School counselors may seem like therapists, but they are two totally different jobs. School counselors helps students with many different things. The main goals of a school counselor are to help your student by collaborating, advocating, connecting, communicating, and coaching. 

Here are a few examples:  

• If a student is going through a tough time, school counselors are a short term (4-6 week) resource to help students learn coping skills

• They help families/students with resources; school supplies, The Backpack Program, winter gear, lists of therapists/outside resources etc 

• They develop and teach social emotional curriculum to classes 

• They help students create goals and think about their futures

• They help with student crisis 

• They help small groups of students learn new skills

• They evaluate data

• They help teachers with student concerns 

• They collaborate with parents and other steakholders to ensure students feel safe, loved, and successful at school 

• Chronically absent = missing 2 or more days each month totaling 18 days or 10% of the school year

• Student attendance impacts their learning:

  • Kindergarten and first grade students who are chronically absent have an 81% chance of reading below grade level in third grade