School counseling at Theuerkauf
Dear Cheetah Parents,
I’d like to take a moment to update you on how we support our students with counseling and mental health services at Theuerkauf. Here’s how your student may experience these services throughout the school year.
Our school counselor, Leigh Wilson, plays an important role in supporting our students through the three domains of school counseling: academic, college & career (exploring strengths and interests), and social emotional. She is actively engaged on campus, often visiting classrooms to lead lessons on Self Management, Relationship Skills, or Problem Solving. Other times she may push into your child’s class to join a class meeting and support community building. She works closely with our School Psychologist, Behavior Analysts, and Mental Health Specialists, as well as our teachers and me. Being present and accessible allows her to build strong rapport with our Cheetahs to better understand their needs.
Although our counselor is available to everyone as a whole school support, she also may meet with smaller groups of students for crisis support, necessary drop-in appointments, targeted small groups (healthy friendships, conflict resolution, emotional regulation), and even a few one-on-one sessions. School-based counseling, whether it’s small group or one-on-one, is meant to be short-term (up to 8 weeks) and will involve parental consent. If more support is needed, our counselor can recommend outside support and community resources.
There is a referral process for these services. Our school has a Coordination of Services Team (COST), consisting of a group of educators, support staff, and admin that meet to collaborate and make recommendations for any struggling students. If a student needs support within the counseling domain, Ms. Wilson will review the case to help the teacher and/or student with specific strategies to use in class, invite to a targeted small group, or make recommendations for other services within or outside our school.
In some cases, students may have more specific or intensive needs. They might approach a counselor themselves, or their teacher or a parent may refer them. When this happens, our counselor conducts an intake process to assess the student’s needs. If a student requires services beyond what our school counselor can provide, we partner with Pacific Clinics. Pacific Clinics reaches out to families within 24 hours of receiving a referral, connecting students with specialists, clinicians, or programs to address needs such as social skills, anxiety, depression, trauma, behavioral challenges and more.
Previously, we worked with CHAC for school-based counseling, but have transitioned to each school having our own full-time school counselor. As we use school based counseling with support from Pacific Clinics for more intensive needs, we are seeing more flexibility and effectiveness in the support we can offer. By staffing School Counselors at MVWSD, we are better prepared to provide prevention and intervention for all students. Having counselors right here on campus allows us to know our students better, connect them with the support they need, and help coordinate services and referrals.
Thank you for your ongoing support as we continue to prioritize the well-being of every student in our community.
Cool Cat Winners going above and beyond to show or give RESPONSIBILITY for Oct. 21st.
Ruhi P. Rm 13
Aaron B. Rm 14
Elijah V. Rm 11
Hasanat K. Rm 15
Imogen H. Rm 16
Aria D. Rm 6
Emily S. Rm 7
Liam X. Rm 9
Evan M. Rm 8
Hope C. Rm 17
Chris H. Rm 18
Emma M. Rm 20
Roisin C. Rm 19
Zachary S. Rm 21
Morning Costume Parade - Thursday, October 31st from 8:15-8:30am near the playground
We will have a school wide costume parade on the blacktop. We will start to make two lines at 8:10. We will then have each grade level walk through the two lines to show off their costume. We will cheer and clap. If you prefer your child is not a part of this costume parade, please let their teacher know and we will have a separate fall activity for them during that 15 minutes!
Only masks to prevent the transmission of COVID are allowed. No masks allowed so we can see everyone’s face.
No hand held “props” will be allowed out at recess, feel free to take these home after the parade.
Violence – no pretend “prop” weapons at all allowed on campus such as guns, knives, or swords. We would like to promote costumes that align with our values of being kind and inclusive.
Appropriateness – costumes cannot promote violence or be offensive or inappropriate in any way.
Día De Los Muertos
The Day of the Dead, is celebrated from October 31st through November 2nd, is a time of both joy and quiet remembrance as families honor their loved ones who have passed away. While variations of the Day of the Dead are celebrated in many Latin American countries, some of the most well-known traditions are those from Mexico, where the celebration coincides with the return of the Monarch butterflies.
Here at Theuerkauf, every year we celebrate the Day of the Dead by celebrating life. We honor our loved ones by putting the altar and placing their picture with an offering. If you would like to add your loved one’s picture. Please bring it to the office with a small offering. Make sure you add your student’s name on the back, so we can return it when we bring down the altar.
We also have a Calaverita contest from October 15th to 25th. Every classroom was provided with Calaverita drawings. Your student was able to choose from three different choices. If your student is interested in participating but has not returned to his teacher or the office the Calaverita please have your student bring it to the office no later than this Friday, October 25th. We will choose the winners by November 1st.
Notice: One Theuerkauf playground temporarily closed for construction
The Theuerkauf playground closest to the tennis courts/baseball diamond will be getting a new surface to ensure a safer, cleaner, and more enjoyable experience for our students. The playground will be closed from Oct. 21 to 25 for construction.
Contractors will be working on-site from approximately 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM each day. During this time, the area immediately surrounding it will be fenced for student safety. There will be minimal noise with no heavy equipment used. The project is expected to take 1-2 days to complete, though the playground will remain closed for the full week to allow time for proper curing.
Thank you for your understanding and patience. For questions about the project, please call the Mountain View Parks Department at 650-903-6326.