School Counselor
School Counselor at B.F. Day Elementary
Announcements
I look forward to returning from paternity leave on June 5! – Mr. Taylor
Hello B.F. Day Community, my wife and I welcomed the newest member of the Taylor family on April 7. Ben was born weighing 8 pounds 14.5 ounces. He’s doing great, and we are very grateful for all the love and support from the B.F. Day community.
During his leave, our guest counselor, Luanne Mills, will be supporting students and staff.
Guest Counselor Luanne Mills
Ms. Mills was raised in Lynden, Washington. She graduated from University of Washington and married a Roosevelt/UW grad. They raised 2 kids and now have 3 grandkids, 2 grand cats, and 1 grand dog.
Ms. Mills enjoys biking and indoor rowing. She rowed on the water with Martha’s Moms for a couple of years. Ms. Mills earned a spot on the USA Indoor Rowing team 6 times, competing in Birmingham, Copenhagen, Paris, Dresden, Amsterdam, and London. With the exception of 3 years living in England, Ms. Mills has lived her adult life in Seattle where she taught until she retired.She can be reached at: limills@seattleschools.org.
Welcome to the Sun Dragon family, Ms. Mills! We wish the Taylor family well and can’t wait to meet their newest addition.
School Counselor Mr. Taylor
The school counselor role is one that is multi-faceted and unique. Duties may include, but not limited too; individual student planning, small groups on friendship/anxiety/emotional regulation/family separation collaborating with community resources to support families, advocating for students and families, responding to daily concerns from students/staff and families and lastly, being an advocate for our students and their needs.
It truly takes a village to raise and support a child. I am happy and lucky to be able to play my part. Thank you again, and I look forward to continuing my career at BF Day for years to come. Thank you B.F. Day families for your continued support of my role here at B,F, Day.
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” ~Dr. Seuss
Career Week Recap!
In creating a comprehensive school counselor program, my goal is to support students’ social/emotional well-being, their academic skills and their career aspirations. This school year we put together the first ever career fair for our fifth graders!
BF Day Community: This week we had our first ever career week! We welcomed in professionals from our school community to speak to our 5th graders about their career path and what their job responsibilities are. We were able to have some fantastic speakers. The kids enjoyed the opportunity to better understand how one’s career path is not linear, and how everyone’s path to where they are currently is different and unique. During the 25-35 minute discussion, our presenters shared what led them to their careers, the role their education played in their journey, moments of perseverance and general components of their job.
In addition to having our professional speakers visit on Tuesday and Thursday, I invited a representative from Seattle Promise. Seattle Promise is the program by the city of Seattle that allows graduates of SPS high schools to attend a city community college for two years for free. We hope to build on the momentum of this year’s career week and provide more opportunities for our students to experience.
Thank you again for all our speakers!
Your School Counselor, Mr. Taylor
Kathleen Driscoll (Nurse for KC Jail) –Garrett Morlan (Creative Designer at Bungie) – LT Col Aly Teeter (Washington National Guard Public Affairs Officer) – Dr. Will Jackson (Nathan Hale Principal) – Jeremy Sterling (NOAA Scientist) – Jon Corwin (Seattle SFD) – Samantha Bills (Veterinarian Nurse)
Counseling Intern Joins the Team this Winter
Our school counselor, Mr. Taylor, will provide mentorship for a counseling intern this winter. Welcome, Ms. Shelly Frappier, to the B.F. Day family. She’ll be working with Mr. Taylor from January – March, providing social-emotional support for our students. Below is a brief introduction:
My name is Shelly Frappier, and I am very excited that I will get to join you all this winter. I originally grew up in Flint MI, moved to San Francisco, and then up to Seattle where I have been for the last 12 years. I love theater, dance, and thrifting in my spare time. I have worked with kids and adults in schools and homes for 17 years now as a behavior technician, teacher, and most recently transition counselor. I am completing a master’s program through Seattle University and am so blessed to spend my practicum at B.F. Day learning from Mr. Taylor and the rest of your wonderful team. Thank you so much!
Campus Jobs for Fourth and Fifth Graders
This school year Ms. Papineau and I are leading school-wide leadership opportunities for our 4th and 5th graders. The opportunities will come in the form of school-wide jobs. In order to be chosen for specific jobs around campus, students will be asked to fill out a official Sun Dragon Leadership application. The jobs include Morning Greeters, Morning News Crew, Bus Crew, Lost and Found Leaders, Café Crew, Art Assistants, Library Leaders and Recess Leaders. All jobs are sponsored and supervised by a B.F. Day staff member. Watch for more updates soon! We can’t wait to see our young leaders in action!
