Welcome!

Welcome! My name is Mrs. Angresano. I am very excited to be working with the students, parents and staff at Villa Rica Elementary School this year.

I will be providing a comprehensive counseling and guidance program for grades K-5. The program is designed to meet the social, emotional and academic developmental needs of all students.


• What is the Guidance and Counseling Program about?

Classroom Guidance- Throughout the year, I will be visiting your child’s classroom and will present guidance lessons. The guidance lessons will be about topics such as: feelings, social skills, organizational skills, how to study, test-taking skills, bullying, tolerance, drug awareness, and character education. Teachers may request additional topics based on their classroom needs.

Individual Counseling- I will provide individual counseling to help your child with any issues or concerns that he/she may be experiencing. Parental permission will be obtained for extended individual counseling. Please note that counseling is short-term, voluntary and confidential.

Small Group Counseling- Small groups are formed by the counselor on an “as needed” basis. Topics such as: changing family situations, grief, social skills, building self-esteem may be discussed. Parental permission will be obtained prior to extended group counseling. Please note that counseling is short-term, voluntary and confidential.

• Who can refer a student to the counselor?

Parents/legal guardians, teachers, administrators and/or the student requesting counseling




• Services available to Parents/legal guardians

The guidance office also provides support for parents. Please help yourself to any pamphlets available or let me know how I may be of help.
Please do not hesitate to inform me of any issues that may affect your child’s emotional, social and/or educational growth. By working together, communicating, and with your support, we are better able to meet your child’s needs.

For Spanish-speaking parents- Bienvenidos! Se habla espanol!

Middle School Articulation

All of VRE’s 5th grade students will attend Villa Rica Middle School (VRMS).
I will be doing several classroom guidance activities that will help prepare the 5th graders for this transition.

May (date to be announce)- All VRE’s 5th graders will go on a field trip to VRMS for a tour and orientation.

Please contact VRMS for more information at 770-459-0407.

• Every student needs proof of their Varicella immunization and their 2nd MMR to enroll.
• All 5th grade students need to have an eye, ear, and dental record on file.
• A recommended reading for all 5th grade parents of girls: Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping your daughter survive the Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and Other Realities of Adolescence by Rosalind Wiseman.

Career Day - May 2, 2008

Career Day is a wonderful opportunity presented to the students at VRE so they can explore the world of work through hands-on presentations by workers in our community. This allows the children to think about career choices at a young age. The students learn from this exploration and develop educational and occupational goals and values. We also stress that there are personal qualities (i.e. punctuality, getting along with others, etc.) that are needed to both get and keep jobs.
Workers in our community visit our Kindergarten through 2nd grade students in their classrooms for 30-minute presentations. For the 3rd through 5th grade students, our presenters set up tables in the gym. Our VRE students are encouraged to ask questions in order to find out more about the different careers.
Career Day will be May 2nd, 2008
Please call 770-459-5762 ext. 1253 if you would like to volunteer.

Character Education

Character Education is an integral part of our children's education here at VRE. Each month students are introduced to a new character word. Throughout the month, teachers and staff are encouraged to demonstrate and/or model the character trait of the month. Each classroom has a student who is awarded a certificate for modeling the character trait of the month. We encourage parents to discuss the character words with their children.

Welcome Team

The VRE Welcome Team is a group of 3rd, 4th and 5th graders who help newcomers adjust to school and become part of the Wildcat family. These students pair up with a newcomer and spend time with them showing them the school, answering questions about school rules, classroom assignments, specials and introducing them to their peers.

Family Time

A Family Circle survey from 10/01/04, surveyed a large sample of kids from grades k-12. The survey found that the strongest wish kids had was to spend more time with their parents. “77% of all children surveyed wish they could have more time together with their parents.” This survey supports what I have been hearing from our kids here at VRE and from teenagers for the last few years. Dr. T. Berry Brazelton (pediatrician & renowned expert) says he is not surprised by the results.
The most common concern of the children is about having “one on one” time with their parents. The following is a suggestion: While having your meal together you may play a game at the table. I highly encourage the “good and bad” game. Some families refer to it as the “high and low” game. You may start the game by asking: “What happened today at school that was bad? (Go from the youngest to the oldest around the table. Everyone listens to each other without interrupting.) You may end the game by asking: “ What happened today at school that was good?” We have been playing this game for years at our home and our children really enjoy it. Try it!

After School Time

How can busy families find time to study, play sports and do other activities? Here are some tips on how to make the most of your child’s after-school time.
Set a study schedule. Kids need to spend some time studying every day. Talk about what time of day works best. Some children prefer to get their work done right after school. Others need some time to play.
Limit television during the week. Your child may use his/her time for studying and other activities. On the weekend, when the schedule is more relaxed, your child can watch his/her favorite shows.
Don’t feel your child has to do everything. Some kids spend every afternoon at a sports practice or a special class or lesson. This adds a lot of stress to everyone in the family. Choose one activity for each child.
Have a regular reading time. Kids who get into the reading habit will do better throughout their school years. Set aside some time each day to read to your child or have your child read to you. If you make reading time just before bed, you’ll also have a quiet time to catch up on other important news of the day.

Scheduling

Some kids rush from football to karate, from Boy or Girl Scouts to soccer. Everyone in the family feels rushed and exhausted. Many families have decided to try to slow down. By giving their children more time, they also find that their lives feel more relaxed. They enjoy their children more. Here are some tips:
Choose carefully. Some families set clear limits on what their kids can do – such as one sport per season. Before saying yes to another “opportunity” for your child, think: What are the benefits? What will it cost you in time, energy, stress and money?
Make family a priority. Your kids will be young for only a few short years. Try to enjoy them. Make family time as important as athletics, social activities or community good works.
Do some things just for fun. Both kids and parents need some time to do things they like, whether it’s baking cookies or just looking at a cloud.
Leave empty spaces on your calendar. Allow time for your kids to use their imaginations.
Sometimes, “good enough” is good enough. Many sports have traveling teams. These are not right for all kids. Instead of sitting on the bench in a top league, your child might want to spend more time playing against kids whose skills aren’t so high.
Parents make the difference!
Source: Robert Coles, Alvin Rosenfeld, M.D., and Nicole Wise,
The Over-Scheduled Child: Avoiding the Hoper-Parenting Trap