Counselor's Corner

Welcome to the Counselor’s Corner!

This year, Sherman will be using a program called the Zones of Regulation school wide.

The Zones of Regulation curriculum is designed to help students gain skills in the area of self-regulation. Through the lessons, students gain an awareness of their emotions, become comfortable using language to describe how they feel, understand their own triggers, and learn what to do when their emotions cause them difficulty. They also learn about expected behaviors and Zones for different activities. The four Zones are:

Blue Zone: Used to describe a low state of alertness. The Blue Zone is used to describe when one feels sad, tired, sick, or bored.

Green Zone: Used to describe the ideal state of alertness. A person may be described as calm, happy, focused, or content when he or she is in the Green Zone. The student is in control in the Green Zone.

Yellow Zone: Used to describe a heightened state of alertness. A person may be experiencing stress, frustration, anxiety, excitement, silliness, or fear when in the Yellow Zone. The student maintains some control of himself or herself in the Yellow Zone.

Red Zone: Used to describe an extremely heightened state of alertness. A person may be experiencing anger, rage, explosive behavior, panic, extreme grief, terror, or elation when in the Red Zone and is described as being “out of control.”

Here are some ways that I can help to support your Sherman student and family:

Classroom Guidance Lessons

I teach lessons on social and emotional skills to all students at Sherman. These lessons vary based upon the needs of each class, and may be on topics such as managing emotions, conflict-resolution, safety, problem-solving and more. I send home letters with students to let families know which lessons their child will be learning each year.

Counseling Groups

I run a variety of counseling groups at Sherman. Groups typically include between 3-6 students from the same grade level and work on a variety of skills. These may include emotion management (dealing with anger, anxiety, or other emotions), social skills (making friends, solving problems, etc.) and other groups based on the needs of the students.

Individual Counseling

As a school counselor, I do not have the resources to provide long-term individual counseling for students. However, I am happy to meet with students on a short-term basis to help with their social and emotional needs. I am also able to do check-ins with students on a regular basis. I can also provide information about counseling resources in our community.

Consultation

I am always happy to meet with families to discuss ways to support students. This may include making plans for success at school, providing resources, or advising parents on strategies that may help their children. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is any way I can support your child and/or family.

Transitions/Careers/College

I can provide support to students as they transition between grade levels and schools, including kindergarteners entering Sherman and fifth graders moving on to middle school. I also plan on working on some career and college programming to help students make goals for the future.

Please contact me if you have any questions, concerns, or would like support for your child.

Karen Jaskar, Sherman School Counselor
kjaskar@tacoma.k12.wa.us - (253) 571-5442