What is School Counseling?
Who are Elementary School Counselors?
Elementary school counselors are master-degree level professionals who provide a school counseling program to support students, staff, parents and the community. Â School Counselors are trained to develop a program that is comprehensive, developmental, and preventive. Â The program focuses on services that address the academic, personal/social, and college/career development of our students.
Please watch this video that describes the role and responsibilities of an Elementary School Counselor:Â What Do Elementary Counselors Do?
What Services does the Elementary School Counselor Provide?
All professional school counselors are trained to provide these services in a variety of efficient and effective methods, including:
Classroom Curriculum
- Classroom guidance lessons focused on character education, academic/personal/social learning, and college/career exploration.
- Teacher support
- Group activities
Individual Student Planning
- Short and long-term goal setting
- Consult with parents and teachers regarding academic issues
- School transitions
Responsive Services
- Individual and small group counseling
- (Please note that Mrs. Tsang does NOT provide long-term therapy and typically meet with a student no more than 8 continuous times over a school year. For ongoing and serious mental health needs, Mrs. Tsang is happy to work with a student and their families to refer them to outside providers.)
- Consultation
- Referrals to community resources
System Support
- Participation in school committees
- Program management
- Professional development
Children may face difficulties, which can prevent them from doing their best in school. These difficulties can include school adjustment issues, stress, family change, grief, fears, or difficulties with relationships. Having support through difficult times can be essential to a child’s educational success. Please let me know if there is a situation in which I may be of help. I look forward to working with all of the students at Glenmoor and Maloney Elementary Schools.
The Counselor/Student Relationship:
Students are informed that if they would like to meet with me, they can request a meeting through their parents or teacher. If a student is in 4th, 5th ,or 6th grade, they can submit a Counseling Self-Referral to meet with me provided it is approved by their teacher. If I meet with a student a few times, I will inform the parent of these meetings only if it is an issue where we need your assistance or if a referral needs to be made. If I would like to include a student in a group, I will call the parents and/or guardians to get consent to work with your child.
An important part of the counselor and student relationship is trust. One of the ways counselors build a trusting relationship with students is through confidentiality. I talk to students at the beginning of the year about keeping information confidential. I share with students that I will try to keep the information they share with me confidential but there are times when I will need to share with other adults what the student has shared with me. I tell the students I will break confidentiality if they are going to hurt themselves or someone else, if someone is hurting them, or if we decide it is important for us to share the information with another adult. I do share with students that problem-solving is a collaborative effort and there will be times we will want to include their parents or teachers in our work.
Please note that all school staff are mandated reporters are required, by law, to report all known or suspected cases of child abuse or neglect. It is not the job of the mandated reporter to determine whether the allegations are valid. If child abuse or neglect is reasonably suspected or if a pupil shares information with a mandated reporter leading him/her to believe abuse or neglect has taken place, the report must be made. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this matter, feel free to contact Mrs. Tsang via email ([email protected]).