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classroom instruction.  Our focus with this new technology is to prepare our students for their future, and these devices are becoming very popular in colleges and the work place.  Another major change for the computer classes is a new instructor.  Cara Dennert has shifted buildings and is now working with the junior high and high school students.  She has taught many years of professional development technology classes for staff members and is finding the transition very workable.
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• K-8 Counselor - Ashley Seeklander
• Greetings Groton! My name is Ashley Seeklander and I am the K-8 school counselor. What's going on in the school counselor's office? Lots!  Here's the scoop on what we've been doing and what are planning on doing for the rest of the fall semester in classroom guidance:
• In September we focused on our Responsibility character pillar and learned about following directions and listening. October brought us to our Respect pillar and focused on bullying. It was also National Bullying Prevention month in October. For November, the 6^th and 7^th grade are moving into career exploration while focusing on our Citizenship pillar. November happens to be National Career month.  The 8^th grade is finishing up on bullying and should have some awesome public service announcements on bullying ready to show off within the next few weeks. Hopefully, if everything technology-wise works we will be able to have the PSA's put on the school's web-site. The 8^th graders have been doing such a fabulous job on their PSA's. I am so proud of their hard work! By December everyone will be on career exploration. The 6^th grade will be learning about the different careers in the sixteen career clusters. In 7^th and 8^th grader we will be using SDMyLife for career exploration and to complete some interest inventories. 
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• FACS I - Mrs. Tietz
• Students in FACS I have begun the year with a Family Connections unit. The students have explored the need for strong families, needs and values that the family teaches, various family structures, how society has affected the family unit, communication within a family, and how to strengthen family bonds, as well as the family unit as whole. They are currently in a career exploration unit where they have completed research on a career they are interested in.  They will be exploring job applicatons, resume writing, and job interview skills.  Each student will go through a mock interview and have the opportunity the job shadow a professional in the field in which they are interested in.
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