Counseling Department
OUR MISSION... To provide a comprehensive, developmental program to all students. Through this program, students will acquire the skills, abilities, and attitude needed to achieve their career goals and success as responsible, respectful citizens and life-long learners.
Did you know we are School Counselors instead of Guidance Counselors?
What's the difference?
A Guidance Counselor is a term from the dark ages of school counseling. A Guidance Counselor is a person who had little training in the role of a counselor. Their job duties included "guiding" students in their college applications and high school course selection. A lot has changed in the field of counseling and the modern School Counselor has a Master's Degree specific to School Counseling.
School counselors must be able to handle a wide variety of counseling issues, from suicide and ideation, grief, LGBT, cutting, absenteeism, social skills, relational aggression, technology, academic, career, gifted, special education, group dynamics, and family relationships. School Counselors also develop a comprehensive school counseling program that focuses on 3 domains set forth by the American School Counselor Association.
Those domains include Academic Development, Career Development, and Social/Emotional Development. Professional School Counselors develop lesson plans and present on a wide range of topics. Issues regarding bullying, interpersonal skills, and academic success are the predominant areas of support, coupled with promoting a culture where all students are career and college ready.