Small Student Groups at Lunt

The Lunt School Counseling and Guidance program offers a variety of small groups for students. Each group is led by one of the school counselors, Maribeth Bush or Anne LaBossiere. We’re currently in the process of collecting names of students for participation in our first cycle of Friendship Groups, Family Change Groups, “Relaxing With Friends” Groups… and our new “Personal Space Camp”Groups. Our first cycle of groups will begin early October.

Friendship Groups (for grades K-2) are a fun way for kids in the same grade level to make new friends and practice their social skills in a safe, small group setting. Children are invited to participate in friendship groups for a variety of reasons. A few examples include: a child who is shy or often appears to play alone during free choice time or recess, a child exhibiting behaviors that unknowingly (to the child) “turn off” other kids, a child who repeatedly complains of not having any friends, a child who has a hard time initiating friendships, a child who lacks self-confidence, and/or who needs a confidence boost, or a child who is very accepting and easily befriends other children (always a very beneficial addition to a group). There are many other reasons a child might be invited to join a friendship group, but those are the most common.

Family Change Groups (for grades 1 & 2) can focus on a number of “family change” topics, such as the addition of a new baby or child into the family. However, most of our Family Change groups are for students whose parents are divorced or separated. These groups are beneficial to students by enabling them to meet other children going through a similar experience. Many students find comfort in discovering they are “not the only kid” in the school with divorced or separated parents. Students also develop a greater comfort discussing divorce and the varying feelings they might have about it.

“Relaxing With Friends” Groups (for grades 1 & 2) are designed to assist children in developing strategies to help them put their worries and anxieties in perspective so they can better relax, learn and have fun with friends. The child who might benefit from being in this group may worry a lot, have a lot of fears and/or make frequent trips to the nurse for headaches and tummy aches.

Personal Space Camp (for grades K-2) is a group designed to help students recognize and respect physical and verbal boundaries. Candidates for this group would be students who, compared to their peers/classmates, have a difficult time respecting the personal space of others, and/or tend to interrupt/blurt frequently.

Groups are held once a week for 30 minutes during the school day, for about 6-8 weeks. If you would like your child to be considered for participation in a group, please send an email to your child’s teacher or the school counselors (Maribeth Bush at mbush@fps.k12.me.us and Anne LaBossiere at alabossiere@fps.k12.me.us). You will always be notified before your child participates in a small group. We will send home a letter with your child about the group. Parents are required to return a signed consent form for group participation, which basically lets us know that you received and read the letter, and that you are in support of your child’s participation in the group. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to call us.