Jonathan Andrus - Counselor Corner

andrusj@psd401.net    253-530-4630

One of my goals as a school counselor is to build a foundational relationship with all students at school so that whenever a difficult day comes along for any Purdy Panther, my connection with them is already established. I try to meet this goal in a variety of ways:

• Students will always see me during arrival and dismissal.

• I get out to at least one recess or lunch every day in order to be a familiar face during unstructured times of the school day and problem solve situations on the fly. 

• I like to eat lunch with small groups of students in my office. I am terrible at taking a lunch break, so if I do, it is usually with small groups of students listening to silly songs, playing with fidgets, and answering icebreaker questions. I rotate through as many students as I can this way, especially focusing on students new to our school.

• I give students the option to sign up and talk to me if something is weighing on their mind or if they are stuck with a social/emotional problem they just can’t seem to solve on their own.

• I teach multiple classroom lessons throughout the school year from our Second Step Social/Emotional curriculum, specifically topics covering bullying protection and child safety.
  
  

I Would Like to Speak to the Counselor

Here is the Google form that students use to sign up to speak with me. Older students typically use this if they are not able to quickly talk things through with me when I am out at recess or lunch. If a student comes down to the office, and I am unavailable, our wonderful office ladies may send this form through so that I am notified I need to follow up with a student. I want to also make this form available to families if anyone would like to sign up from home as well.

Bullying Prevention Lessons

October is Bullying Prevention Month. Starting October 13th, I will be teaching a series of four lessons school wide on recognizing, reporting, and refusing bullying as well as teaching students the power that bystanders have in getting these situations resolved. If you would like to know more about this topic, please feel free to contact me or visit secondstep.org

Comprehensive Life Resources is a mental health community agency located in Tacoma. They offer a variety of mental health services in Pierce County, but they also partner with school districts to provide counseling services in school, during school hours. CLR already partners with the Peninsula School District, and I have established a partnership with them this year at Purdy. We will have a counselor providing support at Purdy one day a week, in both small group and one-on-one settings. Small group support is grant funded and individual counseling is subject to copays through insurance. If you would like your child to be 

Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school - and themselves. Start building this habit in elementary school so they learn early that going to school on time, every day is important. Eventually good attendance will be a skill that helps students succeed in high school and beyond.                                                               Credit: Attendance Works

11/6 Veteran's Day Concert @ 5:30-6:30 11/11 No School in observance of Veteran's Day 11/11 PHOA 16th Annual Family Movie Day  11/19 Picture Retake Day 11/20 PHOA Volunteer Training 7-9 pm Swift Water Elementary 11/26 - 11/28  Thanksgiving Break -  No School

Notes from the Office New Email for Office Communication Do you need to report an absence or make a transportation change? We now have a new email address that goes directly to all office staff instead of an individual: PES-Office@psd401.net. Transportation Changes Email is fine for early notifications, but if it’s later in the day, we prefer a phone call in case staff are away from email. Please call the office before 3:00 p.m. so we have enough time to notify teachers before dismissal. If you leave a voicemail, be sure to include your child’s full name, teacher, date, and the bus number and stop—even if your child is riding home with a friend. Click here to see Mr. Robuck’s short video about the changes to the Parent Pick Up Zone Student Arrival and Drop-Off Student drop-off begins at 8:50 a.m. There is no supervision before this time, so families must wait with their student until 8:50 for safety reasons. If your child arrives late or leaves early, parents are required to sign them in or out at the office. Contact the Office  📞 253.530.4600 | ✉️ PES-Office@psd401.net Office Manager: Sheila Laflamme – laflammes@psd401.net | x4605 Secretary: Amy Lundquist – lundquista@psd401.net | x4606

