The Role of the School Counselor

Professional school counselors are certified/licensed educators with a minimum of a master’s degree in school counseling, making them uniquely qualified to address all students’ academic, career and personal/social development needs by designing, implementing, evaluating and enhancing a comprehensive school counseling program that promotes and enhances student success. School counselors help students focus on academic, career and social/emotional development so they achieve success in school and are prepared to lead fulfilling lives as responsible members of society.

Fulton Science Academy provides a comprehensive and developmental counseling program for students in all grade levels. This program is designed to meet student needs by promoting and supporting personal, social, emotional, and academic growth.

We offer an academically rigorous curriculum with supplemental pieces to promote student growth and achievement. Our community is very involved and works hard to collaborate in order to find the best opportunities for our students in regards to their individual needs. We are able to tie all these pieces together and team up to offer additional enrichment opportunities for our students.

Some aspects of the counseling program include classroom guidance, small group counseling, individual counseling, and consultation with school staff and parents

· Classroom Guidance: Classroom guidance lessons are developmental in soft-skill building and other identified areas (ex: study tips, managing stress, conflict resolution, etc.).

· Small Group Counseling: Small group counseling provides a small group learning environment with target students who may share a common concern (ex: self esteem, social skills, grief/loss, etc.).

· Individual Counseling: Individual counseling consists of working with individual students to help meet specific needs. Staff and families may refer students to the counselor for individual counseling. Students may also refer themselves. Every upperclassmen student must meet with the counselor regarding their individual graduation planning. A meeting can also be requested in regards to academics, career, and social/emotional concerns.

Reach out to the counselor to set up an appointment for an individual session!

· Consultation: The school counselor consults and collaborates with parents, teachers, administration, and other significant school personnel to provide support and promote student success.

Character Education/Social Emotional Learning

This year, our school has adapted a new character education and SEL program from Caring School Community. We have renamed this program, IMPACT. IMPACT lessons will consist of research-based lessons taught by classroom teachers, during a dedicated time of the day. Each week will have a different SEL FOCUS. This curriculum will teach students how to develop the skills needed to interact with others in a constructive way. These lessons will be based on

• building caring relationships with and among students
• directly teaching social skills
• creating calm, orderly learning environments through the effective use of classroom management practices
• helping students acquire self-discipline through a caring and effective approach to discipline

Resources for Families:

National PTA: Parents’ Guide to Student Success

School Psychological Resources

Georgia Dept. of Education Information for Parents

Mustang Support Organization (MSO)

Crisis Hotline