Counselor's Corner     

What is a School Counselor?  

A school counselor is another trusted adult at school that your child can see for social and emotional support.  A school counselor's role involves supporting students in academic planning, social-emotional development, and career exploration through classroom lessons, individual and group counseling, workshops, and collaboration with teachers and parents. School Counselors help with issues like goal setting, decision-making, coping skills, and navigating school transitions, providing resources and support to both students and their families. If your child is having an issue in the classroom 

At PUSD the elementary school counselors have developed a Counseling Master Plan to ensure that all students across the district in the elementary setting receive the same lessons.  Each classroom receives a minimum of 4 lessons a year on various topics aligned with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA).  Some of the topics presented are; growth mindset, perseverance, flexible thinking, conflict resolution, self-control, friendship skills, teamwork, executive functioning skills, and academic success skills, to name just a few.  Each lesson has a parent communication piece with next-steps-at-home ideas supporting the lesson taught.  This information is sent out via ParentSquare. If you have any questions or have not been receiving these updates, please do not hesitate to reach out.  

In addition to the Counseling Master Plan lessons, school counselors run groups.  Groups are another way for kids to get extra support or an opportunity to learn about a new skill that may help them be more successful.  Groups rotate students and topics throughout the year. Topics are based on grade level needs and usually involve 3-4 students working on the same issue.  Groups are done during grade level Go-Time so students do not miss any instruction time.  School counselors may also meet with some students one-on-one for a short time regarding a specific presenting issue such as grief, changes in the family, anxiety, or any issue that is directly interfering or impacting a students' learning. School counseling is not therapy.  We are solution focused so if your child, for example has anxiety, we look for ways for them feel more comfortable at school and/or in their classroom, we work on coping skills and strategies to feel more calm or in control, and we offer a place for students to come when they are feeling out of sorts during the day. If you feel your child would benefit from some extra counseling support, please reach out to your child's classroom teacher or email me directly at ldoherty@pleasantonusd.net