Happy Friday lovelies! Another week has flown by. Feeling good about life :)
This week's high five:
1. I had a great after school event with my grief group kiddos. We had a dinner with their families and did a balloon release to celebrate the time I have spent with them. My heart was so full of love and happiness! It was so great to hear from their families the positive impact I have made in their lives.
2. I've been feeling major love from my supervisor this week. I am so blessed to have a supportive supervisor who has really helped me to reach my fullest counseling potential.
3. I got a 97 on my group presentation in class this week! Holla! I was extremely nervous, as I usually am for presentations, but managed to pull off something spectacular with my peeps. Can't say I would do it again though.
4. I'm loving my tattoo. Here is a picture of it! Still working on the post about my experience getting it.
5. I've only got a few weeks left of graduate school! Most of my assignments are complete so therefore I'm having fun this weekend. #yolo
It's my favorite day of the week! Mostly, because I love reflecting on the past week and remembering the high points of it for the High Five for Friday link up. It's my spring break this week (from internship) and there were definitely some high points.
1. I got to see my best friend! R was in town for just a few days and I sent him a text at just the right moment this week. We met for lunch Wednesday. It is always wonderful to catch up with him - time apart does not change our friendship at all and that's what I love most. Expect a post about this oldest friend of mine at some point because he has been there for me when I have needed someone most.
2. Another good friend moment for the week. I work myself up over a lot of things, and J has been there for me a lot these past few years. She does a great job of bringing me back to reality and not letting me beat myself up too much.
3. I get to see those 2 smiling faces this weekend: for Easter lunch and {hopefully} babysitting them with my brother. H (the girl) + B (the boy) are my cousin's twins and they have brought infinite joy to our family since their arrival in 2011. Byron and I enjoy babysitting them because it's brother and sister hanging with brother and sister.
4. I'm going through with the big decision I posted about last week. Thanks to you lovely ladies who commented on that post. And, thank you to E who I had a long conversation with over the weekend about this decision. That woman gets me. I'm a lucky lady to have her as a friend. Expect pictures, and a story, to follow, it's happening today!
5. My big meeting this week was so worth it. I was a nervous wreck but it had a very positive outcome and I hope I have more to share in a few weeks! If nothing comes of it, I at least learned that people appreciate when I take the initiative, which is something very outside of my comfort zone. I'm in a weird place right now - a mix of fear and excitement and I'm hoping by the end of April the fears will have vanished and the excitement will be even better. Countdown to graduation: 43 days!
6. OK, this is a bonus one! Check out the giveaway I am co-hosting this week. The contest closes in three days!
Now, please enjoy these tunes from Biz Markie.
I nearly cried when I saw this song was from 1989 - it's almost as old as me.
Thanks to Whitney I now cannot officially start my weekend without #backthatazzup Friday. So, start backing it up for Nelly, cause it's hot in here!
Now on to my happy moments of the week!
1. I lined up a meeting with an elementary school. Yay for getting my foot in a door, somewhere. It feels like a great start for my future.
Please don't let your mind go numb over what I am about to say, but some big things are going on in my school counseling world. Check out this blog post from FSCA. FSCA is the Florida School Counselor Association; I have been a member since I started my graduate program back in 2010. FSCA is making some big moves in Tallahassee this week trying to get a bill passed which will regulate the school counseling profession. You can read about the bill here, see a summary of what the Student Failure Prevention Act means, and get updates on the FSCA legislation at the blog here. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the school counseling profession and shared about the school counselor to student ratios which negatively impact student success in this post. I am very excited for what this bill could mean for me and my classmates and the profession overall. My supervisor said something to me this week which really resonated and deeply saddened me: "you will probably never do as much counseling when you become a school counselor as you did when you were an intern." *Ouch* Please, if you have a moment, and live in the state of FL, write a letter to our state representatives letting them know what you support the Student Failure Prevention Act (SB 0154 and HB 0801). Here is a sample letter if you are having trouble finding the words to say in support of this legislation. I am thankful for your support and taking the time to read this, and doing what you can do to help! Kudos for making it through that long-winded moment of advocating for myself.
2. A student of mine nominated me for staff member of the month at my internship site. I shared about it here.
3. I had a major breakthrough with one of my students who wrote me a beautiful letter that brought tears to my eyes. She thanked me for changing her life and said she knows I will go on to change many other lives. I had no idea such a beautiful message could come from a 6th grader.
4. I learned a lot about myself this week. I'm happy that I am one of those people who can always find a way to better improve myself. It's my belief if you feel there is no room for improvement, you are not trying to be your best self. We are all human and have this amazing ability to learn from our mistakes.
5. Today is my day off! I haven't had one of these in for-e-ver! I slept in late (til 8 am) and I'm still in my PJ's. Headed to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast. It doesn't get much better.
This week has been phenomenal and I'm excited to share the highlights with you.
Linking up with Lauren again for High Five For Friday! I really love doing this link-up.
1. I changed my phone background to this cool teal/green ombre. I think that helped with a good start to my week. Feel free to snag it if you enjoy it as much as I do, I found it on Google Images.
2. My grief group kiddos never cease to amaze me. I went into our meeting Tuesday with a not 100% set plan and it worked in my favor. They drew a border around a blank sheet of paper and inside their border wrote a letter to their loved one who has passed away. For the first time ever, I was really touched by what they contributed to the group and started to cry. On a similar note, a student in my other grief group (there are so many kids at our school that I am able to run two separate grief groups) had a complete breakthrough with me. Three months ago she feared coming to school because we were going to meet in grief group. This week she brought in pictures of her and her dad, letters her classmates wrote to her when her dad passed away, and the newspaper with his obituary in it. It was such a wonderful thing to connect with this child and she had me smiling all week, especially when she told me that she had nominated me for staff member of the month! I was so touched and am so thankful to do the job that I do with these kids. As an intern, I do not get paid for my time spent at the school, but money does not compare to what these kids give back to me. Their appreciation means the world to me. I wish I could have opened up to someone about my dad passing away when I was her age. I'm so excited, blessed, and honored that I get to be the person they share their hearts and souls with.
3. I got my nails did! I refer to my bi-weekly manicures and once per month pedicures as my form of therapy. It is so nice to catch up with the wonderful woman who does my nails. I'm really digging these new spring colors.
CND Shellac Grapefruit Sparkles
OPI You're Such A BudaPest
4. I had so much fun participating in Tuesday's link-up, Dogs Are Babies Too hosted by Kara, Kate and Laura. I had fun sharing my love for my furbaby with the blogging world. If you missed me talking about my obsession for my "child" you can read it here.
5. Reaching goals is a wonderful feeling. I broke 200 hours of logged internship time and it feels like my 300 hours are going to be over before I know it! On the hunt for a counseling job and 8 weeks from graduating = an exciting time in my life. Also, I am now up to 5 followers, so yay! That was my blogging goal for the month. Thanks to those of you who are reading my adventures, I am so appreciative of your support. What was wonderful about your week?
Update: also linking up for Find and Follow Friday. Check out the deets for this link-up over at Melissa's blogA mile in her boots
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