Shari Sias PhD, LCMHC,

Licensed School Counselor

Arapahoe Charter School

9005 NC Hwy 306 S. Arapahoe, NC 28510

Phone: 252-249-2599

Ext 1163

Fax: 252-249-1316

shari.sias@arapahoecharter.org

Welcome Bobcats! My name is Dr. Shari Sias, and I am your school counselor. This is my 4th year at ACS. I am excited to continue to be working with kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th graders this year.

Prior to joining ACS, I was a mental health/addictions therapist and a counselor educator. In 2019, I earned my license as a school counselor. I believe every student can learn and succeed and deserves access to high-quality education.

Away from work, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, swimming, gardening, listening to music, and reading.

School Counseling Program

Effective school counseling programs improve students' academic skills, career readiness, and social/emotional learning. In my role as a school counselor, I work with school staff, families, and community stakeholders to help remove barriers to student learning and wellness.

Services

Classroom Instruction

Classroom counseling lessons are taught in three areas: Academic, Career Readiness, and Social/ Emotional Development.

Examples of Academic lesson topics are Listening Skills, Goal Setting, and Test Taking.

Examples of career readiness topics are Exploring the World of Work, My Interests, and Career Day.

Examples of social/emotional topics are Practicing Kindness and Identifying and Managing Emotions.

Small Group Counseling

Small group counseling targets specific goals for students struggling with behavior in the classroom.

Group counseling occurs once a week for 30 minutes for a total of 6 to 8 weeks.

Students can be referred to small group counseling by a staff member, family member, or behavioral screeners.

Examples of group counseling topics include: Worry Warriors, Emotional Regulation, and Making and Keeping Friends.

Short-term Individual Counseling

Short-term individual counseling is available for students who need further support after completing small group counseling; when there aren't enough students to form a group; or when students have needs that are best addressed individually.

Individual counseling is initially 6 to 8 weeks in length, after which we determine if further sessions are needed. When appropriate, we may refer the student to community-based counseling.

Example of a Classroom Counseling Lesson

1. Have you ever been a grumpy monkey (woke up and nothing felt right)?

2. Why do Jim's friends think he is grumpy?

3. How can you tell if someone is grumpy?

4. Coping skills help us relax and feel better. What coping skills did Jim's friends suggest he try?

5. What finally made Jim feel better?

6. Let's make a list of coping skills we can try. (Class practices some of the skills listed.)

Large Group and School-Wide Initiatives

School counselors organize and provide large group and school-wide activities on topics such as Bullying Prevention and Random Acts of Kindness, and Red Ribbon Week. Below are four videos concerning bullying prevention.

1. What is bullying?

2. What to do if your child witnesses bullying

Ask for more details
Assure your child that the situation will be addressed
Follow up with school administration and/or school counselor

3. What to do If your child is being bullied

Believe them
Tell them you’ll make sure the situation is addressed
Follow up with school administration and/ or school counselor

4. What to do if your child bullies others

Listen with an open mind
Remember the behavior doesn’t define the child
Work with school administration on an action plan

Information and Resources for Families/Guardians

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How does a student see the counselor?

Student request
Teacher/Staff referral
Parent/Guardian referral
Counselor invitation

2. What happens when a student visits the school counselor?

School counselors are specially trained to help students deal with problems and reach their goals. Counselors meet with students one at a time or in small groups. Counselors and students draw, write, read, and play learning games as part of working out problems and developing coping skills. Classroom lessons are another way that counselors help students develop skills in problem-solving and working well with others.

Confidentiality

Information that students share in the context of counseling is confidential. However, there are limits to maintaining confidentiality as required by law and counseling ethics. These include:

If a student discusses plans to attempt suicide or harm another person.
Suspected abuse or neglect of a child under the age of 18 (or of a vulnerable adult).
When an appropriate court order is received.