A common misconception surrounding public school education is that the students are so focused on academic curriculum, there doesn’t seem to be much attention paid to the interpersonal skills so many students need. Luckily, thanks to a remarkable organization called Community Circle, many of our local elementary schools are being afforded a unique opportunity that allows students to talk about their feelings and learn how to handle often complicated situations.
Community Circle began over forty years ago as an outreach program of Beverly Hills’ Maple Counseling Center. Volunteers from a variety of backgrounds and careers, receive training and supervision before coming into the classrooms to present topics for discussion. Topics include bullying, attentive listening, and even
how to handle anger. From there, volunteers often employ role playing techniques to get the students to learn tools and utilize methods of how to handle different situations. According to Community Circle leader Diana
Sabin, “The main purpose of the program is to teach kids about responsible decision-making, how to make and keep positive relationships, to identifying and expressing feelings appropriately, to learn how to be kinder and more understanding of themselves and others, to become better listeners and communicators, and to gain confidence.”
Community Circle is currently represented in all the Beverly Hills elementary schools as well as Canfield, Castle Heights and Overland. If you are interested in learning more about volunteering or if you would like to bring Community Circle to your child’s school, contact LuNel Lemieux at lunellemieux@gmail.com or call The
Maple Counseling Center (310)271-9999 to find out more information.
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