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Deep Creek Elementary School

EXPLORE

Counseling

The Deep Creek School Counseling Team’s mission is to enhance the educational environment in three domains: academic, personal/social and career. The comprehensive program at Deep Creek provides counseling, instruction, support and information to access community resources for our K-5th grade students and their families. Because of our collaborative approach teachers, parents and counselors work together to help students succeed in areas of: academic achievement, accountability, productivity, dependability, self-expression, self-control, social integrity, decision-making, conflict resolution and/or self-determination. The ultimate objective is to foster the development of personal responsibility and to promote skills required to become successful 21st century citizens.

Our school counseling program is planned and coordinated by state certified school counselors in consultation with other representatives of the school and community. The team engages students in classroom, group and/or individual activities to enhance student learning and provides academic, career, personal and social development for every student.

Our school counselors believe:

  • All students have dignity and worth and have the right to be served by a comprehensive school counseling program.
  • All students have a capacity to learn and are entitled to academic support.
  • All students will be provided with a school counseling program that will be consistent with expected developmental stages of learning and differences in learning styles.

And that all school counselors…

  • Abide by the professional school counseling ethics as advocated by the American School Counselor Association.
  • Shall participate in professional development essential to maintain a quality school counseling program.

Contact Us: Phone: 804-348-2949

Classroom Lessons

Classroom guidance lessons are extremely important in the school setting.  Classroom guidance allows a counselor to be proactive in a variety of areas to a large number of students.  Guidance lessons are effective and time efficient.

  • Academic/Educational Domain (K-5)
  • Personal/Social Development Domain (K-5)
  • Career Development Domain (K-5)

Individual Counseling

Individual counseling is available to all students in need. A request for individual counseling may be made by a parent, teacher, administrator or student. Students are able to express concerns in a safe environment where problem solving can take place. Topics of concern may include: friendship, grief, anger management, anxiety, family changes and school attendance.

Techniques often used during individual counseling sessions are:
role playing, puppetry, storytelling, goal setting, counseling game playing, creation of art work and discussion.

Although we provide a multitude of services for students, intensive, long-term counseling is not available through the school counseling program.

Small Group Counseling

Small group counseling consists of several students, facilitated by the counselor, who are facing normal developmental issues. The small group setting serves as a way for students to talk about feelings and concerns with other children who have similar needs.

Each session is approximately 30 minutes and takes place once a week over six-eight weeks. Group times are coordinated with classroom teachers so as to disrupt as little instructional time as possible. Some examples of small groups are:

  • Self Regulation (Emotions, Coping Skills, etc.)
  • Changing Families (Divorce/separation/adoption)
  • Friendship (Social skills)
  • Feeling Better About Me (Self-concept/getting along better)
  • Grief and Loss
  • Meet together with parents and the classroom teacher to discuss concerns about their child, particularly related to social, behavioral, and emotional issues.
  • Provide parents with resources in the community to meet long-term counseling needs for their child and their family.
  • Work with parents and teachers to develop a behavioral plan for a child who is experiencing behavior difficulties in school.
  • Lend out videos and books for children and parents on a variety of topics.
  • Meet with a child who was referred to the counselor by themselves, their parents, their teacher, or an administrator.
  • Work with students to develop academic goals in order to optimize their school performance.
  • Help children express and deal with feelings of grief regarding the death of a family member, friend, or pet.
  • Provide a safe, confidential environment for children to talk about a separation or divorce in their family, or other issues of concern.
  • Help children resolve conflicts with peers.
  • Include children in small groups on a variety of topics.
  • Teach guidance lessons in the classroom on a variety of topics.