What Do School Counselors Do?

What Do Counselors Do?

Our responsibility is to advocate for students and make sure we are doing what is best for them.  We constantly meet with students, parents, teachers and administration to collaborate and help students be successful. We do this in a variety of ways:

1.      Every Student

Programs in place for student success include: Study Skills classes, Math Lab classes, Academic Coaching, Math Tutoring, Homework Lab, Read 180 and English Development classes.

2.      Data

a.      We use data to drive programs and measure program effectiveness.

b.     We meet with teachers and administration to address concerns and find the best possible solutions for students.

3.      Plan for Career and College Readiness

a.      We meet with each student in the 7th and 9th grades for a 30 minute individualized meeting and set academic and personal goals. We also provide a group CCR experience for all 8th grade students.

b.     We do career assessments to determine classes that would be a good fit for each student and help find career options.

c.      We create four-year plans with our 8th and 9th grade students.

d.     Discuss college and post-high school education opportunities.

4.      Guidance Curriculum

a.      Career Exploration (CTE Intro lessons in 7th grade, College and Career Preparation lessons in 8th and 9th grade).

b.     Suicide prevention, Anti-bullying, resilience, self-esteem, study skills and goal setting lessons in all grades.

5.      Responsive Services

a.      We meet with students, parents, teachers and the administration to ensure the safety and well-being of all students. We are available to address concerns each day in a timely manner.

b.     Some concerns include: personal issues, friends, suicidal thoughts, bullying, family crisis, grief and loss, transition and concerns with classes or teachers.

c.      We run small groups that include, but are not limited to the following: Anxiety Management/Resiliency, Building Positive Relationships, 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, and Divorce/Loss.

We believe all students have the opportunity to learn and be successful in the school setting.  At CJH, we have a Pyramid of Intervention that is used school wide to ensure the success of every student.