China Spring Middle School

NO.  A school counselor is not in charge of grading, but she is here to help students who may be in need of study skills or organizational skills.

NO.  School counselors work with ALL students to encourage a safe school climate of trust and respect.

NO.  School counselors meet individually with students to do brief, solution-focused counseling.  This type of counseling is short-term and designed to have the student functioning in the classroom with minimal instructional time lost.

YES.  But a school counselor DOES NOT provide therapy on a small group or individual basis.  If therapy is needed, the school counselor can refer you to community resources, if needed. 

NO.  School counselors collaborate with parents/guardians, teachers, support staff, and administration to help make decisions for the benefit of the students.

YES.  But she will not handle the discipline or assign consequences for poor behavior choices (the assistant principal is in charge of that).

School counselors do not tell teachers how to teach in their classrooms or tell parents how to parent at home.  School counselors DO provide education and information about students' social-emotional needs.

NO.  School counselors maintain the confidentiality of students and their families unless there is a need to know or a safety concern.  I always tell my students that what you say in my office stays in my office UNLESS someone is hurting you, you are hurting someone else, or you are wanting to hurt yourself.  And even then, I will only involve the necessary people.  If I suspect abuse, I will report my suspicions to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services as soon as possible.  If there is an extreme safety concern, I will also reach out to the police.