SmallGroupActionPlan

School Name: Wamego Middle School

Group Name: Military Families Group
Goal: Provide a support group for Military Families
Target Group:3 students with a deployed parent and 3 students who have a parent that is about to be deployed
Data to Identify Students:

School
Counselors

ASCA
Outlineofgroupsessionsto
Domain,
beDelivered
Standard,and
student
competency

Resources
Needed

Process
Data
(projected
numberof
students
affected)

PerceptionData
(Typeofsurveys
tobeused)

OutcomeData
(Achievement,
attendance
and/orbehavior
data

Project
Start/
ProjectEnd

Jeremy

Hanna

Monique

1.
PS:A1.5
PS:A1.9
PS:A2.2

2.
PS:A2.5,
A2.6,A2.7,
B1.4,B1.5,
C1.10,C1.11

3.PS:
S1.B2.2,PS:
S1.B1.3,PS:
S1.B2.3,PS:
S2.B1.2,AD:

1.
Markers,
Painters
Tape,
Broomstick
withlevel
attached

2.Paper
Bag,Strips
ofpaper
_________
3.Postit
Notes,
markers,

Sixmiddle
school
studentswill
participatein
agroupthat
willmeet6
timesfor30
minutes

Preposttesting
Studentswillbe
givenasurvey
beforeentering
thegroup
measuringhow
theyfeelabout
copingand
workingthrough
havinga
deployedparent,
andthengiven
aposttestto
determinehow
theyfeelafter
thegrouphas
beencompleted.

Counselorswill
reviewsurveys
andevaluatethe
overallimpact
students
express.

Thisgroup
mayoccur
atanypoint
duringa
schoolyear.
Studentswill
meetoncea
weekfor6
weeks.

1.Intro,Session1
SeeLessonPlanBelow
labeled,MilitaryGroup
CounselingSession1
Focusofsession1isto
breaktheicewiththe
groupandbegintobuild
confidencewithinthegroup.

2.QuestionsAboutCoping
withDeploymentStudents
withcurrentlydeployed
parentswillhelpanswer
questionsconcerningthe
studentswhoseparentsare

S3.B1.2

abouttobedeployed.The
currentlydeployedstudents
willserveasthegroup
expertsandhelpsupportthe
otherstudentsthroughthis
sessionaswellasthis
transition.(moreinformation
availableonadditional
sheet)

_____________________
3.SchoolandCommunity
Involvementstudentsinthe
groupwilldiscusshow
parentsdeploymenthas
affectedtheirinvolvementin
schoolorcommunity
activities,aswellastheir
anxiousnesstostartingin
newgroup.

sheetof
schooland
community
activities

Itisourhope
thattheir
perceptionwill
changefrom
beingnervous
andscared
abouttheir
parents
deploymentto
feeling
supportedalong
withgaining
copingskills.

MilitaryGroupCounseling,Session1

Placemarkersandtapeinthemiddleofthecircle,alsoplacestickandlevelinthemiddle
Tobegin,havemembersusethetapeandmarkerstowritenametags

Onthenametags,alsowritesomethingofinterestorhobbythattheothergroupmembers
likelydonotknow,andshareyourstrongestemotion/feeling/thoughtregardingthegroup
process
Alloweachindividualtosharetheirinterestswiththegroup
Observeinteractions
Respondtointeractions
Eachgroupmembertellssomethingtheyarelookingforwardtointhenearfuture
GroupExercise
Broomstickteambuildexercise(Watchforleaders,mediators,frustrated,ISITGOINGWELL)
Eachgroupmemberwillplacetheirfingeronthebottomofabroomstick.
o

Theideaistolowerthebroomsticktothefloor(wheretheXis)asagroupwithoutlettingyourfingerberemoved
Rules
Youmuststartwiththestickaroundyourshoulderheight
Youmustkeepyourfingeronthestick
Ifyourfingercomesawayfromthestickthegroupmustrestart
Thebubbleofthelevelneedstoremaininthemiddleyouwillhave3secondstoreturnthebubbleto
thecenterifitmovesout.Tobeconsideredinthemiddle,thebubbleshouldmostlybeinthemiddle
YouhavecompletedtheexercisewhenthelevelisplacedontheblueX
QuestionsForGroup
Whatwasyourfrustrationswiththeactivity
Whatwasfunabouttheactivity
Doesthisexerciserepresentanddemonstrateourgroup
Howcanweusethisactivitytohelpthegrowthofourgroup

Intro

QuestionsAboutCopingwithDeployment

Duringthissmallgroupsessionthethreestudentswithcurrentlydeployedparentswouldserveasanexpertpanelfortheotherthree
studentswhoseparentsareabouttobedeployed.Thestudentswhoseparentsareabouttobedeployedwouldcometogroupwith
questionsaboutdeploymentandhowitmakesthingsdifferent.Eachstudentwouldneedtowritedownatleastthreedifferent
questionsonstripsofpaper.Allofthestripsofpaperwouldthenbeplacedinabaganddrawnatrandom.ExampleQuestionsareas
follows:

Howdidthingschangeathome?
Whatisthehardestpartofhavingaparentdeployed?
Howdoyoustayincontactwithyourmomordad?
Howdoyouletthemknowwhatisgoingoninyourlife?
Howdotheykeepthecommunicationopen?
Howdoesthefamilychangewhenaparentisdeployed?
Doyouhavemoreresponsibilities?

Aseachquestionisdrawnthestudentswithcurrentlydeployedparentsanswereachquestionandgivetipsforhowtheyareworking
tocopewithdeployment.Thisisagreatwaytogetallmembersinvolvedinthegroupaswellashelpeachotherfeelthattheyarenot
alone.Thissessiontailorstothoseinthegroupwhomaybelessvocalaboutwhattheirconcernsarebyallowingthemtowritedown
questionsthattheyhave.Bytheendofthesessionitismyhopethatthethreestudentswhoseparentsareabouttobedeployedare
feelingmorecomfortableandrealizetheyhaveasupportsystemwithinthegroup.Forthosewhoseparentsarealreadydeployed,
thiswillserveasawayforthemtobetheexpertsonthesituation.

SchoolandCommunityInvolvement

1. Studentsinthegroupwilldiscusshowtheirparentsdeploymenthasaffectedtheirdesiretoparticipateinschoolor
communityactivities.
2. AsgroupleaderIwilltalkabouthowgettinginvolvedinschoolandthecommunitycanhelpthemfeelaconnection
toothersaroundthem.
3. Afterwardseachstudentwouldbegivenstickynotesandaskedtoplaceontheboardtheirpersonalworriesabout
joininganewactivity.Thestudentsshouldkeepwritingstickynotesuntiltheyeitherseesomeoneelsecomeup
withtheworrytheywerethinkingaboutoruntilitisupontheboard.
4. Iwouldencouragestudentstosharetheirpriorexperiencesofinvolvementinaschoolorcommunityactivityand
givetipstogroupmembershowtheycanovercometheirworriesoranxiousness.
5. Asadviceisgiven,andifitaddressesaworrythatisontheboard,thestudentthatwrotethestickynotewillbe
askedtoremoveit.
6. Bytheendofthediscussionthereshouldonlybeafewpostitnotescomparedtothenumberthatthegroup
startedwith.
7. LastIwouldlikeforthestudentstofilloutasheetlettingmeknowwhattypesofactivitiestheyareinterestedinso
thatwecouldfurtherdiscusstheirpersonalinterestsinthenextmeeting.