The goal of the school counselor is to help support the development of students in “Mind, Body, and Spirit.” This counseling aims at providing supportive care for our students who are experiencing difficulties in their lives that affect their ability to be successful in school. The school counselor provides this care in a number of ways.
The school counselor teaches bi-weekly lessons to grades K 5. Grades 6-8 are taught in a graded class format entitled Values/Virtues Education. You can find an outline of this curriculum on the school website.
The school counselor can organize and implement small group lessons with groups of similar-aged students who are experiencing the same problem (i.e. divorce, self- esteem, emotional control, etc). These lessons are usually taught on a weekly basis for a short amount of time (i.e. one month for a total of four lessons). Parent permission is required before students participate.
Students are encouraged to come see the school counselor when they are experiencing problems inside OR outside of the classroom. Students can also be referred by teachers or parents with concerns. All conversations are confidential unless the student is being hurt, hurting someone else, or wants to hurt themselves. The school counselor is a mandated reporter, meaning he/she is required to report any suspected instances of abuse or neglect. Conversations can also be shared if students give permission for the counselor to do so. Please note that this counseling does not intend to provide ongoing and/or in-depth counseling.