Summary of School Counseling Program Services
Our school counselor is a systemic change agent by providing effective leadership, advocacy, consultation, and collaboration with students, legal guardians, school staff, administration, and the community. She provides students assistance through crisis, individual, and small group counseling when they are experiencing personal and/or social struggles that interfere with their learning environment. The school counselor develops and facilitates a guidance curriculum that follows ASCA (American School Counselor Association) indicators and standards and meets the needs of ALL students. Guidance lessons take place monthly on different social and academic skill topics in your child's classroom. The school counselor is the director of the Redesigning School Counseling process, RSC advisory council, RSC steering team, member of the continuous school improvement team, director of the RTI(Response to Instruction) team, member of the crisis management team, and Sunshine Squad Leader/Director.
Classroom Guidance Lessons- Monthly classroom guidance lessons help students understand and deal with normal developmental tasks and issues. along with other important areas they need to be knowledgeable in. Examples of guidance lesson topics include character education, peer relationships, social skills, conflict resolution, bullying prevention skills/lessons, personal safety, etc... These lessons are provided for all students through a collaborative effort by the teachers and counselor.
School-Wide Character Education Program – The Counselor coordinates school-wide positive behavior character education initiatives through Cumberland Elementary School's "Caught Being Good" coin program, monthly guidance lessons in every classroom, counseling small groups quarterly on several different topics, individual counseling, and several other activities listed below. For the "Caught Being Good" Positive Behavioral Coin school-wide program, students earn a coin when they are caught making responsible choices and/or helping others. Students are reminded on a regular basis the importance of working of the main concepts from guidance lessons and Mrs. Bowers monthly "Animal of Wisdom) character building lessons.
Small Group Counseling- Every quarter, the school counselor facilitates approximately 5-10 counseling small groups that range in topics based on student need. Each group consists of approximately 4-8 students who have been referred for a similar issue. Some common types of counseling groups deal with friendship, divorce, anger management, self-esteem, focusing/attention skill building, etc...
Social Groups- The counselor, other teachers, and parents host various groups such as “Lunch Bunch” and “Sunshine Squad." "Lunch Bunch" occurs at the beginning of each semester for new students to Cumberland. The "Sunshine Squad" hosts "lunch bunch" which helps new students become acquainted with several students in their grade level. The "Sunshine Squad" is a group of 2nd and 3rd graders that are chosen for the entire school year by their teachers. Students in "Sunshine Squad" do different school service and community projects that help others throughout the school year.
Individual Counseling- The counselor works one-on-one with students to help them work through social/emotional and/or academic struggles. Please visit the counseling referral section of the website or contact the school counselor if you are wondering if your child could benefit from individual counseling services. This is a confidential relationship and is a short-term limited intervention (not intensive therapy).
RTI(Response to Instruction) team director- The school counselor organizes and facilitates core team meetings and parent meetings to help develop action plans for students struggling academically and/or socially/emotionally/behaviorally. The goal of the RTI team is to set up goals and interventions for students to help them improve in the main areas they are struggling.
School-Based Consultation with parents, teachers, and specialists
Classroom Observations
Coordination of Services- The Counselor is the director of the RTI(Response to Instruction) team and leads the RTI core team meetings and RTI parent student need meetings along with 504 meetings throughout the school year.
Classroom Guidance Lessons- Monthly classroom guidance lessons help students understand and deal with normal developmental tasks and issues. along with other important areas they need to be knowledgeable in. Examples of guidance lesson topics include character education, peer relationships, social skills, conflict resolution, bullying prevention skills/lessons, personal safety, etc... These lessons are provided for all students through a collaborative effort by the teachers and counselor.
School-Wide Character Education Program – The Counselor coordinates school-wide positive behavior character education initiatives through Cumberland Elementary School's "Caught Being Good" coin program, monthly guidance lessons in every classroom, counseling small groups quarterly on several different topics, individual counseling, and several other activities listed below. For the "Caught Being Good" Positive Behavioral Coin school-wide program, students earn a coin when they are caught making responsible choices and/or helping others. Students are reminded on a regular basis the importance of working of the main concepts from guidance lessons and Mrs. Bowers monthly "Animal of Wisdom) character building lessons.
Small Group Counseling- Every quarter, the school counselor facilitates approximately 5-10 counseling small groups that range in topics based on student need. Each group consists of approximately 4-8 students who have been referred for a similar issue. Some common types of counseling groups deal with friendship, divorce, anger management, self-esteem, focusing/attention skill building, etc...
Social Groups- The counselor, other teachers, and parents host various groups such as “Lunch Bunch” and “Sunshine Squad." "Lunch Bunch" occurs at the beginning of each semester for new students to Cumberland. The "Sunshine Squad" hosts "lunch bunch" which helps new students become acquainted with several students in their grade level. The "Sunshine Squad" is a group of 2nd and 3rd graders that are chosen for the entire school year by their teachers. Students in "Sunshine Squad" do different school service and community projects that help others throughout the school year.
Individual Counseling- The counselor works one-on-one with students to help them work through social/emotional and/or academic struggles. Please visit the counseling referral section of the website or contact the school counselor if you are wondering if your child could benefit from individual counseling services. This is a confidential relationship and is a short-term limited intervention (not intensive therapy).
RTI(Response to Instruction) team director- The school counselor organizes and facilitates core team meetings and parent meetings to help develop action plans for students struggling academically and/or socially/emotionally/behaviorally. The goal of the RTI team is to set up goals and interventions for students to help them improve in the main areas they are struggling.
School-Based Consultation with parents, teachers, and specialists
Classroom Observations
Coordination of Services- The Counselor is the director of the RTI(Response to Instruction) team and leads the RTI core team meetings and RTI parent student need meetings along with 504 meetings throughout the school year.