RSI Counselor Corner: September Focus

Hello and Welcome back to the school year. My name is Collin Ernste, the School Counselor at RSI. I am excited to be starting my second year at RSI. I received my Bachelors degree in Psychology with a minor in Music from Saint John’s University. I received my Masters degree in School Counseling  with a certification in prek-12 school counseling at Capella University. I also have experience in the mental health field and teaching. My goal is to support students in all aspects of life in a variety of ways. Including:

• Social Emotional Support

• Career (Learning about various jobs)

• Peer Mediation

• Coping Skills

• Stress Management

• Anxiety

• Mental Health Concerns

• Home Concerns

 

September Theme

School Year Jitters and Goal Setting

With a new school year starting some jitters or worries may be happening within your student and even within yourselves as parents/guardians. Here are some tips and tricks to help alleviate or further dive into these feelings. 

• Write a letter to your teacher/Counselor/Principal about how you are feeling

• Write the positives of the school day

• Write the negatives of the school day and how you can change them into positives

• Getting enough sleep (Elementary aged students should be averaging 9+ hours)

• Conversations about the school day

A new school year provides the perfect opportunity to start new goals. These goals can start as early as preschool.

• Name three things you want to accomplish before January

• Name three things you want to accomplish before the end of the 2023-2024 school year

• Create a SMART goal: 

  Example: I want to read 12 books by the end of the school year.

I hope that you find these tips and tricks helpful. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns. Happy 2023-2024 school year and wishing you and your students the best!

 

Counselor: Collin Ernste (He/They)

collin_ernste@rdale.org

763-504-4436