Counseling Programs

Classroom Guidance Lessons: Grades K-5 receive month guidance lessons to address the social/emotional learning needs of elementary students. Topics address issues such as building self-esteem and confident, problem-solving skills, friendship skills, conflict resolution, bullying prevention, college to career interests, character building skills, and safety.

Social Skills Groups: Small group counseling is offered each semester to assist students who may need additional support. Students may need help with managing their feelings and behavior, working through a change in their home situation, coping with a loss, or dealing with a specific academic issue. The groups meet during the school day (i.e. Lunch Bunch groups) for 30 minutes for 6 to 8 weeks. Parents/Guardians or Teachers may refer a student for a group. Parent permission is required for a child to participate in the ongoing groups. If you have any concerns about your child, feel free to call Ms. Schaack at (512) 424-8047.

Buddy Lunches: Sometimes a student may prefer to visit with the Counselor without peers, or with just one "buddy". This gives students a chance to focus on one or two specific goals and get feedback. A student may come to one or more buddy lunches throughout the school year. There is not a specific schedule and a permission form is not required since this is open to all students on an as needed basis. Parents, teachers, or students may request to schedule a "Buddy Lunch"

Individual Counseling: Some students may be served best in an individual counseling setting. This is usually short term and focused on a specific issue. For students in need of more in-depth counseling, the Counselor can offer a list of community resources.

Responsive Services: The Counselor may be called by a parent, teacher, student, or administrator to address an immediate concern for a student. The Counselor may suggest strategies to the student that can be used right away to resolve the situation, or recommend other interventions that may be useful. In most cases, the issue can be resolved quickly and the student can carry on with their day. If the issue is serious in nature or needs follow up at home, the parent/guardian will be contacted.

Individual Planning: The Counselor is part of the student support team which meets regularly to assist with academic and social/emotional needs of students.

Parent Education: Parents are encouraged to contact the Counselor to get tips and resources on positive ways to support their child. We all can use a few more tools in our tool bag to effectively work with the challenges and joys of raising successful kids. Educational parent workshops will be offered to parents throughout the year, and community resources will be posted on the Parent Page.