Academic achievement is influenced by a variety of factors including social/emotional wellness, prior experiences with the education system, organization skills, and perceived school support. Your school counselors are here to help uncover what roadblocks each student is facing in order to make an individualized plan of action for success. Plans of action may include helping students choose classes, teaching organizational skills and time management, and providing targeted interventions such as study groups. Support may be provided either through classroom lessons, small groups, or through one-on-one targeted sessions. The skills and interventions provided depend upon the individual needs of the student and is based upon their plans for the future and their current level of academic achievement. Your counseling team is here to help every student succeed, please reach out to your child's counselor to learn more about supporting students academically!
School counselors operate under a multitiered system of support with the end goal of promoting positive behavior and reducing challenging behaviors. What that actually means in the school system is that behavior skills are taught in three ways.
The first is a schoolwide approach, which uses classroom lessons and schoolwide campaigns to teach interpersonal skills that support district missions. Examples include classroom lessons covering conflict resolution and schoolwide anti-bullying campaigns.
The second way that behavior skills are taught is through small groups and individual sessions which are more intensive than classroom lessons and target a specific area such as anger management.
The third intervention utilizes one-on-one sessions with students to discover and work through the behavior challenges they are struggling with. Students will work closely with the school counselor to develop skills that will help them avoid further behavior referrals and manage emotions more effectively. If students need more support than the school setting allows, there are options to refer to community partner resources such as long-term counseling and in home parent training.
School counselors also provide staff training, parent information, and model appropriate behavior for all in the building. If you are concerned about student behavior please reach out to your school counselor, we are here to help all students learn the skills they need to succeed in todays world!
Counseling for college and careers is multifaceted and one of the most fun parts of being a school counselor! Counselors help students:
Choose classes that support their future goals
Find scholarships and colleges
Find internships and job shadow opportunities
Advise students of all options available after high school
Introduce students to career and college options during elementary years
Facilitate assessments to help middle school students pick future goals based upon what they are interested in and their natural skill set
Provide financial aid and college/career readiness workshops for parents and students
If you, or your student, have questions about the future please reach out to your school counselor and set up a time to discuss future goals and how to reach them!