Counseling and Student Support
What is an Elementary School Counselor?
A school counselor's job is to support students with social/emotional needs, academic supports, and career exploration on many different intervention levels. It is NEVER a bad thing to see the counselor or be part of any group!
Every Day Support
We work with students one-on-one to discuss any challenges, worries, or fears they may have during the school day. Students are always welcome to speak with us during the day when they are experiencing big feelings or need help working through a variety of situations (friends, family, changes, etc.). These are short-term conversations to help the student through a hard time and return to class with a clear mind, helping them to learn better.
Teachers can refer students to speak with us, or students are able to ask for our support independently. Parents are also welcome to communicate with the counselors if there is something going on that they would like their student to talk to someone about.
Whole Group (Universal Supports)
Counseling is part of our Pathways rotations at Coal Mountain! Students will alternate going to Media or Counseling every week. During counseling weeks, we work with students to learn social skills (sharing, friendship, kind words, etc.), learning skills (listening, following directions, size of the problem, etc.), and do career exploration!
We are using the Zones of Regulation curriculum to provide students with strategies to recognize and manage their feelings, which will help them remain engaged and maximize their academic learning time. By implementing the Zones of Regulation curriculum with all classes, we are also creating a common language across the school to talk about emotions, behaviors, and self-regulation strategies. If you would like more information or resources to use at home, just let us know!
By law, we are required to teach a body safety lesson, modified per grade, every year. This year, we are using the new MBF Child Safety Matters curriculum. This lesson will be taught in the Fall of 2025. Further communication is coming soon!
Small Groups (Targeted Interventions)
Throughout the year, different small groups will be offered to students. These groups can support the development of friendship skills/social skills, identifying the size of the problem/reaction, coping skills, recognizing/regulating emotions, study skills, and so much more. Small groups are dependent on the needs of the students, teacher input, and parent consent. The groups offered throughout the year will change based on the needs being presented.
We work with teachers to identify students who may benefit from extra support in these areas. This does not mean your child is in trouble or doing something wrong - it is just extra learning to develop skills further!
Small groups typically run for 6 weeks, meeting once a week for 30 minutes. This ensures the students are not missing critical academic time but are still able to learn and work on the group skills. Parents will receive a letter home stating the purpose of the group, when it will be taking place, and a consent form stating that they would like their child to attend the group. If there are any questions about this, please reach out at any time!
Individual Lessons (Intensive Interventions)
Students receive individual counseling when identified as a need by our MTSS Coordinator. These lessons are structured twice a week for 30 minutes, typically following the Zones of Regulation Curriculum unless an alternative curriculum is identified to be used. Parents will be well informed if this intervention is taking place and will receive updates from the counselor as needed.