group counseling helps students realize that they are not alone in their challenges. Throughout the year, I will consult with administration, teachers and staff, and our school data, in order to obtain recommendations of students (K-5) for specific small counseling groups. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, not all students will be able to participate in a small group. Some of the different small counseling groups that I may offer are Friendship/Social Skills, Self-Esteem, Self-Control, Feelings and Coping Skills, Anger Management, Positive Choices Girls’ Group, Positive Choices Boys’ Group, and the GRIT/Academic Support Group.
INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING:
Individual counseling sessions with me are available to students (K-5) when the student’s difficulty is negatively affecting him or her at school in a significant way. When a structured series of individual counseling sessions is deemed appropriate, parental contact and permission is required. I will inform parents/guardians of the skills taught and practiced throughout the counseling sessions. However, due to my confidentiality with students, I cannot share everything that the student has told me with his or her parent/guardian. I always encourage parents/guardians to talk with their child about what he or she is learning from me, and also practice these skills at home. In addition, I also provide impromptu individual counseling sessions and peer mediation to students when needed. This is at the request of students, teachers, administration, and parents/guardians.
MY COUNSELING TECHNIQUES:
My counseling techniques used in the classroom, small group, & individual counseling include:
*Role-playing *Brainstorming ideas *Reading stories
*Puppets & artwork *Hands-on activities *Informational handouts
*Demonstrations *Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Videos *Playing games
ADDITIONAL SERVICES AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS AND FAMILIES:
Consultation: I am also available for consultation with parents/guardians and teachers in order to discuss situations that might be interfering with a student’s academic achievement and/or social and emotional development. In addition, I am available to help with parent/guardian teacher conferences. Furthermore, I can assist teachers and parents/guardians in developing and monitoring behavior modification plans for students.
Gifted School Level Advisor:
I am the School Level Advisor for gifted services at Phillips, which means that I assist our gifted resource teacher in distributing and collecting paperwork for student evaluations for gifted services.
Career Day:
We will be having our annual Career Day in March 2026 for all kindergarten through fifth-grade students. The Career Day will focus on helping students to learn more about a variety of careers and jobs that they may be interested in for their future. Members of the community, with various occupations, will present interesting and informative information about their careers to the students. Please let me know if you would be interested in volunteering to present to our students about your career. :)
PARENTS/GUARDIANS PLEASE NOTE:
I can also provide referrals for outpatient counseling services and evaluations when needed. While I provide many services to students and their families, I am unable to testify in child custody matters. I am also unable to provide intensive, long-term counseling services to students. Please feel free to contact me at any time at (757) 850-5081 or at kminkoff@hampton.k12.va.us. I look forward to hearing from you! ☺
Kelso's Choices: Is it a BIG Problem or a small problem?
Kelso's Choices: Is it a BIG Problem or a small problem?
I started teaching students Kelso’s Choices 4 years ago when I began working at Phillips as the school counselor. We will continue with Kelso’s Choices this year. Kelso’s Choices help children learn how to solve small problems without asking for help from an adult or tattling.
The students and I discuss the difference between BIG problems, which are dangerous, scary, could hurt you, and are against the law, and small problems, which just annoy you and make you feel angry or sad.
We learn that BIG problems ALWAYS require the help of a big person - a grown up that you trust (ex: parents/guardians, teachers, school counselors, bus drivers, etc). You know it’s a BIG problem if you feel scared or don’t feel safe (ex: hitting, fighting, stealing, threatening others, etc.).
We also learn that students are strong enough and smart enough to solve most small problems by themselves without tattling, or asking adults for help. Small problems usually make us feel sad, mad, or annoyed (ex: someone touching our stuff, cutting in line, teasing us one or two times, bossing us around, etc.).
The magic question we should ask ourselves, and that adults can ask children when they are trying to solve a problem is, "Is what I am about to tell an adult a BIG problem or a small problem?" If it is a BIG problem, then you must tell a grown-up. If it is a small problem, then try to work it out on your own first by using at least two or three of Kelso’s Choices.
Students learn the correct versus the incorrect ways to use each one of Kelso’s Choices. They are instructed to try at least two or three of Kelso’s Choices first before going to an adult with a small problem. If they try two or more of Kelso’s Choices correctly, and they still have the problem, then they can seek help from an adult.
