Brabham Middle School counselors Dyann Wilson and Michelle Gray use interactive lessons during Bobkat Time to guide students on their response to challenging situations.

“These groups are focused on helping students with their anxiety, mental health, self-esteem, and so much more,” Wilson said.

The groups are separated by gender and include sixth to eighth grade students. These students are randomly chosen and invited to join these groups every Thursday for nine weeks.

During these groups, students set SMART goals. The counselor then reaches out to those students' teachers to get them involved in helping them achieve their goals. This response then encourages students to succeed by showing them that they have a team behind them. Even if they do not complete these goals, they learn to persevere through the process.

They also use this time to develop coping skills, learn how to handle emotions and discuss conflict resolution through fun, interactive activities. While these topics are covered in student groups, the counselors want the parents to get involved too.

“We are still hosting Coffee with the Counselors on the first Wednesday of the month to chat over coffee and speak on how to support parents and students,” Wilson said. “We are also starting a book study in January for the book Unselfie, which talks about ways to cultivate empathy in our children. The author of this book states ‘We all want successful, happy kids who grow up to be kind, moral, courageous and resilient adults.’ This is something we couldn’t agree with more.”

To learn more about BMS Counseling, click here.