We’re Here to Help: Resources for Families in Need In times of uncertainty, it's essential to support one another. If you or a family you know needs assistance, please reach out. The Peninsula School District, along with our community partners, offers a variety of resources designed to help families in our area. Available Resources Food Backpacks 4 Kids We provide nutritious meals for children on weekends.  👉 Learn more and access resources GH Peninsula Fish Food Bank & Community Services Offering food assistance and community support.  👉 Explore available resources PSD Student Nutrition / Free & Reduced Meals Apply for free and reduced meals for breakfast and lunch at school.  👉 Visit our nutrition services Key Peninsula Bischoff Food Bank Access food resources and information on how to donate.  👉 Find out more Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund (FEEA) Learn about emergency hardship loans and grants for Federal Employees.  👉 Discover FEEA resources Food Services and Assistance Programs for Active-Duty Service Members Get a list of local resources available to active-duty military members.  👉 Access resources here Financial Services and Family/Childcare Support for Active-Duty Military Service Members Find local resources to support your family.  👉 Learn more How You Can Help It takes a village to support our district's students. Please consider donating to one of the following local resources to assist families in need: Nonperishable Food Donations You can drop off nonperishable food items at: Gig Harbor Civic Center: 3510 Grandview Street, Gig Harbor (Weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce: 3125 Judson Street, Gig Harbor (Weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) These donations will be distributed to local food banks, including Food Backpacks 4 Kids and the Fish Food Bank. Baby Formula Donations Due to the specialized nutritional needs of babies, monetary donations are most needed. Please consider donating to: Mary Bridge Bessier Center: 317 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Tacoma. Make a monetary donation here Food Backpacks 4 Kids: 9127 154th Ave Court NW, Home. Donate online Gig Harbor Basket Brigade Nominate a family in need, donate, or volunteer. Learn more about the Gig Harbor Basket Brigade WATCH Dogs: Parents on the Fast Track to Support! We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers (dad, mom, guardian, grandparent, auntie, uncle) to join us throughout the day here at Purdy Elementary! Your support can make a big difference, whether it’s helping in classrooms, supporting school events, or assisting with other activities. Flexible shifts are available, so you can contribute at times that work best for you.  Join us in making a positive impact on our students and school community. If you’re interested in volunteering please see the link below.

Login Uniforms Program Tools Training Support

                                                                                                 

Celebrate Native American Heritage Month

PTA Meeting - December 9th at 7:00pm in the library.   If attending via Zoom is more convenient please email Ron Cochran our PTA President at Ronald.ThomasCochran@pm.me   to request the link. PTA Website Check out our new website purdypta.com for information about membership, events and more! PTA Popcorn Friday Volunteer Sign Up Link:  Volunteer sign up link

Updated Volunteer Sign-Up Process and Guidelines Dear PSD Families, Here’s what you need to know: Volunteer Sign-Up: Please sign up online and even choose district buildings as your preferred location. This flexibility allows you to support different schools and events across the district. Volunteer Guidelines: To ensure a positive and effective experience, we’ve updated our volunteer guidelines. These include key expectations like maintaining student confidentiality, following district policies, and engaging positively with students and staff. Any volunteers who submitted a paper application will need to sign-up again online. Visit https://www.psd401.net/volunteer to learn more.  We value your time and commitment to our schools and look forward to your continued involvement. Visit our website to sign up and review the updated guidelines.

Get Ready for Flu Season!         Start with Prevention:  Should you stay or should you go? Stay home when you are sick, wash hands frequently, cover cough and sneezes. Students will be kept home from school/sent home from school for any of the following symptoms that may indicate a communicable disease: Fever – oral temperature of 100.4 F or greater Shortness of breath and/or cough Red, draining eye(s) Vomiting Diarrhea Rash Any symptom(s) causing great discomfort for the student (e.g., severe cough, sore throat, earache, headache) Student may return to school after illness under the following conditions unless directed otherwise by local health jurisdiction: Fever-free without anti-fever medication for 24 hours Relief from symptoms including shortness of breath and/or cough No vomiting for 24 hours No diarrhea for 24 hours Note from health care provider indicating no longer contagious

Contact Us Register Today! Subsidy Related Questions: https://rightatschool.com/financial-assistance-washington/   Keeping Emergency Contacts & Mailing Addresses up to date

ARE YOUR EMERGENCY CONTACTS & MAILING ADDRESSES UP TO DATE? Please take a moment to do your Year Round/Emergency Contact Update for your child(ren) to ensure that we have the necessary information in the event of an emergency and for mailing purposes. Click below for instructions on how to access the update. Parent Portal Year-Round Update Instructions