Oakridge Elementary School
School Counseling Program
Mrs. Terwilliger (Mrs. T), Ms. Gaeta and Mrs. Harrington
We are thrilled to have Alaina Proffitt from Marymount University as a school counseling practicum student.
She will be at Oakridge with Ms. Terwilliger on Fridays through May. Stop by and say hi!
School Counseling Program Overview
Welcome to Oakridge Elementary School's Counseling website! My name is Mrs. Terwilliger (the kids usually call me Mrs. T) and I am the full-time school counselor at Oakridge. Please welcome our new part-time counselor, Ms. Gaeta. She will be at Oakridge on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. We are lucky to have Ms. Harrington again this year part-time as well. She will be at Oakridge Tuesdays and Thursdays. As school counselors, we work with students and parents through a number of different services. Each service is designed to support the academic program of our school. Some of the services offered through the counseling program are:
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Group Counseling (topics include: Separation/Divorce, Study Skills, Loss, Friendship, Self-Esteem, Social Skills, and more!)
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Individual Counseling
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Classroom Guidance Lessons (topics include: self esteem, feelings, goal setting, problem solving, career awareness, and more!)
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Parent Workshops
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Mentoring Program
If you have any questions or if I can be of assistance, please call me at 703-228-8158 or email me at
anne.terwilliger@apsva.us.
Thank you for supporting the guidance and counseling program!
Bullying Prevention and Intervention
October is Bullying Prevention and Awareness Month. Here are some of the great activities Oakridge students are participating in to celebrate this month:
October 1st - School-wide instruction on the 3 R's (see below) and anti-bullying pledge signing
October 24th - School-wide assembly uniting against bullying
Ongoing - Guided discussion during lunch around the 3 R's and bullying prevention and awareness
The 3 R's of Bullying (adapted from Steps to Respect: A Bullying Prevention Program)
Recognize - Bullying is unfair and one-sided. It happens when someone keeps hurting, frightening, threatening or leaving someone out on purpose.
Refuse - If you feel safe, 1) Get calm, 2) Stand straight and tall, 3) Look at the person you are speaking to, 4) Say what you mean in a strong, clear, respectful voice. Example: "Stop! That is mean."
Report - Reporting isn't tattling! Reporting is telling an adult in order to keep people safe. Any time is a good time to report bullying.
Notes/Handouts from Evening Events at Oakridge
I know your schedules are hectic...no worries! Below are notes and/or handouts from the evening events we have hosted:
Too Smart to Start
Celebrate Calm - Presentation by Kirk Martin
Internet Safety Night
Presentation by Dr. Marilyn Benoit, child psychiatrist.
More on...BULLYING PREVENTION at OAKRIDGE
What is Bullying?
Bullying is the repeated infliction or attempted infliction of injury, discomfort, or humiliation on a student by one or more students. It is a pattern of intentionally aggressive or hostile behavior that occurs repeatedly over time. Bullying typically includes an imbalance of power. Simply speaking, bullying is behavior that deliberately hurts, frightens, threatens, or excludes someone.
Bullying Can Include:
- Name calling
- Teasing, making fun of someone
- Spreading rumors and gossip
- Insulting someone
- Telling or writing lies about someone
- Expressing sarcasm, subtle negative comments
- Excluding specific persons
- Pushing, tripping, hitting
- Threatening, intimidating or scaring people
- Belittling people because of their race or culture
- Making sexual comments or innuendos
What Can You Do?
To view Arlington County's Bully Prevention Policies, please visit: http://www.apsva.us/site/Default.aspx?PageID=2772
For more information on bullying, please visit: http://www.education.com/topic/school-bullying-teasing/
Want more information about Cyberbullying? Check out this recently released summary from the Cyberbullying Research Center: Cyberbullying Research Summary
Web Resources for Parents
Parents, please find some helpful links below!
Getting to School Safely
Miscellaneous Article and Podcasts (including Social Skills, Separation/Divorce, School Success, Learning Disabilities, and more!)
Oakridge School Counseling
"Piecing it Together"
