Saturday, November 26, 2016

Book Review: Marcella Umbrella and the 'What Ifs'

I am so excited to share one of my new favorite bibliotherapy resources with all of you! Marcella Umbrella and the What Ifs is a recently published book by an awesome lady that I met while in graduate school, Mrs. Jessica Mey!

So many of our students struggle daily with anxiety and worry about those 'What Ifs-What if my friend doesn't want to play with me, what if I don't get a perfect on tomorrow's test, what if Mommy and Daddy split up, What if...
This super-cute story follows Marcella as she tries to fall asleep at night, but is struggling because similar 'What-Ifs' are filling her mind. Marcella's mother helps her understand that although they can't make all of the bad things go away, they can choose to focus on the good. Her mother also encourages her to talk about her worries with someone she trusts-including people at school! :)

I am confident that the adorable illustrations and relatable language used within this book will help many of my anxious students realize that they are not alone with their worries. Quite honestly, it's a good reminder for us adults, as well! This book would also be great to recommend to parents of students that struggle with the same bedtime worries as Marcella.

I encourage you to visit the book's website (https://meetmarcella.com) to learn more about the author and the story behind Marcella. If you also feel that this would be a great addition to your school counseling bibliotherapy resources, you can purchase the book on Amazon. Enjoy!

Monday, November 21, 2016

Children's Grief Awareness Day 2016

Each November, I like to acknowledge the importance of Children's Grief Awareness Day. The past few years, I have had students decorate butterflies (the symbol for Children's grief) in memory of loved one(s) or with messages of support for others. Check out my original post here.

I wanted to do something different this year, so i perused CGAD's website for other ideas to show school-wide support. In addition to having students & staff wear BLUE, all were invited to decorate a blue chain link that we then connected and displayed as our school 'Chain of Hope'. These links can be made out of blue construction paper or copy paper!
Please share other ways you have acknowledged #CGADhope!