Frequently Asked Questions by Parents:
How can a child get to see the school counselor?
Children can ask the counselor to meet with them, parents can ask the counselor to meet with their child, teachers or administration can ask the counselor to meet with a student; the counselor may invite a student in for a talk or check-in on them to see how things are going.
How can a parent contact the school counselors?
Parents can call their child's building and ask to talk to the counselor. For additional information on contacting the building counselor please click here.
How does my child get to participate in a group?
We try to look at the needs with in the school as noted by the teacher and student needs. When there is a need, the counselor may ask the teachers for names of children who can benefit from a group teaching specific skills. Parents can also request that their child participate in a group, and it can be a recommendation from administrators as well. Once the list is generated, parent consent letters are sent home.
Frequently Asked Questions for Kids:
Why should I go see my school counselor?
Let’s say you’re being bullied in school or about to go to the 5th/6th grade building and you’re feeling nervous about it. Perhaps you just found out your parents are getting divorced, or your dog just dies, and you’re so upset that you can’t concentrate on doing your homework. You feel like you need to talk to someone about everything that is going on. A great person to share your thoughts and feelings with is your school counselor.
Your school counselor wants to make your school experience the best it can be. If someone was bullying you, for instance, the counselor would talk to you about it and could give you some ideas and strategies on how to deal with the bully. The counselor may also talk to the bully and maybe even to kids who saw it happen. The counselor might talk with your teacher and your parents about the problem as well. Though this may feel a little uncomfortable, facing the problem and trying to correct it is better than living with a bad situation. Having a counselor’s help means you don’t have to face difficult school problems alone.
What do I do if I need the counselor?
Your school counselor might visit your class or talk to you in the hallways, lunch, or recess so you can let your counselor know at that time. You can also let your teacher, parent, or the school office know you would like to meet with your counselor.
What will the appointment be like?
The most common setting to meet with a counselor is in a private meeting and small groups. The meeting could be you alone, or other students, your teacher, or your parent could be there.
Will the counselor keep a secret?
It’s important to know that if you meet with the counselor, your conversation will be confidential. The counselor isn’t going to go blabbing your personal business around the school. However, there are some cases when a counselor can’t keep it confidential – if the counselor thinks that you or someone else is at risk of being harmed. But even then, the counselor would share that information only with people who need to know.
Won’t kids think I’m in trouble?
Your appointment with the counselor could happen during the day when classmates might notice you’re gone. What you choose to say about it is your decision. You can just say you had an appointment and leave it at that. You also can say that visiting the counselor doesn’t mean you are in trouble.
If you are worried about what to say, tell your counselor. She can help you practice what you would say if someone asked about it.