Middle School Guidance

Guidance services constitute an integral part of the educational process. These services should be under the professional direction and coordination of qualified school counselors and the administrative leadership of the school's principal. The school counselors are student advocates who assist students, teachers, parents and administrators.

The role of the school counselor is to help students to identify and achieve personal goals and assume rights and responsibilities in various life roles at each developmental stage.

• Crisis Intervention Services:

  Includes counseling student in crisis (i.e. suicide prevention, child abuse, pregnancy, substance abuse) and providing assessment and referral to related support services as appropriate.

• Academic Improvement and Planning:

  Includes the selection of a plan of study, placement into appropriate courses and programs, study skills development as well as participation in the CSE process as appropriate.

• Student Registration:

  New to school and orients them to school procedures and the school's varied opportunities for learning.

• Maintains Student Records:

  Maintains and protects their confidentiality.

• Facilitates Post-secondary Planning:

  Facilitates the preparation and processing of college, scholarship and employment opportunities.

• Summary of Middle School Guidance Program Objectives
  • To facilitate the transfer of fifth graders to the Middle School.
  • To meet and become acquainted with every sixth grade student through an annual review of his/her educational progress.
  • To serve as a liaison between parents and the school, and to keep parents informed of guidance-related information.
  • To introduce newly transferred students to the services of the Guidance Office.
  • To help students develop knowledge of their personal strengths and weaknesses, and to be able to better understand the relationship of theses characteristics to educational and vocational choices.
  • To help student with the resolution of personal and school problems, including attendance problems.
  • To help direct identified students to the appropriate support services.
  • To assist students in the transition from the Middle School to the High School.
  • To help students begin to understand themselves in more realistic terms, and to become familiar with those career opportunities that are related to their interests, talents and values.
  • To help counselors keep up-to-date in all areas related to the Guidance Department.
  • To conduct an annual review for the purpose of evaluating each student's educational progress and career plans.

• Objective #1

To encourage parental involvement with the K-5 school program.

Expected Outcomes:

1. Increased pupil preparation for starting the school experience.
2. Improvement of pupil performance.
3. Decreased incidence of unacceptable behavior.
4. Improved pupil self-image and self-understanding.
5. Improved pupil attitudes.
6. Improved parent/teacher/school relations.
7. Improved pupil acceptance of responsibility.
8. Development of more realistic goals and expectations.
9. Improved understanding of the resources and services provided by the school.
10. Increased awareness and understanding of progress reports/report cards.

Program Description:

Activities:	Target Group:	Staff Assigned:	Other Resources:	Timeframe:
Report Cards	K-5	All Teachers	Central Office	4 times per year
Parent Conference	K-5	All Teachers	Pupil Personnel Staff	Minimum 2 per year, ongoing
Phone Conference	K-5	All Staff	Pupil Personnel Staff
Open House	K-5	All Staff	Pupil Personnel Staff Principal	Minimum 1 per year
Open School	K-5	All Staff	Pupil Personnel Staff Principal	Minimum 1 per year
P.T.A.	K-5	All Staff	Principal Pupil Personnel Staff Outside Resources Parents	Minimum 5 per year
P.T.A. Sponsored trips, plays, concerts	K-5	Staff	Parents Students Outside Resources	Minimum 1 per year
P.T.A. Sponsored Newsletter	K-5	Staff	Parents Students Pupil Personnel Staff	Annually
Superintendent's Newsletter	K-5	Staff	Parents Students Outside Resources	Ongoing

• Objective #2

  To help students who exhibit any school-related behavioral or adjustment problems, including attendance problems.

  Expected Outcomes:

  • Students will exhibit one or more of the following desired results:
    • improvement of school performance
    • reduced incidence of unacceptable behavior
    • improved self-image
    • improved social relationships
    • acceptance of responsibility for their behavior
• Methods of Evaluation:
  • Teacher/staff observation
  • Analysis of school records

  Activities:	Target Group:	Staff Assigned:	Other Resources:	Timeframe:
  Individual Counseling	K-5	Pupil Personnel Staff as needed		Ongoing
  Parent, student and/or teacher conferences	K-5	Teachers as needed	Pupil Personnel Staff Principal	As needed
  Group counseling for: -values clarification -decision making -interpersonal relations -self-image development	K-5	Social Worker Psychologist	Principal	As needed
  Test/inventory interpretation	K-5	Teachers Resource	Principal	As needed
  Development of student	K-5	Teachers	Pupil Personnel Staff Principal	As needed

• Objective #3

  To help students in grades K-5 participate effectively in their current and future educational program.

  Students will begin:

  • To become familiar with a variety of occupations.
  • To understand the effects of technological change on occupational opportunities and personal life styles.
  • To understand how to obtain and use occupational information.
  • To develop a personal career plan.
  • To develop decision-making skills and relate these to the development of career choices.
  • To understand the relationship of academic and vocational skills to successful participation in a changing society.

  Methods of Evaluation:

  1. Teacher/staff/parent observations
  2. Middle School Counselors observations

  Activities:	Target Group:	Staff Assigned:	Other Resources:	Timeframe:
  Administer standardized tests	K-5	Teachers and Elementary Instructional Assistants	Principal Secretaries Ability Tests Cumulative Record	May/October
  Encourage students to participate in a variety of school-related activities	K-5	Guidance Counselor	Community leaders and advisors	Ongoing
  Encourage student to do a variety of reading - including current materials on various occupations & careers	K-5	Guidance Counselor	Librarian	Ongoing
  Expose students to various films, filmstrips and recordings on how interests and abilities relate to specific careers and occupations	K-5	Teacher	Parents Librarian Counselor	Ongoing
  Counselor will make use of subject matter in various classes to facilitate the study of various vocations	K-5	Counselor	Textbook	Ongoing
  Counselor to invite people from various occupations to be guest speakers	K-5	Counselor	Guest Speakers	Ongoing