School Counseling

Why Elementary School Counselors?
Elementary school years set the tone for developing the knowledge, attitudes and skill necessary for children to become healthy, competent and confident learners. Through a comprehensive developmental school counseling program, school counselors work as a team with the school staff, parents and the community to create a caring climate and atmosphere. By providing education, prevention, early identification and intervention, school counselors can help all children achieve academic success. The elementary school counselor holds a master’s degree and required state certification in school counseling. Maintaining certification includes on-going professional development to stay current with education reform and challenges facing today’s students. Professional association membership enhances the school counselor’s knowledge and effectiveness.

• Elementary School Students’ Developmental Needs
  The elementary years are a time when students begin to develop their academic self-concept and their feelings of competence and confidence as learners. They are beginning to develop decision-making, communication and life skills, as well as character values. It is also a time when students develop and acquire attitudes toward school, self, peers, social groups and family. Comprehensive developmental school counseling programs provide education, prevention and intervention services, which are integrated into all aspects of children’s lives. Early identification and intervention of children’s academic and social/emotional needs is essential in removing barriers to learning and in promoting academic achievement. The knowledge, attitudes and skills students acquire in the areas of academic, career and social development during these elementary years serve as the foundation for future success.
  
  Meeting the Challenge
  Elementary school counselors are professional educators with a mental health perspective who understand and respond to the challenges presented by today’s diverse student population. Elementary school counselors don’t work in isolation; rather they are integral to the total educational program. They provide proactive leadership that engages all stakeholders in the delivery of programs and services to help students achieve school success. School counselors align with the school’s mission to support the academic achievement of all students as they prepare for the ever-changing world of the 21st century. This mission is accomplished through the design, development, implementation and evaluation of a comprehensive, developmental and systematic school counseling program. ASCA’s Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success are the foundation for this work. The ASCA National Model: A Framework For School Counseling Programs (ASCA, 2002), with its data-driven and results-based focus, serves as a guide for today’s school counselor who is uniquely trained to implement this program.

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  Elementary School Counselors Implement the School Counseling Program by Providing:
  
  School SEL Curriculum

  Academic planning

  Responsive Services

  System Support

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  Elementary School Counselors Collaborate with:
  
  Parents
  Parent education 
  Communication/networking 
  Academic planning 
  College/career awareness programs 
  One-on-one parent conferencing 
  Interpretation of assessment results
  
  
  Teachers
  Classroom SEL lessons and activities
  Academic support, including learning style assessment and education to help students succeed academically 
  Classroom speakers 
  At-risk student identification and implementation of interventions to enhance success
  
  
  Administrators
  School climate 
  Behavioral management plans 
  Schoolwide needs assessments 
  Student data and results 
  Student assistance team building
  
  
  Students
  Peer education 
  Peer support 
  Academic support 
  School climate 
  Leadership development
  Community
  Job shadowing, service learning 
  Crisis interventions 
  Referrals 
  Parenting classes 
  Support groups 
  Career education
  
  **These examples are not intended to be exhaustive.

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  Explanation of Dual Relationships
  According to the American School Counseling Association (ASCA), a dual relationship is one in which a school counselor is concurrently participating in two or more roles with a student. School counselors work in both a counseling and teaching capacity every day at school. There may be times when a student is participating in a whole group lesson that operates similarly to a reading or social studies lesson, in an educational setting. Other times, a student may be in the counseling office to participate in individual or small group counseling, in a therapeutic setting. Other examples of dual relationships can include, but are not limited to, going to the same religious services outside of school or even a counselor's own child attending the school they work at.

  • Academic support, including organizational, study and test-taking skills
  • Goal setting and decision-making
  • Career awareness, exploration and planning
  • Education on understanding self and others
  • Peer relationships, coping strategies and effective social skills
  • Communication, problem-solving and conflict resolution
  • Substance abuse education
  • Multicultural/diversity awareness
  • Individual student planning
     
  • Goal setting/decision-making
  • Education on understanding of self, including strengths and weaknesses
  • Transition plans
     
  • Individual and small-group counseling
  • Individual/family/school crisis intervention
  • Conflict resolution
  • Consultation/collaboration
  • Referrals
     
  • Professional development
  • Consultation, collaboration and teaming
  • Program management and operation

Students
Students may refer themselves to the counselor by telling a family member or staff member. Additionally, students in grades 3-5 ONLY may complete the online referral form on our Canvas page.

Families
Please complete the caregiver referral form for the school counselor and/or social worker, located HERE. 

Staff
Make sure you are logged into Google Drive!

School Counselor Referral

The helping role is centered on practicing within the mission established by the Counseling Department within Knox County Schools, which is to provide every student with a comprehensive school counseling program centered around an engaging curriculum that encourages growth in academic, career and personal/social domains"

Spring Hill Elementary School Counselor deliver both direct and indirect services through school counseling curriculum instruction, consultation, collaboration, and counseling services.

With the support of an Advisory Council, counselors will strive to assess both our effectiveness and the contributions made to all students' development throughout their elementary school years.

Welcome to TCAP Transformation Time!

During this process, your child will complete 5 steps to prepare their brains and bodies for testing. We have linked all the videos you will need for it, so it should be pretty easy to implement. We think this activity should take no more than 10 minutes, from start to finish. Let's get started!

1. Children rate how big their anxious feelings about the TCAP test are on a scale of 1 to 5, by holding up their fingers.

• 1= Not at all anxious
• 2 = A little anxious
• 3 = Anxious
• 4 = Very anxious
• 5 = Extremely anxious

2. Turn unhelpful thoughts into helpful ones, using But Power!

• Children write down an unhelpful (negative) thought on a piece of paper.
  • Example: "I hate tests! I'm going to fail!"
• Children change it into a helpful (neutral or positive thought) thought. Have them say the new thought out loud.
  • Example: "TCAP tests are hard, BUT I am going to take my time and try my best."
• Children rip up their old, unhelpful thought and throw it in the trash.

3. Try a relaxation activity.

• Children may choose either 4-7-8 breathing OR one of the yoga poses provided. We suggest choosing one or two and doing it with your kids.
  • 4-7-8 Breathing videoLinks to an external site.
  • Seated Mountain yoga poseLinks to an external site.
  • Warrior yoga poseLinks to an external site.

4. Say an affirmation.

• Children can choose from 3 available affirmations to say out loud, 3 times in a row. Follow the instructions on the image below.
• Affirmation options:
  • “I’m prepared and focused.”
  • “I’m smart and capable.”
  • "I believe in myself.”

5. Children rate how big their anxious feelings are about the TCAP test after they're finished, on a scale of 1 to 5, by holding up their fingers.

• 1= Not at all anxious
• 2 = A little anxious
• 3 = Anxious
• 4 = Very anxious
• 5 = Extremely anxious

Please CLICK HERE to take a short poll about this activity. Thank you!