Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of an elementary counseling program?

The purpose of an elementary guidance program is to balance the needs of the students, staff, and parents with the educational and developmental objectives set by the county and the National Standards for School Counseling. The goals are:

∑ to improve personal and social skills for all students

∑ to develop educational and career decision making skills for all students

∑ to promote the development of interpersonal and human relationship skills for all students.

What do elementary school counselors do?

Elementary school counselors work with students individually and in small groups covering topics such as friendship, communication skills, stress and anger management, study skills, conflict resolution skills, loss and changing families. Counselors work in a collaborative role with staff members and parents to help all students obtain success. As the counselor at TRES, I teach classroom guidance lessons in every classroom every month. The lessons are developmentally appropriate and curriculum based. I also provide opportunities for parent sharing during evening workshops based on topics of interest.

How does a student see a counselor?

Students make an appointment to see me by writing me a note and dropping it by my office. Parents may call and request that I see their child. Teachers also make referrals. I will see students individually or in small groups at the times approved by the classroom teachers.

Who visits the guidance counselor?

Any student having difficulty in any area may visit the counselor. For example, I may see students having difficulty adjusting to a new grade. Typically, the parents, the teacher and I work together with the student for a few weeks to provide the added support needed to make the transition. I may also help set up behavior management programs for students needing assistance in developing good homework and classwork completion habits. I provide groups to teach friendship skills, problem solving skills, and decision making skills with the question always in mind - ≥What can we work on together to make your school experience more successful?≤

What is a friendship group?

Small groups are developed based on need. An example might be that a student feels that s/he doesnπt have any friends. This causes anxiety and the student may be unable to concentrate on schoolwork. By developing a group for the student, a sense of belonging begins to exist, less time is spent worrying about having no friends, and s/he can attend to schoolwork. Typically, a friendship group will have four members and meet for one half hour a week for four weeks. The classroom teacher and counselor will work together to choose a time that fits into both schedules. The students work on skills in how to meet new friends, cooperation, communication, and problem solving. Some students ask to be in a friendship group because they want to improve their communication skills and cooperative behavior and the group is a nice place to practice. Friendship groups are taken from kindergarten to grade 3. For the students in fourth and fifth grade, time is provided during lunch and recess for informal meetings.

What types of classroom lessons does the school counselor teach?

The counselor visits each classroom every month to teach a lesson. The lessons are developed through the guidance curriculum received from the county. At each level lessons on getting along with friends, decision making skills, conflict resolution skills, career awareness, study skills, organizational skills, problem solving skills and character education are taught. Lessons are incorporated to support our School Improvement Plan as well.

What is a lunch bunch?

Lunch bunches are informal gatherings in the counselorπs office. Students write a note to the counselor asking to have lunch. These students may bring one, two, or three friends from the pod. This allows students who may not get to eat lunch with friends from another class to share a lunch time together. On some occasions, lunch bunches are used to solve problems between friends. Mostly, though, these times provide students a chance to eat away from the cafeteria, get to know the counselor on an informal basis, and share time with special friends.

Will a school counselor try to get into my personal business?

The school counselorπs job is not to ask questions regarding ≥family business≤ or to delve into a studentπs personal life. The counselorπs job is to help the student (1) to identify a problem thatπs keeping him/her from doing his/her best in school; (2) to brainstorm ways to solve the problem; (3) choose a solution; and (4) by supporting the student as s/he tries it. If that solution doesnπt work, the counselor and student get together and start the process over. Do feel free to contact the school counselor for support in times of family difficulty.

Where is the Parent Library and how do I check out books?

Thanks in large part to the generous donations from TRES parents and the PTA many books on topics of interest to parents are available for check out. The books are housed on shelves outside of the media center on the primary side of the school. You may check out as many books or tapes as you wish by going to the checkout desk in the media center. You may check out the materials for three weeks at a time. If you have found a title particularly helpful and would like to see it added to the library, please contact the school counselor. If you would like to donate books youπve found useful, please do so. There are also pamphlets and articles available. Enjoy!

Will the school counselor call me if my child comes for a visit?

The short answeräno. Now the long answerämany students come to the guidance office because they are having problems with friends. Most of the time the students have talked over the problems with their parents or teachers and decided together that a visit to the counselor may be helpful. When a student comes to the counselor, many options on how to solve the problem are discussed. One of the options is to invite the other student in for a conversation to help clear the air and brainstorm solutions. The counselor would not call the parents in this case. Both students are invited into the office at a time that is least disruptive to the academic schedule. Each student is then given time to tell the other what the problem is. Each student is then given a chance to talk out the issues with the other. The students are then asked to brainstorm some ideas to help them live together in the same classroom. It is so rewarding to watch the students enter into this problem solving process and come up with a mutually agreed upon plan. The students return a week or two later to decide if their plan worked. If so, the problem is solved; if not, the students work together to formulate another plan. There is no record of the meetings that goes into a studentπs permanent file. These problem-solving sessions are just another educational opportunity provided here at TRES. Now to get back to the question of calling parentsäif your child is upset or worried, the counselor will call and provide the information to you. If you are uncomfortable with this set-up and would like a call each time your child visits the counselor, feel free to call or write the counselor with that information.

Will there be educational opportunities for parents?

YES! This year the P.T.A. has distributed a needs assessment to the community. Based on the responses, workshops and presentations will be planned. Watch the Retriever Report for these educational opportunities.

If you have other questions you would like answered, please call or send a note to Charlotte Lollis (410-313-2560).