What is a School Counselor?
School counselors are professionals with a master’s degree and state certification in the counseling field; they are responsible for the organization/management of school guidance services. School counselors work with students, parents, teachers, and administrators to help students succeed in school and prepare for meaningful, productive living. Guidance services are child-centered, developmental and preventive. Guidance services are also inclusive and respectful of student and staff differences in religion, ethnicity, race, ability, gender, sexual-orientation, handicapping condition and age.
Guidance Services Include:
- Teaching monthly guidance lessons in classrooms
- Facilitating counseling groups that meet for approximately 4 to 6 weeks
- Conducting limited, short-term individual counseling, as needed
- Consulting with parents and staff to best meet student needs
- Referring family members to community/county resources
- Assisting in school crisis and conflicts
- Providing a safe environment that respects and advocates for all Liberty students and families
As school counselors we focus primarily on
academic, social, and career/professional
topics during guidance lessons.
We will cover the following topics in Classroom Guidance Lessons this school year:
September:
Respect
October:
Bullying-Prevention
November:
School Success, Getting Organized, Study Skills
December:
Celebrating Differences
January:
Careers, Goals, and Future Education
February to May:
Conflict Resolution, Decision Making, Problem Solving, Collaboration, and Building & Keeping Friendships
(grades 3-5 will review test-taking strategies late spring, just before the SOLs)
June:
Review and Wrap-Up (5th grade: prepare for the transition to Middle School)
How Do I Contact the School Counselors?
Email:
Ms. Scott: Jennifer.Scott@lcps.org
Ms. Foley: Ellen.Koch@lcps.org(contact info to change soon to Ellen.Foley@lcps.org)
Telephone: 703.957.4370
Reasons to Contact the School Counselor