JHWMS Guidance News
Nutley Public Schools
Nutley, NJ 07110
Nov./Dec. 2013
Controlling Procrastination
Volume 1, Issue 1
Procrastination is putting off or avoiding doing something that you must do. It is natural to procrastinate occasionally. However, excessive procrastination can result in
guilt feelings about not doing a task when it should be done. It can also cause anxiety
since the task still needs to be done. Further, excessive procrastination can cause poor
performance if you try to complete a task with little time remaining. In short, excessive procrastination can interfere with your school and personal success.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Cappello’s Corner
2
Naviance
2
Week of Respect
2
REPORT CARD DATES
2013/2014
November 15, 2013
February 7, 2014
April 11,2014
June 25, 2014
Report cards will be available
through Realtime.
Twenty things you can do to control procrastination:
1. Reward yourself when you complete a task on time. You can surf the Internet, have some
ice cream, or do anything else that is a positive reinforcer for you.
2. Prioritize the tasks you have to do. Putting tasks in priority order will avoid the problem
of trying to decide where to begin.
3. Work on tasks at the times you work best. Some students can get things going in the
morning, while other students may be more comfortable working in the evening.
4. Don’t try to finish everything at once. Break tasks into smaller, more manageable parts.
5. Work with a study group. The momentum of the other group members will carry you with
them.
6. Carefully schedule what you have to do. Stick to your schedule.
7. Establish reasonable standards for completing a task. Striving for perfection can stop you
from completing the task.
8. Set specific goals and track your progress toward their accomplishment. This will help you
avoid the feeling that the work before you is endless.
9. Establish a comfortable place in which to do your work. You will be more inclined to do
your work if your workspace is peaceful and inviting.
10. Work for short periods of time. Set a timer for 15 minutes and take a short break when it
goes off.
11. Create a “to do” list at the start of each day. Keep the list to a reasonable length. Cross
off each thing to do as you accomplish it.
12. Don’t sit around thinking about what you have to do. Stop thinking and start doing.
13. If there is a particular task that you dread doing, force yourself to face it. Once you complete this task, your other tasks will seem like “a walk in the park.”
14. Think about all of the benefits of completing a task. Use these thoughts as motivators.
15. Use visual reminders of what you have to do. Post-it notes placed in prominent places
(e.g., refrigerator door, computer screen, or mirror) will remind you that something needs to
be done.
16. Organize your workspace. Spending a lot of time “looking” for what you need to do a
task is a classic form of procrastination.
17. Use peer pressure. Identify a friend who will help you be accountable for getting your
work done.
18. Focus on starting a task rather than finishing it. Bring your focus from the future to the
present.
19. Don’t make too much of a task. Overvaluing a task can make you highly anxious. Anxiety can block your performance.
20. Identify the ways in which you procrastinate. Take direct steps to eliminate these.
Benjamin Franklin once said, "You may delay, but time will not." Use the suggestions in
this article to avoid delaying what you have to do and to ensure that time does not work
against you.
How-To-Study.com
Page 2
What is the Week of Respect?
The Week of Respect is an annual week of awareness, education and action around harassment, intimidation and
bullying in New Jersey Public Schools. The Week of Respect was held this year October 7-11th. At John H.
Walker Middle School, all students participated in a classroom activity entitled “We Will Not Cross the Line”.
Throughout this activity students were able to discern the
difference between bullying, conflict and just being mean,
as well as understand that it is normal to experience conflict. Students were then asked to provide an example of
how they will model respect, caring and tolerance throughout the school year. Each student’s example was then
added to a banner to be displayed as a reminder to show
respect to each other every day.
Cappello’s Corner…..
Hello, and welcome to Cappello’s Corner. Who am I?
What do I do at JHWMS? Well, I have had the pleasure of
serving as the Student Assistance Coordinator (SAC) for
the past 13 years. I frequently find myself explaining to
students and parents the role of a SAC. SACs are school
personnel certified by the NJ Department of Education
(DOE) trained in the field of substance abuse and mental
health to provide confidential support and referral services for students and parents in the community. In other
words, I offer assistance to students troubled by familial,
emotional, social, legal, academic, and/or substance abuse
problems. All information and referrals for counseling are
kept confidential under Federal Confidentiality Regulations (42CFR). I also refer students to outside providers
for therapeutic intervention while providing support services within the middle school.
I believe accessibility is the key to student support service.
By initiating school-sponsored events, participating in
community organizations, advising the STAND Club, presenting in health classes and just “being visible”, I make
every attempt to ensure students know who I am and how
to reach me if needed.’’
Naviance in the Classroom
Naviance helps students and families connect what
students do in the classroom to their life goals, including finding colleges and careers based on their
personal skills and areas of interest. Starting in October, Mrs. Wood and Mrs. Gennace began visiting
the 7th grade health classes in order to introduce
Naviance and model some of its basic functions,
such as the Career tab. Students were able to utilize
this function to search various careers and gather
useful information related to the career, such as a
job description and necessary knowledge and skills.
In addition, students explored the tasks and activities associated with their desired careers, as well as
related college majors.
Students were also exposed to The Roadtrip Nation
Interview Archive which features student conversations with accomplished individuals who have defined their own road in life to achieve unique goals.
All students will be able to access Naviance from
the Nutley Schools homepage under the Student
link.
In addition to my responsibilities at JHWMS, I also serve
as the district’s Anti-Bullying Coordinator. In this capacity, I oversee the district’s anti-bullying initiatives of investigating and addressing all alleged incidents of harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB), promoting a
healthy school climate, and providing data to the NJDOE.
My office is conveniently located in the Guidance Suite on
the first floor. I can be reached at (973) 661.8989 or by
email at jcappello@nutleyschools.org. Please visit my
teacher webpage for further information. See you soon!
MIDDLE SCHOOL GUIDANCE STAFF
Jill Divilio, Director of Guidance
SAC & District Anti-Bullying Coordinator
Joseph Cappello
jcappello@nutleyschools.org
School Counselor & Anti-Bullying Specialist
Alisa Gennace
agennace@nutleyschools.org
School Counselor
Joyce Wood
jwood@nutleyschools.org
Newsletter Editor— Linda Posternock