STS School Counselor

A little bit about me...

School Counseling Services:

Mission statement:

The mission of the St. Therese School Counseling program is to provide resources, personal/social competencies as well as interventions and strategies for each student. Students are provided support to achieve their highest potential through academic success, social, emotional and spiritual growth.

Vision:

The St. Therese School Counseling program uses research-based curricula that include a guidance curriculum, individual planning and responsive services to promote student success in a faith-based setting.

Services Provided:

As the Counselor, I have the privilege to work with every single student in the school. I work with students at the classroom level through my guidance curriculum as well as an elective course for upper middle school.  I support students on a small group level through group counseling services as well as restorative circles.  I meet with some students as well for individual counseling services. I also meet with parents, collaborate with teachers and staff, and consult with community resources to benefit and meet the needs of all St. Therese students.

Guidance Curriculum

The guidance curriculum is delivered through either classroom activities and/or group activities.  Topics include, but are not limited to: social and emotional learning, identifying feelings, understanding virtues, friendship skills, bullying, social justice, leadership, and conflict resolution. The School Counselor’s role includes consultation, program implementation and facilitation. 

Kelso’s Choices:

Within the guidance curriculum, students in grades Kindergarten through 4th are taught using a program called Kelso’s Choice.  Kelso’s Choice effectively teaches young children peace-making skills. It is a proven resource to increase confidence, reduce tattling and is a preliminary tool to prevent bullying. The program is a powerful and timely tool to build a vital life skill for the young people in today’s world. The program philosophy is simple: each child is smart enough and strong enough to resolve conflict.  Kelso’s Choice assumes that all young people are capable of becoming peacemakers. Kelso’s Choice empowers children to solve problems on their own with the guidance and support of trusted adults. Using an interactive ‘choice wheel’, this conflict resolution curriculum teaches children the difference between big problems and little problems. Kelso the frog is a fun and engaging way for children to learn conflict management.  For more information on Kelso’s Choices and how it is used in your student's classroom, please visit: https://kelsoschoice.com/.

Friendzy

Starting the 2024-25 school year, St. Therese school will implement the Friendzy curriculum for Kindergarten through 8th grade.  This social-emotional learning curriculum will weave pro-social character traits into the fabric of learning.  Students will learn how the values we are taught can be experienced in everyday life through an empathetic lens.  Students will participate in activities to explore character traits and the virtue of the month to understand how to live life like Christ and treat others with Kindness, Courage, and Gratitude.  

Friendzy Curriculum Coordinator and Supervisor

 Supervise and support teachers utilizing the Friendzy curriculum with resources and tools.  

Middle School Curriculum:

I present to the middle school classes at St. Therese approximately 1-2 times per month.  For our middle school curriculum, students are taught habits and skills to help them be successful at school and develop skills for high school and beyond.  Students learn concepts of self-esteem, empathy, assertiveness, values, bullying, problem-solving, communication skills, and understanding healthy coping skills.  

Chair of the Student Leadership Program:

The Student Leadership Program (previously the student council) serves as an opportunity for our lower and upper middle school students to participate in leadership and service throughout our school.  Students must apply to be part of the program and are chosen based on leadership qualities and skills as well as teacher recommendations.  Students who are part of this program will have an opportunity to help with positive initiatives in the school and volunteer during special events and school assemblies.

Diocesan Suicide Prevention Coordinator/ Diocesan Crisis Team Coordinator

As part of the diocesan response to the mental health crisis impacting our youth, a crisis team consisting of counselors and social workers who work within our diocesan schools meets monthly to discuss current concerns that impact our students.  This team's focus is to promote and educate on best practices for mental health and wellness in our diocesan schools - including suicide prevention training as well as trauma-informed practices.  This team is in place to support schools that have been impacted by a crisis, providing crisis counseling services to teachers and students.  I presently serve as the diocesan crisis team coordinator and suicide prevention coordinator.  

Counseling Services:

Consultations: I am available to have meetings with teachers, administrators, and/or parents to discuss the needs of individual students. I am here for all students and want to ensure that your child has a productive and positive school year. If I can support your child in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Individual Counseling: Short-term one-on-one counseling support is available to all students in grades K to 8. Students may self-refer or be referred to the counselors by teachers/staff and/or parents. Confidentiality is respected.

Any student can request to meet with me or they can be referred by a teacher, administrator, or parent.  I encourage you to reach out if you have concerns regarding your child.

**Confidentiality**

Please note that all information discussed is confidential between me and your child unless they are planning on hurting themselves, hurting someone else or someone is hurting them.  Students can also request the information shared in individual sessions be shared with parents.  This collaboration is always encouraged. 

Group Counseling:  Group counseling is provided for small groups of students experiencing similar concerns. These may include making and keeping friends, anger management, coping with separation/divorce and or loss, getting organized/study skills and/or improving self-esteem. The groups generally range from 4 to 6 students and last for 6 to 8 sessions. The students for these groups can be recommended by parents/guardians or by staff members.  Parents will be contacted prior to student participation in any counseling group.  

The individual planning component of the school counseling program includes counseling activities to assist all students in planning, monitoring, and managing their own academic achievement, as well as their personal and social development. Individual planning emphasizes educational counseling including academic concerns, social interactions, and study skills. The school counselor’s role includes guidance and consultation.  

Responsive services address the immediate concerns of students and families that interfere with daily functioning in the classroom and social settings. Prevention and intervention are the tools used to respond to emergency situations and ensure that regular functioning resumes as soon as possible.  Students who may need responsive services during the school day, for concerns such as anxiety, de-escalation, or coping skills will receive guidance and consultation from the school counselor as is possible.  Parents collaboration and involvement to help support the needs of students is critical to student success.