Counseling

Classroom Guidance
Each of us conducts a variety of classroom guidance activities on a regular basis throughout the school year. Our lessons include such topics as stress, G.P.A. and high school credits, depression awareness and career exploration.

Small Group Counseling
Groups are formed throughout the year with identified students to address issues such as anger management, social skills and friendship, study tips and coping with loss or divorce. The students meet with their counselor once a week for 6-8 weeks either during lunch or homebase so academic time is not lost.

Individual Counseling
Individual Counseling will be provided to students with unique concerns that cannot be addressed in group or classroom guidance. These students are referred to individual counseling by teachers, principals, parents or they may request this service themselves.

School-Wide Programming
As school counselors we work to advocate for your student and support school-wide programming on various relevant topics to adolescents. Such programs include Career Day, Second Step (bullying prevention and intervention), OCIS (Ohio Career Information System) and PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports).

Confidentiality
The needs and concerns of students are kept confidential with your school counselor unless:

1. There is immediate harm or danger to the student or another person
2. The student chooses to share the information with others
3. Consulting with other mental health professionals to properly serve the students needs in which case the students name will be kept confidential
4. Subpoenaed by a court of law

As a parent, you may think, “Wow, career exploration in Middle School, really. Isn’t my child too young to be thinking of what they want to do after high school?” Well, we as middle school counselors are not trying to get your child to pick a career, our intention is to get them to think about and explore a future career. We do this for a number of reasons which include:

1. Making a connection between the importance of school and college/career readiness
2. Help them see they may need to make changes now to get what they want later
3. Learning that self-development is important to future careers
4. Help them realize that college is expensive and immersing themselves in the process of career exploration can help them save time and money later
5. Helping them realize that when they pick a career, they need to look at their unique skills, talents, abilities, values and interests.
6. Make a connection between education and career entry, advancement and income
7. Plan for high school course work