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Meet Your School Counselor
Meet Your School Counselor
Hello JGS Owls! My name is Katie Medlock, and I am very excited to be your school counselor for a sixth year!
I have been interested in being an elementary school counselor since I was in high school, and I have always loved supporting others. I attended the University of New Hampshire for both my undergraduate and graduate studies, receiving my BA in Psychology in 2018 and my Masters in Social Work (MSW) in 2020.
I genuinely enjoy getting to know children and working with them. I feel incredibly grateful to have a career that I love and feel passionate about.
When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my husband and daughter named Violet, other family, friends, and my rabbit named Ebony. I also love theater, singing, music, playing games, collecting, and enjoying the outdoors.
Interventions and Support Provided
Interventions and Support Provided
Classroom Lessons
Classroom Lessons
SEL lessons are provided to each PK-5 classroom at JGS. These lessons consist of a variety of social, emotional, and learning (SEL) topics.
Topics include but are not limited to:
Self-Management
Social Awareness
Self-Awareness
Relationship Skills
Responsible Decision-Making
Resilience
Self-Esteem
Listening
Problem-Solving
Individual Counseling
Individual Counseling
Individual counseling services are provided to select learners whose school-based needs have not been found to be adequately met through classroom lessons or a small group.
Aside from the fact that they surround supporting learners with school-related concerns, school counseling services are different from therapy, in that they are short-term and solution-focused. If a child is found by the school counselor to require services more in-depth than ones that can be provided in school, parents/caregivers will be referred to outside mental health service providers.
If you feel your child could benefit from individualized school counseling services, please feel free to reach out to me. The best way to get in touch with me is by email - k.medlock@sau47.org, but I can also be reached by phone. If you call me and do not receive a call back in 24 hours, please send me an email.
A list of local mental health professionals working with children can be found here:
Small Group Counseling
Small Group Counseling
Small group counseling is provided to select learners who are found to require further supports than what can be offered through classroom SEL lessons.
Groups are typically made up of 3-5 students and consist of topics such as:
New Student Support
Self-Management
Perseverance
Changing Families (divorce, move, family addition, etc.)
Grief
Social Skills/Friendship
Self-Esteem
If you feel that your child could benefit from small-group counseling, please feel free to reach out to me by email at k.medlock@sau47.org or give me a call.
Information & Referral
Information & Referral
Food, housing, energy, mental health services, transportation, and information about economic supports/benefits are a few of the many needs of families.
For immediate help, call 211 or go to 211.org. I am also available to help you navigate services or research resources. Feel free to email me.
A list of local mental health professionals working with children and families can be found here:
504 Plans
504 Plans
Part of my role as school counselor is to also serve as the school's 504 plan coordinator.
You are most likely thinking: "What is a 504 plan?" A 504 plan is essentially a legal document that provides a learner with a diagnosed disability (physical or mental) with accommodations for learning.
For example, many learners diagnosed with ADHD have 504 plans. Their plans would list accommodations that their teachers are required to provide them, to help them successfully access the school curriculum. Possible accommodations include: allowing a learner to use a fidget, providing a learner with flexible seating options, or allowing a learner to complete assessments in a small-group setting/quiet space.
If your child has a diagnosed metal or physical disability, and you feel that they could benefit from a 504 plan, please reach out to me.
Email: k.medlock@sau47.org
* I am also available during the school day to support learners on an as-needed basis. Some examples of scenarios in which I might support a learner at school include: something stressful happened at home that a learner needs to talk to someone about, a group of learners experienced a conflict at recess that they need help resolving, a learner is feeling dysregulated in class and needs a space to calm down.
* I am also available during the school day to support learners on an as-needed basis. Some examples of scenarios in which I might support a learner at school include: something stressful happened at home that a learner needs to talk to someone about, a group of learners experienced a conflict at recess that they need help resolving, a learner is feeling dysregulated in class and needs a space to calm down.
I always welcome updates and questions from parents/guardians. Communication is key, and it helps to ensure that we are on the same page and that your learner is receiving the best support possible. We are on the same team. 😄
I always welcome updates and questions from parents/guardians. Communication is key, and it helps to ensure that we are on the same page and that your learner is receiving the best support possible. We are on the same team. 😄
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