Welcome back to the 2011-2012 School Year!
We hope that everyone had a fun and relaxing summer! We would like to welcome back our students and give an especially warm welcome to our incoming kindergarten students. As school counselors, we try to make ourselves visible and available for all of our students. We are here to answer questions and provide help for our students’ academic, personal/social, and career goal needs. Students may talk to us any time, but need to seek permission from the adult in charge first. A student may also be referred for help by their teacher or by parents. If you have any concerns please feel free to contact us and we will gladly help in any way we can.
*A special note to parents of incoming Kindergarten students. We will be available during Kindergarten Open House on August 11th. You may contact us during the school year by phone or email.
Again welcome back to all students, and remember your future success starts with the decisions you make today!
Please read below to learn more about how the school counseling position supports you and your children throughout the school year!
Resources
The counseling office is a resource for you and your children. We have many books and articles of interest on a variety of topics including test anxiety, bullying, social relationship, parent/child relationships, discussing family and life changes with your children, and many others. Additionally, we have many counseling and tutoring resources to support you and your family throughout the school year.
Developmental Guidance
All Kindergarten through 4th grade students will receive a classroom guidance lesson each month with topics that may include bullying, peer relations, goal setting, communication skills, anger/stress management, and empathy among many other discussions.
Small Group Counseling
Some students will have an opportunity to sign up to participate in a 6 session weekly group on various topics. Small group counseling is one of the best ways to support students with "everyday" stressors, as it is one of the most efficacious social/emotional interventions school counselors can provide students. Within sessions, students find comfort in shared experiences, a supportive and trusting environment, and a new found set of skills to help support them in and outside of the classroom environment.
These opportunities are great ways for all children to feel supported, safe, and confident in the school environment. If you are interested in a particular group for your child(ren), please do not hesitate to contact us. *** Please note that parent/guardian permission is required for children to participate in these small groups.
Short-term Individual Counseling- Kindergarten-4th grade
The school counseling profession encourages prevention and early intervention. If you or your children have concerns that are impacting their success in the classroom, please do not hesitate to contact us. Because our role is to support the entire student population, we work individually with students on an as-needed basis for short-term school-centered counseling. As mentioned above, we have many resources to offer should you be interested in pursuing counselors/therapists outside of the school.
As you can see, school counseling offers many different interventions tailored directly to the needs of you and your children. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any comments, suggestions, and/or questions throughout the year.
We look forward to another great year!
Vicki Russell Bill Bush
479-696-3397
479-696-3415