National School Counseling Week – Guest Post

To welcome National School Counseling week, we wanted to start out with a guest blog post from Debora Finch, a elementary school counselor and counseling educator who has worked closely with our Kids on the Block program. You rock, Debora!

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Kids on the Block means so much to our school counseling program at Lipscomb Elementary School. Not only does this inspiring character education puppetry program know about the national “School Counseling Week”, but they also want to celebrate it. If this generous and thoughtful gesture doesn’t exemplify the Kids… I don’t know what will! 🙂

Truly, I feel that having Kids on the Block perform annually at our school is a staple in the delivery of our program. In fact, over the last few years we have invited the Kids to enhance Red Ribbon Week and boy have they ever. As one theme day of the week, our students wear black and strive to “black out bully behavior” as a healthy choice. In fact, we pick this theme day around the visit from the Kids. Matching the silhouetted puppeteers is a way we strive to say thank you for their talent, dedication, and attention to detail. Yet, it’s the Kids on the Block who take the message of the day to the next level. The developmentally appropriate puppet shows find a delicate balance between fun loving and thought provoking messages that are appreciated by all members of the audience. Students anticipate seeing a new show every year, ranging from problem solving to diversity awareness. There is always giddy excitement for both the energy of the Kids and the talent of the puppeteers. By the end of the show, our students have new members of our school family who are welcomed friends. These Kids are something special indeed!

The most meaningful Kids on the Block puppet show for me is the 3^rd grade child abuse prevention program. As a school counselor, I am so grateful that the Kids approach this sensitive topic with such consideration for teaching with compassion. Not only does the program emphasize talking to an adult you trust when faced with a big problem, but also the students leave with safety to take away any stigma related to physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. I cannot think of a better way to address this component of our curriculum than with the support, narrative, and message from Kids on the Block.

So as we welcome “School Counseling Week”, I celebrate Kids on the Block as honorary members of our counseling team. I am grateful for their partnership, talent, and inspiration to develop both good character and healthy development in all of our “kids.”

Debora Finch

Elementary School Counselor and Counseling Educator