Our Student Services lessons are led by our school counselor, Ms. Walker, and they help students build important social and emotional skills that support learning and friendships.
In our first unit, students learned how to pay attention and manage distractions, develop a growth mindset, and apply goal setting strategies. Each student in grades 1-5 set a personal executive function goal to practice every day. Ask your child how they’re working toward their goal! You can find their goal plan in their star folder.
Our next unit is all about problem solving! Students will learn ways to solve problems in kind, calm, and helpful ways. Each grade will explore lessons from Second Step that include how to recognize and state a problem, recognize if a problem is an accident, think of solutions, explore outcomes, and pick a solution. Check out your child’s grade level Home Link to learn more and continue the conversation at home! Home Links: K5 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
Students will also learn Kelso’s Choices, which teaches problem-solving strategies that build confidence and kindness. Students will be able to tell the difference between small/age appropriate problems they can handle on their own and big/serious problems that need an adult’s help right away. If a student encounters a small problem, they try two of Kelso’s Choices, such as talk it out or apologize, to try to solve the problem on their own. Students can always ask an adult for help.
If you’d like to connect about your child or learn more about our school counseling supports, please reach out to Ms. Walker at walkerd@kmsd.edu.
New Family Mentor Program
We are excited to welcome new families to Cushing! To help them feel welcomed, supported, and connected to our school and community, we will pair each new family with a mentor family through the Cushing Family Mentor Program. Together, we hope to make the transition smooth, friendly, and fun!
If you are interested in being a mentor family or are a new family, please complete the designated survey by Friday, October 31, 2025.
Mentor Family Survey
New Family Survey
How It Works
Each new family is paired with a mentor family.
Mentor families offer guidance, answer questions, and share helpful resources.
The program lasts through February 2026.
Simple Steps for Both Families
Learn: View a 30-minute info session about how to be a great mentor or mentee.
Connect: Mentor family reaches out with a warm welcome.
Meet: Families meet in person at a meet and greet.
Share: Mentor families provide helpful information about school routines, resources, and community events. New families ask questions.
Check In: Stay in touch a few times during the year to answer questions and encourage participation.
Include: Mentor families invite new families to join a school or community activity.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Walker at walkers@kmsd.edu.
Thank you for helping us make Cushing a welcoming and wonderful place for all!