KELSO’S 9 CHOICES
1. Go to another game- (if someone is cheating, or not playing fair, or being mean to you)
2. Share and take turns- (if you want to borrow something or vice versa, this includes sharing objects and people and their attention)
3. Apologize- (if you say something mean or do something mean to hurt someone)
4. Ignore it- (just look away and ignore it and don’t respond if someone is saying or doing mean things to you)
5. Tell them to stop- (ask them nicely to please stop what they are doing that is bothering you)
6. Walk away- (if the person won’t stop bothering you, walk away calmly)
7. Wait and cool off- (use strategies to calm yourself down when you’re angry or upset)
8. Talk it out- (Tell the person how you feel and talk about the problem with him or her calmly, respectfully, and privately.)
9. Make a deal- (Make a promise or a deal (that’s fair) that you can both agree on)
Mrs. Minkoff’s Marvelous Test-Taking Strategies:
Mrs. Minkoff’s Marvelous Test-Taking Strategies:
1.) PAY ATTENTION in class & always ask questions if you don’t understand something.
2.) Write all of your teacher’s notes down in your notebook. Your notes should be NEAT and COMPLETE, and your notebooks should be ORGANIZED.
3.) On the night before the test, study hard and go to bed early (8:00 pm or 8:30 pm).
4.) On the day of the test, arrive to school on time or early, and eat a healthy breakfast.
5.) Listen very carefully when your teacher explains the directions. Make sure to also read ALL of the directions very closely and carefully.
6.) Take your time on the test. Don’t rush! Work at a medium, steady pace.
7.) Work hard, try your best, and never give up. Stay calm, relax, and believe in yourself too.
8.) Don’t get frustrated if you don’t know an answer to a question, just try your best.
9.) Don’t spend too much time on any one question. Think about what you know, use your strategies, and then choose the best answer and move on.
10.) Take brain breaks when you need them so you can clear your mind of stress and be positive.
11.) Sit up straight and focus and concentrate on the test. No daydreaming!
12.) Have a good attitude and think positive thoughts like, “I can do it. I know I’ll pass.”
13.) Slash The Trash: Cross off any answers that you know are wrong and don’t make any sense.
14.) Highlight key words and details in the questions, answers, and reading passages.
15.) READ and then REREAD all of the passages, questions, and answers very carefully before you choose your answer or answers.
16.) When you read a question, think about what the question is asking, & what skill the question is testing. Then use the strategies you’ve learned for that specific skill to answer the question.
17.) Try to think of what the correct answer is BEFORE you look at any of the answer choices. Don’t look at any of the answer choices until you’ve tried to solve the problem/question, or thought about the answer first.
18.) Make sure to always FIND your EVIDENCE/PROOF for all of the questions. Make sure to ANNOTATE, or show all of your work/proof, on your scratch paper.
19.) After you’ve answered a question, check over your work very carefully and closely.
20.) After you figure out the answer/answers, reread the question with the answer/answers in it in order to make sure that it makes sense and is correct.
How Can I Help My Child Succeed In School?
How Can I Help My Child Succeed In School?
1.) Stay involved and feel free to contact your child’s teacher with any questions or concerns. Make sure to attend all parent-teacher conferences.
2.) Do not talk negatively about your child’s teacher or school.
3.) Make sure your child is getting plenty of sleep (10 hours a night) and is ready for school each day.
4.) Ask your child about school each day and encourage him or her to share what he or she is learning.
5.) Read with your child every night.
6.) Help your child with his or her homework every night, including studying for tests and completing projects.
7.) Teach your child to be responsible for his or her words, behavior, attitude, and schoolwork. Don’t allow him or her to make excuses.
8.) Make sure that going to school every day on time, working hard, and trying your best, is a top priority in your home.
9.) Make sure your child eats a healthy breakfast every morning.
10.) Teach your child how to be organized and how to keep up with his or her school things.
11.) Encourage your child to always have a good attitude, to never give up, and to always complete all of his or her class work and homework to the best of his or her ability.
Created by Mrs. Minkoff, School Counselor
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