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Welcome to Northside Everyone!
 
As school counselor I am committed to providing Northside Elementary students with The Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Program.  I collaborate with school faculty and staff, students, parents, and the community to plan, implement, and evaluate a developmental guidance and counseling program.  I provide a Guidance Curriculum, Responsive Services, Individual/Group counseling/planning, Practical Parent Workshops and System Support to promote the educational career, personal and social development of students. 
 
It is also my privilege to sponsor the Northside Student Council and the Peers Making Peace, peer mediation program.  I am proud to work at Northside for many reasons.  First and foremost is because we all work together to make Northside a caring, supportive and caring school with the shared goal of maintaining a positive school climate that fosters responsible citizenship, strong relationships, critical thinking, and educational excellence.
 
I first moved to Waxahachie from Alvarado in 1972 with my parents.  My siblings attended Northside and I started my seventh grade year at Wilemon Junior High.  After graduating from Waxahachie High School, I attended University of Mary Hardin Baylor for my Bachelor degree in Psychology and Social Work,  and then attended Tarleton State University for my M.Ed. in Guidance and Counseling.  I will be enjoying my 8th year at Northside Elementary,  and this will be my 32nd year as a teacher and my 22nd year as a school counselor.  I am married to my best friend, also a WHS graduate,  J. David Thornhill.  We love living in the best little town in Texas, Waxahachie! Go Indians!
 
 
Can I Help?
 
Parents/Guardians can request to meet with me by email, telephone, or leaving a message with their child's teacher or with the ladies in the front office.  My email is cthornhill@wisd.org.  My phone number is 972-923-4610, extension 45271.  
 
Students can request to meet with me through their teacher or parent notifying me, or by dropping off a note for me in the office or by letting me know in person at school.    
 
 
 

Posts

Mrs. Thornhill Introduction

This video explains who our counselor is and what she will be doing the first few weeks of school during guidance lessons. We'll get to meet and share a little bit about how we feel about being back at school and students will name an area of strength for our W board in the gym foyer. It's going to be a great year at Northside!
Kelso's Wheel
Kelso Choices are Excellent Conflict Resolution Strategies for Everyone
Go To Another Game
Talk it Out
Share and Take Turns
Ignore It 
Walk Away
Tell Them to Stop
Apologize
Make a Deal 
Wait and Cool Off

Classroom Guidance Lessons August - September 2020

August 24th - Sept. 11th Meet the Counselor Minute Meetings.  I meet with each student for about a minute to get to know them and see if they have any needs to be addressed.  I also have them tell me a strength and an idea they like to think about for a future career.  
 
September 8-September 25
PK -5th will experience Kelso's Choices, a Social Emotional Learning curriculum, providing students with the tools they need to solve Small problems. Students will learn how to know what kind of problem they have. For example, when you feel mad or sad, you have a small problem and should try two Kelso's Choices before telling an adult.

PK- 2nd graders will receive several lessons that include stories and practice using the nine strategies shown on the wheel below.

Third - Fifth graders will review the nine strategies and practice applying different Kelso's Choices to typical peer conflicts and challenging situations.

All students will be frequently reminded to tell an adult they trust when they feel afraid which indicates they are faced with a BIG problem. I encourage parents and students to utilize Kelso's choices at home to reinforce the habit of making healthy choices to solve problems.
 
 

Go Indians!