Programs and Services 

What Counselors Do at HMS

 Our counseling program at Hart Middle School offers a wide variety of services for your child. Please contact the Counseling Office at 925.426.3208 for general questions. Contact your child's counselor for specific questions or concerns. 

  SCHEDULING

We help create student schedules and adjust them if there are any recommended changes or errors; you can email us for questions regarding class scheduling.

  INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING

We are available to talk with students one-on-one about anything! Everything is confidential unless you share that someone is hurting you, someone is hurting someone else, you are hurting someone, or someone’s safety is at risk. We consider ourselves to be "Problem Solvers" and will work with students to help solve any problem under the sun. Topics can include all of the following and more:

• Academic help, planning, and check-ins

• Mental health and wellness strategies

• Helping you securing basic necessities and resources for your family

• Healthy living choices

• Enrichment activities and ideas

• Online safety, digital citizenship, and anti-bullying concerns

  GROUP COUNSELING

Through our FLEX sessions, we have the opportunity to meet with several students to address a specific topic. Generally, our group sessions are based on need and themes we hear our students may be struggling with or might need a little help with. Topics can include all of the following and more:

• Study skills & strategies

• Coping strategies & wellness

• Navigating family changes

• Self-advocacy

• Coping with grief & loss

• Conflict mediation

• Social skills & making friends

  COLLABORATORS

We know that a child is most successful when we work together with families to address challenges. We coordinate and facilitate meetings with parents/guardians and teachers to address academic, emotional, and social concerns of our students. We collaborate in the following ways:

• Individual parent/guardian meetings to discuss any concerns or challenges

• Individual meetings with teachers to discuss any concerns or challenges

• Facilitate SST (Student Success Team) meetings to discuss academics challenges with teachers & parents/guardians together

• We help facilitate 504 meetings and monitor our students with 504 plans

• We can provide outside resources to support students and family needs

  5TH GRADE SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS

Counselors visit the elementary schools to introduce Hart Middle School to the 5th grade students! The goal is to welcome the 5th graders to Hart, give a general idea of what to expect in middle school, and answer any questions about the transition. Counselors are accompanied by Leadership students who share stories of what it's like to be a student at Hart and also answer questions.This is a big highlight for the 5th grade students!

   6TH GRADE & NEW STUDENT ORIENTATIONS

Trained 8th-grade student leaders facilitate 6th-grade and new student orientation via a series of small group activities and a campus tour. Counselors look forward to meeting new students at the orientation. It occurs during the summer prior to the new school year. More information to come.   

  STUDENT STUDY TEAM (SST) MEETINGS

SST meetings are designed to assist struggling students with strategies that may help improve academic performance. Teachers, admin, parents, and counselors provide input on student progress and suggest ways for students to be successful. 

  CLASSROOM PRESENTATIONS

Counselors visit 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade classrooms year-round to present information on college and career readiness, age appropriate social and emotional topics, as well as scheduling procedures and class selection for the following year.