February 6-10 is National School Counseling Week, so we are spotlighting one of our school counselors! Dominique is a school counselor at iLEAD Exploration who works closely with our elementary learners. She received her master’s degree in educational counseling and P.P.S. credential from Azusa Pacific University. She has her bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of California, San Diego. She has worked in the educational realm for over 15 years, serving learners from transitional kindergarten through college. She loves working with learners, families, and facilitators.
How long have you been at iLEAD?
Since February 10, 2020.
What made you want to be a counselor?
I initially planned to be a community college counselor, but elementary school counseling opportunities came up and I have been one ever since. I wanted to help people in ways that I needed help while growing up, and counseling was a great avenue for me.
What is the most rewarding part of being a counselor?
Teaching kids skills they will be able use for the rest of their lives!
Least and most favorite part of school growing up?
I hated reading. I did not start to enjoy reading until I found books that interested me as a kid. I loved math! I could do math problems all day and enjoyed it.
Where did you go to college?
I went to six different colleges/universities for my undergraduate degree and graduated from UC San Diego.
Self-care tip:
Practice gratitude daily. Focus on the good in each day, especially when the days are hard.
Fun facts 
February is Black History Month, a time to celebrate the achievements of Black people throughout history. Here are a few resources and ways to teach your learners about Black history.
Mentoring makes a positive impact on our children. Sometimes it is difficult to remember that we can be mentors to others even while we are being mentored. This happens throughout our lives. We want to encourage you to take this fun checklist of ways to engage as a mentor and mentee. Check off the activities as you do them and record how they made you feel and your experience in your Gratitude Journal!
With 2023 just beginning, now is a great time to form new habits! Gratitude journaling is one habit that you may want to consider adding to your routine. This habit can be done either daily, weekly, or monthly. By taking this time to reflect on what you are grateful for, you may find that your mood has been positively boosted and that you are more optimistic. Included is a template that can be used for daily, weekly, or monthly gratitude journaling. You can purchase a template by clicking here, or use it as an example to create your own!
Looking for some activities to try at home with your learners? Check out a few ideas below!
Scrabble Math
Download this free printable and grab your Scrabble letter tiles. This is a great activity to practice both spelling and math! Simply use the Scrabble tiles to spell the words listed, and then add up the numbers to get your total. To make it more of a challenge, multiply the numbers instead.
Popsicle Stick Catapult
Explore science with a DIY catapult. It’s a great way for kids to learn about trajectory and projectiles. Click here for instructions.
What I Love the Most
Encourage your learners to create a Google slideshow of at least four things they love most. They can use photos they’ve taken, find photos online, or even draw their own pictures. This is a great way to focus on social-emotional learning.
Winter is the perfect time for curious scientists to explore things, such as ice formations, snowflake patterns, or how penguins stay dry. Here’s one fun experiment that’s sure to keep your scientist wondering this wintertime.
Holiday Magic Milk
Items you will need: 
Step 1: Fill a small, shallow dish with whole milk — just enough to cover the bottom.
Step 2: Place a holiday cookie cutter of your choice in the center of the dish.
Step 3: Place a few drops of holiday-colored food coloring inside or outside the cookie cutter.
Step 4: Dip a cotton swab in Dawn dish soap. Then dip the swab into the food coloring drops, and watch!
So What’s the Science?
The chemistry of the dish soap and the fat of the milk makes the mini explosions happen. While some of the dish soap will dissolve, it mainly seeks out the fat of the milk. The molecules of the dish soap dash around to find the fat globs in the milk. You can see the search for the fat in the movement of the color. If you keep adding more soap until the movement stops, this means all the fat globs have been found and attached.
Some other fun winter science experiments to research and try are salt crystal formations, growing ice towers, candy cane slime or fizzy hot chocolate surprise.
Happy winter science time!
Did you know that in Iceland there is a tradition called “Jolabokaflod,” which in English translates roughly to “Christmas book flood”? After Icelanders receive a book, they cozy up with their favorite warm beverage and read through the night!
And in the Netherlands, Sinterklaas (the Dutch name for Saint Nicholas, the man recognized by his long white beard, red cape, and red miter) will leave treats like gingerbread men, marzipan, and chocolate letters inside a wooden shoe that the children leave by the chimney or back door.
For many families, holidays and traditions play an important role in shaping beliefs, experiences, and identity. As the holiday season approaches, it’s important to remember there are many holidays to explore. Here are some books and sites to help you learn about several of them:
Meet Boni Burns. This is Boni’s second year with iLEAD. Boni stays busy as an Education Specialist supporting learners at both iLEAD Lancaster and Empower Generations in the Antelope Valley. Boni’s career as an educator began after spending time in the classroom as a substitute between acting auditions. Boni was drawn to the amazing and imaginative learners she worked with in the moderate-severe classrooms. This passion led to Boni earning her teaching credential and accepting a full-time role. She has been in the classroom for the past 24 years. Boni was specifically drawn to iLEAD because of our schools’ focus on meeting learners where they are.
Behind every fabulous teacher, such as Boni herself, are great role models. Boni has two role models who have helped shape her as an educator. The first is her mentor teacher, Kathy. Boni had the opportunity to work with and learn from Kathy for four years at Antelope Valley High School. The second is Corean, Boni’s mother. Corean has spent 35 years as a dedicated educator at LAUSD. She taught Boni that anything is possible with hard work and determination!
A fun fact that most people may not know about Boni is that she loves stage acting. She plans to pursue acting again one day. Boni turns a bad day into a good day by using her acting talents. She will sing in the classroom and is often able to engage learners and get them to smile. If you’ve ever met Boni, you know she also has a contagious smile that helps anyone feel included.
Boni will be spending the winter break traveling to Texas to visit her son, daughter-in-law, and four grandchildren! We are thankful for Boni and the ways she supports her learners and coworkers here at iLEAD.
