Thursday, September 23, 2021, Volume 16 Issue 3
Meet our Bullpups' School Counselor, Ms. Matsui!
I am honored to be your students’ School Counselor here at Thurgood Marshall and I take great pride in having all 444 of them as my students😊. I am also a parent here at the school, right here with you navigating the juggle of work, life and parenthood (insert empathy emoji here)!
I wanted to let you know about what exactly my role is, as some of you may be wondering, “What does a school counselor do anyways?” Well, in a nutshell, my job is teaching social emotional learning (SEL), to make sure that students are socially and emotionally well, so that they can learn. This work is not done alone. I partner with all school staff, families and community partners to ensure that students have what they need to feel successful, confident and able to thrive.
My focus is to reach all students, so the majority of my time is spent in classrooms, teaching whole-class lessons. I use The Ruler curriculum, Second Step and other materials tailored to the needs of each class. I also run small groups, focusing on managing emotions, family/life transitions (ex. Divorce, grief and loss), building strong friendships/relationships and study skills. I am still trying to figure out how to run in-person groups safely in the times of COVID, so please stay tuned! Your students’ wellness and safety are my paramount concern. Lastly, I do minimal short-term individual counseling work with students when they are experiencing a life/family transition or are needing extra support at school. I can also connect you with other needed resources and can make referrals to one of our community-based mental heath agencies if your student/family is in need of more ongoing support.
Please know that I am here for your student(s) and your family.
You can reach me at:
Phone: (206) 252-2788
Email: mtmatsui@seattleschools.com
*I am at Thurgood Marshall Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s
If you would like to know more about my role as an Elementary School Counselor, here is an article with more detailed information:
The Essential Role of Elementary School Counselors
A little bit about me…… I was born and raised in Seattle and graduated from Garfield High School. For college, I went to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, a small art school. After time, I found one of my passions in teaching art to kids. After much work in schools in both New York and Seattle, I found that my favorite time of day was recess, helping kids solve conflicts, build relationships and practice inclusivity. This lead me to getting my masters in School Counseling from Seattle University and here I am, in my 3rd year here at Thurgood Marshall and fourth year as a school counselor!
Lastly, a few practical tips to set your student(s) up for success:
Make sure your student is getting a good night of rest (10-12 hours each night) and coming to school ready to learn with breakfast in their belly (free school breakfast everyday at 8:40!)
Keep schedule and routines consistent and predictable (when possible)
Make time to check in with your student about school life and feelings (ask questions that go beyond “yes” and "no” answers)
Support your students school journey- be involved with homework, encouragement of organization/study skills and praise the effort/process!
Dismissal Changes:
We have made some changes to the way we are dismissing students. Most of our bus riders exit at staggered intervals from our cafeteria. Fourth and Fifth grade students are dismissed from the exit at the West end of our 2nd floor for both the bus and parent pick-up. All students in Preschool, Focus and Distinct programs will exit from the front doors.
The rest of our classes are released from the playground gate in this order:
Ms. Anderson, Ms. Huss, Ms. Guillermo, Mr. Simon
Mr. Long, Ms. Westby, Ms. Carney
Ms. Reed and Ms. Reddy’s classes (dismissed from front of YMCA building)
Ms. Gese, Ms. Glass, Ms. Howard-Powell
Ms. Haile and Ms. Amsden
We ask students to stay with their teacher until they see their parent and we are able to make eye contact with you. If your child’s class is one of the first out, you may want to arrive on the early side of pick-up. If your child is one of the later classes to come out, you may want to arrive after some of the rush has cleared.
Please help us by leaving an aisle clear in front of the gate, making it easier for students to exit the gate. If you are picking up multiple children, it helps us if you keep them close to you as the next group of students exits the gate.
Please be sure to wear a mask at pick-up and maintain social distance.
Finally, be sure your child knows if they are riding the bus or you are picking them up when they leave home in the morning. If your child’s bus arrives an hour late in the morning, that generally means that it will also be an hour late to pick them up afterschool, which may help with your planning.
Thanks for your attention to this. We appreciate your help!
