Guidance tag:www.kport.org,2008:/Guidance//34 2008-10-02T20:23:22Z Movable Type 3.2 Complaint Free Kids Coming Soon! tag:www.kport.org,2008:/Guidance//34.1174 2008-10-02T20:16:46Z 2008-10-02T20:23:22Z Ms. Abrams Sometime later this year staff and students at Consolidated will challenge themselves to go "Complaint Free" for 21 days.  That's how long scientists say it takes to form a new habit.  Tired of whining, complaining, gossip, and criticism?  Join your student in taking on this challenge.  For more information go to www.AComplaintFreeWorld.org.

Purple bracelets and happy thoughts coming soon! 

]]> Jeremiah Cromwell Center Student Disabilities Awareness Program tag:www.kport.org,2008:/Guidance//34.1173 2008-10-02T18:23:01Z 2008-10-02T20:15:41Z Ms. Abrams On October 16 and 17 presenters from the Cromwell Disabilities Center will be visiting Consolidated and working with our 3-5 grade students.  The Cromwell Center offers three sequential classroom based curriculum/presentations that reinforce the basic lessons and experiences for students on disabilities through subsequent years of participation.

The third grade curriculum emphasizes 

  • Sensitivity and attitudes toward individuals with disabilities
  • No one can change immutable characteristics
  • Same but different.  Differences are good.
  • Uniqueness deserves respect
  • Inclusion is everybody's business
  • Disabilities affects us all
  • Realization that individuals with disabilites have talents and skills 
]]> The fourth and fifth grade presentations covers

  • Responding to disabilities in the classroom and school environment
  • Sensitivity and understanding the learning disabilities experience
  • Awareness and response to "invisible" disabilities
  • Looking beyond the obvious - building a comfort level with all kinds of disabilities
  • Inclusion - working together we can all do better
]]> Author Peggy Moss Visits Consolidated Nov. 12 tag:www.kport.org,2008:/Guidance//34.1172 2008-10-02T18:09:00Z 2008-10-02T18:21:52Z Ms. Abrams Children's book author and bullying prevention expert, Peggy Moss, is coming to Consolidated School on November 12 to meet and work with our students.  Ms Moss has worked for more than a decade to eradicated bullying, first as a hate-crime prosecutor with the attorney general's department in Maine, and later as an educator and curriculum developer at the Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence in Portland, Maine.

 Ms Moss has written two award-winning books on bullying for elementary school-aged children, Say Something and most recently, Our Friendship Rules.

Both books will be on sale at Consolidated at 40% off list price.  They will be available until November 12. 

]]> -
 

]]> Who is this Mrs. Abrams? tag:www.kport.org,2008:/Guidance//34.1101 2008-09-05T18:17:10Z 2008-09-05T19:09:28Z Ms. Abrams Thanks for visiting my blog!  I am starting my fourth year at Consolidated School and love coming to school everyday and working with such fun, kind, motivated, and caring students, staff, and families.

I grew up in rural New York State as the second oldest of six children.  My dad worked as a junior high teacher until I was 15, then he and my mom opened their own real estate firm.  I went to college at Tufts University where I studied History and German and met my husband of 27 years, Dan.

We lived in the Boston area for several years and I worked at Harvard University and received a Ed.M. from the Graduate School of Education at Harvard during that time.  My graduation photo shows me carrying my oldest daughter, Sarah, who was 6 months old!

We moved to Maine and had two more children, Micah, and Naomi.  I stayed home with the 3 kids for several years, going to school part time at USM to earn my M.A. in Counseling.  In 1993 my husband accepted an overseas work assignment in Singapore where we lived for two years.  When that project ended, we  moved to Scotland for three years, returning to our home in Scarborough in 1998.

I completed my degree and went back to work in 2000 in School Union 6.  In 2005 I joined the staff here at Consolidated.  In my free time I love to be doing anything outdoors:  running, hiking, surfing, swimming, playing tennis, golf, and skiing.  When I can't be outdoors, my favorite thing to do is read.  I have stacks of books all over the house because I never know when I may have a free moment.  We do have a TV in our home, but I'm never really sure how to use it;  I need to wait until one of my kids is around to ask them how to turn it on ... 

My children are almost grown.  Sarah graduated from college in May and is doing an internship in the Dominican Republic where she is installing household water filters for migrant farm workers.  Micah is studying Hospitality and is currently doing an internship at the White Barn Inn.  Naomi is a junior at Scarborough High School where she is busy with sports, work, friends, and (I hope) school work.

I used to marvel at the very different personalities of my own three children and am now grateful for the experience of having had to parent three such different kids. When a parent comes to me about a child who is extremely willful and throws tantrums, I know how tough that can me.  When a parent comes to me about a child who is struggling socially and doesn't seem to have friends, I've been there.   When a parent speaks to me about a child who pushes limits - well - let's just say I get that too...

 

]]> What are you trying to accomplish? tag:www.kport.org,2008:/Guidance//34.1103 2008-09-04T18:56:42Z 2008-09-05T19:09:29Z Ms. Abrams Several years ago the school counseling staff at MSAD71 created the following mission statement:

The mission of our developmental counseling program is to promote and enhance student learning by providing prevention and intervention within a comprehensive design.  We will be proactive in our attempts to empower students to be conscientious problem solvers in resolving a wide range of conflicts, as well as educational and career decisions.  We will encourage all students to pursue their personal goals.  Through our combined efforts with students, families and staff, we will generate lifelong learners who are self-aware and responsible citizens. 

]]> So what do you do? tag:www.kport.org,2008:/Guidance//34.1102 2008-09-04T18:47:03Z 2008-09-05T19:09:28Z Ms. Abrams School counselors have great jobs.  We get to work with all the students, the entire staff, and many of the parents.  We strive to be student advocates who work collaboratively with other individuals and organizations to promote the academic, career, and personal/social development of children and youth.  We are members of the educational team who consult and collaborate with teachers, administrators, and families.  School counselors are an integral part of the schools' effort to ensure a safe learning environment and to safeguard the human rights of all members of the school community.

School counselors work with all students and are trained to be specialists in human behavior.  We provide assistance to the school community through short term individual counseling, group counseling, developmental classroom guidance lessons, consultation, coordination with outside social service agencies, and crisis intervention. 

]]>