ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COUNSELORS
A school counselor is someone specially trained to help students at school and with their personal life.
Every school in the Diocese of St. Augustine has a school counselor. The particular schedule and number of days a counselor works will vary for each school. At San Jose Catholic, the counselor works on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
Each school has a different procedure to meet with the counselor.
At San Jose Catholic School, students can request to see the counselor by filling out a form located in their classroom. Parents can call, write or stop in to talk with the counselor.
A school counselor can assist in many ways. Based on the number of days a counselor is at a particular school, the following is a description of the type of services a school counselor may provide.
Individual Counseling
Requests to meet with the counselor can be initiated by a referral from the principal, teacher, parent or students themselves. Topics for individual counseling my include: feelings, decision making, academics, stress management, anger control, social skills, grief and loss, family concerns, issues with friends, etc. On-going counseling is not provided. When necessary, referrals to outside counseling will be suggested.
Classroom Guidance
The counselor may come into the classroom to discuss various things that are a concern to all students in a particular grade. Topics for classroom guidance may include: feelings, bullying, manners,
kindness, responsibility, study skills, safety, friendship, self-esteem, citizenship, etc.
Testing and Evaluation
The counselor may conduct educational assessments and evaluaions. Students may be referred for testing due to parent or teacher concerns about academic progress.
Consultation
The counslor may be used as a consultant for the principal, teachers, parents and /or students.
Small Group Counsling
The counselor may meet with groups of students who share similar goals. Small groups provide a safe place in which students can share their concerns and questions with other students who have similar issues.
Observations
A counselor may observe a student to watch work habits, attention span, social interacton or other behaviors that are affecting the student's social or classroom performance.