School Counseling Program

Athens Middle School Counseling Program

Mission Statement

The Athens Middle School counseling program provides every student with the individualized support and guidance they require to meet their full potential and to become productive, successful citizens through a focus on values, integrity, social skills, empowerment, resilience and academic achievement. The counselors at Athens Middle School strive to be responsive to campus and community needs and to foster an environment of equity, access and success for every student.

• Classroom lessons are designed to teach and reinforce social and emotional skills. Each month a classroom lesson will be presented based on our monthly focus. During the lesson, students may hear a story, play a game, or participate in other activities that reinforce the skill. Some examples of skills that may be taught during classroom lessons include goal setting, self-motivation, identifying emotions, perspective taking, empathy, respect for others and solving problems.
• Some children may participate in small-group counseling. Groups will meet weekly or bi-weekly for 30 minutes for up to eight weeks. Topics for each group will be chosen based on data from the needs assessment as well as observable trends on campus.
• Students are also able to visit the counselor individually. Students can request an appointment at any time. Parents and staff members can also refer a child for individual or group counseling. If students will be seeing the counselor on a regularly scheduled basis, they must have a signed permission slip. We do not provide therapy at school, but we can provide you with information about community resources.