Counseling Program

A Comprehensive Guidance Program consists of four major areas:

• Classroom Guidance Lessons help students understand themselves and others. Through classroom guidance, school counselors help students develop peer relationships, practice appropriate social skills and develop good decision making skills and study habits.

Classroom guidance lessons are targeted to meet the needs of the junior high campus.  Topics may include friendship, bullying, respect, etc.   Lessons may be designed by the counselor and delivered by classroom teachers or by Mrs. McVan or Mrs. Presley.

• Individual Student Planning helps students set goals, establish academic and career plans, understand their own strengths and weaknesses and prepare for transitions.

Individual student planning is done in a more general sense and is normally addressed in small group or individual settings. This includes exposure to a variety of career options and assistance in class selection.

• Responsive Services assist students with particular needs, such as adjusting to a new school or coping with grief following a crisis or a loss. Responsive services are provided through individual and small group counseling.

Nurture groups will offer extra support for students with a variety of needs. Individual counselor visits are also encouraged to help students focus on solutions for issues that arise.

• System Support allows counselors to assist in the referral process of students to appropriate support programs and services, both within the school setting and to outside agencies.

Sometimes situations arise that exceed a school counselor's expertise. School counselors are not therapists and are not ethically allowed to offer therapeutic services. In these cases, your school counselor has the resources to assist in finding the support services that are needed.