HALEYVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

 

GUIDANCE PLAN

 

2009-2010

 

 

Counseling Services

 

The guidance counselor will provide Haleyville Elementary School a number of services and activities to help students, parents, and teachers develop positive learning experiences. These include classroom guidance lessons and small group sessions on a variety of topics ranging from good citizenship, academic success, and career awareness to decision making skills and understanding awareness. The guidance counselor provides classroom guidance to all students in grades K-5 for 30 minutes each month.

 

In addition to regular classroom and small groups, the guidance counselor will provide students individual counseling. Individual counseling may be mandated by a student’s Individual Educational Plan, or may be initiated at the request of the student, or by referral as addressed below. Individual counseling may encompass anything that pertains to the student’s ability to perform at his or her highest potential at school, or to the student’s general well-being.

 

If a student is identified as potentially suicidal or has attempted suicide, the guidance counselor is responsible for implementing the System Suicide Referral Procedures.   These procedures include assessment of the situation, determination of risk to the student, immediate contact and meeting with the student’s family, referral to appropriate agencies, and continued monitoring and support to the student, student’s family, and student’s teachers for a period of 60 days after which a determination of what, if any follow-up action should be taken. If it is suspected that at student is a victim of abuse, the guidance counselor will immediately make a report to the Department of Human Resources (DHR).

 

The guidance counselor will work collaboratively with teachers and parents to develop intervention strategies, classroom modifications, and action plans to help students be successful emotionally, socially, and academically. Also, the guidance counselor will work closely with community agencies to assist students and their families with special needs.

 

Character Education is also an important part of the Guidance Plan. Monthly character education topics are discussed by the guidance counselor during classroom visits. Classroom teachers also incorporate some of these monthly topics into their classroom curricula.

 

 

 

This is the first year it has been possible to provide classroom guidance and Too Good for Drugs Lessons in a central “guidance classroom” adjacent to the guidance office. Classroom groups of students can be transported to and from their own classroom by the guidance counselor.Too Good for Drugs and other guidance materials are prepared and stored in the guidance classroom.

 

The Too Good for Drugs Program will be presented to all students in grades K-5 by the guidance counselor this year. The Program consists of ten lessons, and pre and post teacher and student surveys (grades 3-5), and presents information related to drug abuse  in a fun and interesting manner through puppets, songs, stories, games, role-plays, and small group activities. Topics include setting and achieving goals, effective communication, handling stress, healthy choices, and information about drugs.

 

The guidance counselor also serves as the Building Test Coordinator for Haleyville Elementary School. Duties as the Building Test Coordinator include assisting the System Test Coordinator in training test administrators and monitors, overseeing implementation of the School Assessment Calendar, coordinating outside agencies involved in testing, e.g., contacting and working with NAAEP representatives that administer this assessment, inventorying, disseminating and collecting test materials, scheduling and conducting make-up assessments, preparing test materials for shipping, implementing the System Test Security Plan, and distributing filing, and analyzing test results when they

are received.

 

The guidance counselor is a member of the Building Based School Support Team (BBSST) at Haleyville Elementary School. The BBSST is a group of educators that meet regularly to discuss issues related to specific needs of teachers and students, and offers teachers assistance in resolving problems. This committee reviews referrals( by the student’s teacher), and suggests intervention strategies with documentation, 504 consideration, or referral for Special Education testing. The guidance counselor will offer input regarding counseling, provide counseling to referred students as requested by the team, and also provide vision and hearing screenings and behaviorial observations as needed.

 

The guidance counselor at Haleyville Elementary School will serve as a member and receive input from the Counseling and Guidance Advisory Committee. Other members of this committee include the School Principal, Assistant Principal, Building Based School Support Team Chairman, and the School-Wide Committee Chairman. The guidance counselor may also be asked to serve on other school committees as needed. Presently, these include the Safety Committee and the School-Wide (Title1/CIP) Committee.

 

 

 

 

Referrals

 

Students may refer themselves for counseling services at school. They may tell a teacher or administrator they need to see the guidance counselor, or they may ask the guidance counselor directly, or they may leave a note in the office mailbox. Parents and teachers may also refer students for counseling services by contacting the guidance counselor. Parents are always welcome to come by or call for a conference.

 

Confidentiality

 

School counselors are held to the same strict confidentiality standards as other professional counselors. Issues shared in a student and/or parent counseling session will remain confidential except for the following reasons:

 

Student or parent threatens to hurt themselves

 

Student or parent threatens to hurt someone else

 

Student reports being hurt or threatened by someone

 

If you have any questions or would like to meet the guidance counselor, please call or come by Haleyville Elementary School.

 

 

 

Classroom Guidance Curriculum

 

August/September

 

Academic Success

 

Setting Goals

 

Study Skills

 

 Listening/Following Directions

 

October

 

Making Healthy Choices

 

General Information About Health, Medication

 

Legal/Illegal Drugs

 

Peer Pressure

 

Red Ribbon Week

 

Safeplace

 

November

 

Understanding the Importance of Relationships

 

Family Relationships

 

Peer and School Relationships

 

December

 

Understanding Diversity

 

Accepting Differences

 

Cultural/Family Differences

 

Learning Disabilities

 

January

 

Avoiding Conflict

 

Anger Management

 

Conflict Resolution

 

February

 

Learning and Self-Awareness

 

Gaining Self-Awareness

 

Respecting Others

 

March

 

Test-Taking Skills

 

Classroom Tests

 

Standardized Achievement Tests

 

April

 

Career Awareness

 

Forming a Career Identity

 

Analyzing Skills and Interests

 

May

 

Safety Awareness

 

Stranger Danger

 

Summer Safety

 

Transition to the Next Grade

 

 

 

Small Group Counseling Topics

 

New Students

 

Retainees

 

Shy Students

 

Positive Peer Interaction

 

Anger Management

 

Bullying

 

Study Skills/School Success

 

Test Taking Skills

 

Low Achievement/High Ability

 

Divorce

 

Grief

 

Transition to Middle School

Character Education Topics

 

August

 

Respectful

 

September

 

Responsibility

 

October

 

Citizenship

 

November

 

Loyalty

 

December

 

Honesty

 

January

 

Compassion

 

February

 

Friendship

 

March

 

Humility

 

April

 

Self-Discipline

 

May

 

Pride

 

 

 

 

 

 

Community Resources

 

Safeplace

 

Northwest Alabama Mental Health Center

 

O’Kelley Center

 

Childrens Hospital

 

Decatur General Hospital