WHAT DOES A SCHOOL COUNSELOR DO?
As the sole School Counselor of Howard B. Stroud Elementary, I work collaboratively with ALL students, parents, teachers, administrators, and local community agencies to help students with their academic and social success. I provide school-wide and classroom lessons throughout the year, as well as individual and group counseling with the permission of the student's parent/guardian. These lessons are age-appropriate and aligned with ASCA (American School Counselor Association) national standards . I am here to provide mental health and social-emotional learning interventions to make school easier for students and be someone they can go to to help navigate through life's challenges.
FAQs:
Will my child be teased for having to go meet with the School Counselor?
No, your child will not be teased for going to meet with the school counselor. Children enjoy having 1-on-1 time or small group time with the school counselor; therefore, a "stigma" is not attached to this meeting time. Because children may see the school counselor for a variety of reasons (lunch bunch, forms or personal items needed, etc.), the child's peers may not be aware that the child is going specifically to get help with a problem or a situation.
2. How can I be involved in the counseling process with my child?
Being supportive of your child is a very important part of the counseling sessions’ progress. Meeting to discuss the various strategies that could benefit the child’s overall progress is an important part of making sure that the appropriate strategies are in place and in practice, as well as knowing if additional resources will be needed to be put into place.
3. What are some of the reasons that I may want to contact the school counselor?
When your child is having academic, behavioral or social/emotional challenges,
When sudden changes in your child’s life begin to interfere with his or her behavior and/or academic performance,
When you want to arrange a meeting to discuss concerns that you or your child may have,
When you want to discuss your child’s progress,
When you want information about community resources or other additional support for your child or your family.