Monday, August 29, 2016

Welcome Southdale Families!

Hello! My name is Mrs. Thilges (Til-jes), many students call me Mrs. T. This is my 3rd year at Southdale Elementary serving as the school counselor. I enjoy working with elementary students and can't wait to get to know you and your child better. I hope to use this blog to help parents stay connected with what your child is learning in counselor visits this year, along with other important information. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns, I am happy to help. My email is: emily.thilges@cfschools.org and my Phone number is: 319-553-2992

Monday, October 14, 2013

1st Grade Guidance Class- Tower of Trust

This is such a fun lesson because my students get such a kick out of how high they think they can build the "Tower of Trust" before it comes crashing to the ground.  I wish I would have gotten a picture of them and their nervous looking faces as I added brick by brick!

At the beginning of the lesson we talk about what the word trust looks like and 1st graders have EXCELLENT examples of how they can be trusted.  Some of them shared how they can go to a neighbor's house all by themselves to play with a friend, some said that they help their parents cook or bake, some shared how they help with farm and yard work, and some also shared how they have jobs they need to do at their homes and how they do them right away.  I had one little boy tell me that whenever his mom tells him to turn off his Nintendo DS, he turns it off right away, every. single. time.  (I wish I had that happening at my house!)

On index cards students either write or illustrate a way they can be trusted and then we get started by taping them to my big cardboard bricks and building a "Tower of Trust" (which must be said in a loud, ominous voice :).

We have a great discussion about how trust isn't given right away, it must be built brick by brick, behavior by behavior.  We then talk about how 1 negative behavior affects the tower of trust, and if that happens over and over again, what kind of mess we are left with when it comes crashing to the ground.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

3rd Grade Guidance Class- Friendship Pie

In third grade I am encouraging students to think about what kinds of characteristics make good friends, and a great book to help get us thinking about this is, Enemy Pie by Derek Munson.  In this book a new boy moves into the neighborhood and becomes the narrator's #1 enemy.  Thankfully, his dad has an old recipe for Enemy Pie that helps get rid of them.  All that he must do is spend one entire day with the new kid, and then have enemy pie for dessert.  Soon, the narrator realizes that Jeremy Ross is actually a friend and that enemy pie is really delicious.



After reading the story, students we able to create their own "Friendship Pie" recipes using ingredients that make friendships delicious too!

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Denver Defender Bulletin Board

Each month I try to add a new bulletin board to the hallway on the way to the cafeteria.  This month I am really focusing on ways that students can be a Defender (stand up for others) WITHOUT having to say much- or say anything at all.  Some kids think that they aren't bold enough to be a defender, but ANYONE can do it!