Counselor's Corner

Dear Hillside Families,

We are ready and excited for a fabulous 2018-2019 school year! I'm the school counselor at Hillside and am looking forward to supporting our Hillside students and parents. This is my 16th year in the counseling profession and I am passionate about helping children. One of my main goals is to help students learn to be problem solvers. I also place a strong emphasis on helping students understand the importance of showing kindness to others.

A bit about myself: I grew up in Roswell, went to Florida State University for undergrad and received my Masters of Education in School Counseling from Georgia State University. I have two middle school aged daughters and with my husband, we live on a small horse farm in Milton. We love animals!! I also enjoy reading and playing tennis.

Please feel free to reach out to me should you have any questions or concerns about your child at deweyk@fultonschools.org .

I look forward to a positive school year filled with learning and kindness!

Katie Dewey

Tips for Raising a Responsible Child

Empowering Children to Reach Their Full Potential

The Message:

If we do too much for children, we communicate that they are not capable of handling the many responsibilities that life gives them.

If children are rescued every time they make a mistake, they will never learn responsibility
Painful lessons typically lead to real learning and changed behavior
Making excuses for children teaches them that it is ok to keep doing things the same way, which leads to more irresponsible choices and disrespect
Irresponsible children may be a reflection of parental over-responsibility

What can you do?

Provide children experiences that will help them feel capable and that help the life skills of self-discipline, responsibility, and problem solving
Send the message early and often that "you are a capable person"
Expect responsibility-it shows them that you believe in them and then they will believe in themselves
Walk away when it is time for them to work. Do not hover to make sure they get things done and get them done right
Assign chores to your child

Natural Consequences-Things that happen in response to a child's behavior without parental involvement. Allow your child to experience the natural consequences of their choices. This will help them develop personal responsibility as a result of their experience and consequences.

Have your child repair or replace lost or broken items. Do not go buy new items immediately for your child
Miss opportunities where planning was needed or not done
Eat school lunch when lunch box was forgotten on counter
Face teacher when homework is incomplete or forgotten
Ask teacher himself/herself when help is needed

School Smart Parenting Tips

Celebrate the effort rather than picking at the results
Validate effort, initiative and persistence rather than ability
Homework is the child's responsibility, not the parent's
Walk the talk. Model the behaviors you want your children to learn

If you want children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders.

Abigail Van Buren

Responsibility is the price of greatness. Winston Churchill

Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him, and to let him know that you trust him.

Booker T Washington

The willingness to accept responsibility for one's life is the source from which self-respect springs.

Joan Didion

Character Education

As part of Hillsides specials rotation, students participate in character education with the counselor each month. Attached below is information about the lesson plans presented each month.

Parent Intro Letter - Counselor.pdf