Counselor/Guidance

The Role of our SJCS Counselor

The school counselor works in a support role aimed at student success. The counselor collaborates with teachers to come up with classroom strategies and with the J-Lab resource teacher to facilitate an academic plan that best utilizes campus resources. The counselor is also available to parents with questions or referral needs.

The counselor is available to meet with students to address immediate academic, social or emotional concerns during the school day.

Accommodations for students with diagnosed learning differences, based upon assessment data provided by parents, are prepared and handled by the counselor. Should a student need testing, the counselor can help families with this process.

Students in first through eighth grades are given nationally standardized achievement tests, ITBS and CogAT, in October, as authorized by the Diocesan Office.  The counselor is responsible for overseeing the administration of these tests as well as communicating with teachers and parents re: student scores and school-wide academic progress. 

 

Guidance

Guidance may include topics/activities/resources that address the social, emotional, physical, spiritual or educational development of the student (e.g. personal and interpersonal skills, health behaviors, moral values, career planning, etc.).

Guidance lessons are taught weekly in the classroom by the classroom teacher in Kindergarten through 5th grade. Our guidance curriculum is called "Second Step" and "Steps to Respect". It is a research-based program that teaches social skills, conflict resolution and bully prevention. The counselor assists administrators in locating assemblies and teacher trainings that complement the weekly lessons.

The middle school guidance program is designed to focus on the personal and social development of each student.  Our hope is to provide the foundation for personal and social growth which will, in turn, contribute to excellent academic growth as well. Our goal is to help students respect themselves and others as we work on enhancing interpersonal skills and relationship building.