One hundred years from now it will not matter how much money you made what kind of car you drove what sort of house you lived in, but one hundred years from now the world will be a better place because you made a difference in the life of A Child.     ~Author Unknown  

Purpose of School Counseling for Students:

• Help you by listening to your problems and concerns

• Explore your feelings and how you had a good or awful day

• Provide a safe place to talk about anything

• Provide trusting relationships

• Develop academic, social, and friendship skills

• Explore what you think and feel about yourself (self-esteem)

• Help you be a success at school

What The School Counselor Can Offer:

Special Activities:

The School Counselor will sponsor and assist with a number of special activities, which promote positive mental health. Some activities and programs include: School-Wide Positive Behavior Support Program, The Great Kindness Challenge, Character Education Program, National School Counseling Week, Career Awareness Program, Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Presentation, Olweus Bullying Awareness and Prevention, Chapter 339 School Counseling Plan Committee, Parent Meet and Greet Night, etc.

Individual Counseling:

Need an ear or someone to bounce an idea off of? Having trouble with a friend, teacher, or family member? One-on-one counseling is offered to all students during school hours. Sessions are kept confidential (private) and do require parent permission. 

Three Ways Students Can Meet With The School Counselor:

Fill out a note from a basket outside the School Counselor's door and place the note back in the basket.

Talk to a teacher for a referral to talk with the School Counselor.

Talk with a guardian/parent for a referral to talk with the School Counselor.  Your School Counselor is here to help you!  Stop by and chat.  Together we will help make your school fun, safe, and a great place to be. 

Confidentiality Means: whatever you talk about with the School Counselor stays private and is never said to anyone else with 3 limits:

1)       Harm Self or Others: if you plan to hurt yourself or someone else

2)       Child Abuse:  if someone is hurting you or someone you know

3)       Court: if a judge subpoenas the Counselor to talk about our counseling sessions together

If any of these 3 things happen, the School Counselor will have to break confidentiality and tell someone who can help you right away!  So, you can be SAFE.

Small Group Counseling:

The George G. Blaisdell's Elementary Counseling Program is designed to enhance academic, personal, social, and career awareness of all students. The program is based on the developmental stages of PreK-2nd with a primary focus directed towards education and prevention. A variety of small group sessions will be offered throughout the year to possibly include:

 

Cool Heads (Anger Management)

Mindfulness & Relaxation (Anxiety Reduction)

Family Changes (Kids with Divorced Parents)

Saying Goodbye (Grief and Loss)

Confident Kids (Self-esteem / Self-concept)

Friendship Circle (Friendship Skills, Making and Keeping Friends)

Deployment (Loved One Deployed in the Military)

Child with a Loved One Incarcerated (In Jail)

Social Buddies (Social Skills, Manners)

Smart Thinkers (Academic Development, Listening Skills, Paying Attention Skills)

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* Please note that not all groups are offered at one time. Please contact your School Counselor directly to inquire about a special small group that you feel would be beneficial to your son or daughter.

Classroom Counseling Lessons:

Counseling Lessons consist of a variety of lessons, activities, and themes presented to your child on a rotational schedule. Lessons are planned to appropriately address the developmental levels of students.  Please talk with your child about what he or she is learning in Counseling Lessons.  Topics for lessons include:

• Anger Management Skills

• Mindfulness & Anxiety Reduction

• Safety Awareness (Stranger Safety Skills) 

• Trusting Adults

• Friendship Skills

• Social Skills / Manners

• Bullying and Cyber-bullying Awareness  

• Self-Esteem

• Problem-Solving Skills (Nine Kelso the Frog Choices/Chart, Tattling versus Reporting Problems) 

• Big versus Small Problems

• Career and Skills Awareness 

• Character Education (Auto-B-Good Program, Popcorn Park) 

• Safe and Unsafe Touches (Grades K-2nd) 

• Illegal Drug and Medicine Awareness (Grades 1st-2nd)

Examples of School Counseling Techniques:    

• Silence {Planned Pause, Time to Reflect}

• Closed-Ended Questions                                                                            

• Probe {"Tell me more about "X."} 

• Open-Ended Questions                                                                              

• Summarization of Feelings                                                                        

• Accent                                                                                                      

• Reflection of Feelings                                                                               

• Minimal Verbal Activity                                                                             

• Restatement                                                                                            

• Request for Clarification  {"Can you tell me more about "X?"}

• Acknowledgement of Non-Verbal Behavior

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