Mrs. Katie McCain
School Counselor, M.Ed.
Welcome to Meridian Park's
Elementary Counseling website
Katie McCain, M.Ed
School Counselor
katie.mccain@shorelinschools.org
206-393-1785
Shoreline Elementary Counselor's Virtual Calming Page
Click "Family Resources" above for more resources and info.
What do school counselors do?
We as a team here at Meridian Park understand that every student is wonderfully unique and therefore requires a unique response to his/her needs. As the school counselor, I hope to get to know students holistically in order to know how to best support them. To this end, counselors provide an array of support services and guidance for students and their families. Frequently, counselors serve as a communication link for students, parents, teachers and administrators on a variety of issues, including, but not limited to:
Consult with individual students to support academic achievement and personal well-being
Work with administrators and classroom teachers to develop strategies for at-risk students
Talk with all students about the bullying/harassment policy as needed, and the importance of creating a safe and welcoming school climate
Provide an opportunity for students to talk through their concerns and help resolve issues with teachers, peers and family members
Support students and their families during times of crisis
Provide students and their families with school and community resource information and referrals
Develop support groups for students to share common issues
Teach personal, social and life planning skills to classroom groups
Additionally, the elementary school counselors in the district are also the Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) Leader. PBIS is designed to integrate preventative practices throughout the school. This part of the position meshes well with my role as a school counselor since my goal is to work with ALL students, and PBIS focuses on addressing the needs of ALL students. Students needs are addressed via 3 Tiers of support, and students needing Tier 2 and 3 support fall well under the supports a school counselor can provide. Our Tier 1 supports include school wide practices like: Cheetah Cheers, Character Traits, VIC lunches, and self-manager systems.
About Me
I completed my Masters in Education with a certificate in School Counseling at Seattle Pacific University in 2010. I have the pleasure to be filling the first school counseling role at Meridian Park, as this is a new position district wide in all elementary schools. I love working as a School Counselor, and I look forward to all of the wonderful experiences yet to come here at Meridian Park!
My passion for school counseling arose after working with various populations, including developmentally delayed adults, teens at a residential facility, and students at a behavioral school. All of these experiences made me realize that I wanted to be on the preventative side of working with kids. School counseling embodies prevention, and my passion for assisting students through all areas of their lives has proven to meet all of my expectations and desires.
During my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, gardening, reading, practicing sustainability, and completing projects on my house.