Food Bags for Families
I want to share a resource for families who may need weekly food assistance. We partner with Wallingford’s Family Works Food Bank to provide weekly, non-perishable food bags. Students will receive a bag each Friday afternoon. If you are interested in this form of assistance, please reach out to myself or Ms. Sonja and I will connect with you to follow up! ~John Taylor, School Counselor
Thank you!
A special thank you for all your generosity with holiday gift cards and presents. We received over 70 presents and almost $700! The generosity from the B.F. Day Community is truly appreciated. This is a clear example of our family school supporting each other and we are so grateful.~ Together, we are the Family School
Life Skills Classes with Mr. Taylor
At B. F. Day elementary we believe that social emotional learning skills are at the heart of academic growth, thriving relationships, intentional decision making, and well-being.
This priority can be seen in the opportunity I have to teach students weekly social emotional lessons in my “life skills” class. It has been proven that teaching students these “soft skills” (empathy, problem solving, coping strategies, growth mindset etc.) build the foundation for current and future success.
In years past I visited each classroom every week to teach social emotional lessons, this year I will have my own “space” to teach our kids skills to help them cope with this ever-changing world. Like when students visit the P.E. or Art, students will receive instruction to support the development of their social and emotional skills.
I will predominately be using Committee for Children’s Second Step social-emotional curriculum. Second Step is an evidenced based curriculum that has shown to support students intrapersonal and interpersonal skills, as well as increasing academic performance! I look forward to supporting students and families this school year. In addition to doing whole class instruction I will continue to have small group sessions for our kids.
Breathing Strategies to try with your kids at home
- With your child, stick out your right hand holding all five fingers out. Now pretend your fingers are tops of a roller coaster and the bottom of your fingers are the bottom. Using your other hand trace each finger; take a slow inhale going up the rollercoaster then a deep breath going down the roller coaster for each finger. You should have at least five “roller coaster breaths”. During my lessons with the kids we will usually finish with this strategy, so they may be able to help teach you!
- Another strategy is using a breathing buddy. Lay on your back, put a favorite stuffed animal on your tummy, and watch that animal slowly move up and down as you inhale and exhale. Do this together — it’s playful and helpful for the whole family. From Sesame Street: Elmo Learns to belly breath.
Growth Mindset
A growth mindset is the belief that individuals who believe their talents and skills can be developed through hard work, learning from mistakes, and not giving up. This is counter to a fixed mindset, which tells us that our skills and abilities are fixed and innate. When I visit classrooms, the focus will be on the importance of continuing to try hard things (even if we don’t want to) and understanding that every time we display a growth mindset our brain “stretches” that much more.
John Taylor, MA Ed., School Counselor
School Counselor
“The elementary school years set the foundation for developing the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary for children to become healthy, competent and confident learners. Elementary school counselors have an impact on these years by implementing a comprehensive school counseling program and collaborating with school staff, parents and the community to create a safe and respectful learning environment.” (American School Counseling Association, 2017)
Please note* I provide brief solution focused therapy I do not provide long-term therapy.
Counseling Program Goals
- Empower students to be the best version of themselves, both academically and emotionally.
- To provide social and emotional support by supporting students and teachers in the explicit teaching of life skills through one on one counseling, group counseling, and classroom guidance lessons.
Basic Services
- Classroom Guidance Lessons to every classroom every week
- Small Group Counseling: to expand, enrich, and reinforce specific skills in areas such as social skills, emotion management, divorce support, anxiety, problem solving.
- Individual Counseling: to address specific needs of individuals who may need additional support.
- Supporting students and families who are in crisis
Additional Services
- Academic Problem Solving
- Connecting Families to Community and Mental Health Resources
- Collaborating with Teachers
- Collaborating with Families
- Assisting with School Transitions
- School-wide Anti-Bullying Efforts
- Assisting with implementation of the BF Day Way.
Resources/Curriculum
We utilize resources and curriculum from a variety of sources including:
- Second Step Social-Emotional Curriculum
- RULER (mood meter)
- Sound Discipline: Positive Discipline
How to Access Services
Anyone can access or request services for a student if concerns arise. Those who typically refer students to the counselor are:
- Families
- Teachers
- Administrators
- Specialists
- Students (self-refer)
How? Simply call 206-252-6016 or email Jrtaylor@seattleschools.org your concern.
Online & Community Resources
Puget Sound Adlerian Society Parenting Calendar
A great online resource for parenting classes, support groups, and parent education events in the local area.
Sound Discipline
Helps families and schools build respectful relationships with children using Positive Discipline approaches.
SENG: Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted
A resource to help families of academically advanced students meet emotional needs and challenges.
Books that Heal
A bibliotherapy blog with children’s books on various topics to help address emotions, development, and life’s changes and challenges.
Parents Helping Parents
A nonprofit parent-directed family resource that provides guidance, support, and services to children with special needs and their families.