Counseling

Counselor's Corner

Guidance, Counseling, and Education services are provided by a mental health professional licensed for school counseling grades K-12. Students, parents, teachers, and staff may consult with the counselor on a confidential basis. If a student is not feeling happy or successful at school, the counselor may be of help.

Services Provided

• Consulting with community members
• Individual short term solution focused sessions with students
• Small group support
• Classroom guidance lessons

Discussion Topics

• Friendships & Relationships
• Family changes
• Grief issues
• Mediation
• Safety concerns (for yourself or others)

Attendance Facts

• Help Your Child Succeed in School: Build the Habit of Good Attendance Early

Did You Know?

• Students should miss no more than 9 days of school each year to stay on track to graduation.
• Absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with mistreatment or facing other serious problems.
• By 6th grade, absenteeism is a sign that a student may drop out of high school.
• By 9th grade, regular attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th-grade test scores.
• Students can be chronically absent even if they only miss a day or two every few weeks.
• Attendance is an important life skill that will help your child graduate from college and keep a job.

What You Can Do

• Make school attendance a priority.
• Talk about the importance of showing up to school every day.
• Help your child maintain daily routines, such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep.
• Try not to schedule dental and medical appointments during the school day.
• Don’t let your child stay home unless truly sick. Complaints of headaches or stomachaches may be signs of anxiety.
• Help your child stay engaged.
• Find out if your child feels engaged by his classes and feels safe from mistreatment. Make sure he/she is not missing class because of behavioral issues and school discipline policies. If any of these are problems, work with your school.
• Stay on top of academic progress and seek help from teachers or tutors if necessary. Make sure teachers know how to contact you.
• Stay on top of your child’s social contacts. Peer pressure can lead to skipping school, while students without many friends can feel isolated.
• Communicate with the school.
• Know the school’s attendance policy.
• Talk to teachers if you notice sudden changes in behavior. These could be tied to something going on at school.
• Check on your child's attendance to be sure absences are not piling up.
• Ask for help from school officials, afterschool programs, other parents or community agencies if you’re having trouble getting your child to school.

"How Are You Smart" : A Great Discussion to Have with Your Kids

Below is a video to introduce the idea of multiple intelligences. It is part of the advisory lessons taught by Ms. Wolne, and is applicable at any age.