Buchanan K-1 counselor
Greetings from the Buchanan K-1 Center Counseling Office! So many exciting and positive things have been going on here at the Buchanan K-1 Center!

Jan. 27-31 we celebrated and participated in the Great Kindness Challenge Week, an annual national event dedicated to spreading kindness and positivity throughout the school and community. This year’s theme was “Kindness Rocks.” Classrooms were celebrated daily with trophies that traveled from class to class with a special “Kit Kats for Kindness” treat for the “Kindness Class of the Day.” A “Pennies for a Purpose” penny drive was held, where donations were made with the raised money! The kids loved contributing their pennies and watching the penny level rise throughout the week!

Not only were donations made to the community, but kindness posters were made and distributed to various places throughout the community. Students decorated rocks with their class color and other kinds of pictures and messages to add some color to the front of the school’s landscaping. We had daily kindness themed dress up days where fun was had by both students and staff! All around it was a fun and positive filled week to celebrate kindness!

Classroom counseling lessons this year focus on Kindness, Friendship and Feeling Identification. I was also able to push into the classrooms a bit more the first half of the year for extra social skills and social story lessons. Social skills are essential for kindergarten and first grade students because children are still learning how to interact with others, express their emotions, and navigate social situations. They help in building relationships, emotional regulation, effective communication and conflict resolution, which all are steppingstones for setting the stage for future success in later grades and beyond.

It is amazing to see our students embrace kindness and grow in their social-emotional skills. As always, it is fun to share the positive and social-emotional happenings going on in the Buchanan Counseling Office each year.

Submitted by Laci Guy, counseling office at Buchanan K-1 Center

HMS English

They are currently in their poetry unit, and the 8th graders of Mr. Hoier’s classes will be participating in a Poetry Slam — a competition in which students will be composing, editing, memorizing, and performing an original piece.

Submitted by Brian Hoier, eighth grade English Language Arts