Happy November from the Pius X Counseling Center! This month’s newsletter highlights the role the school counselor plays within the Pius X community. Counseling in schools provides support to help students manage their academic, personal and social lives. When school counseling was put in place in the early 20th century, counselors focused on preparing students for the workforce; preparing for career and life beyond high school. The needs of students have changed and thus duties now include the three domains of academic achievement, college and career readiness, and social/emotional skills. With this shift, the title has moved from Guidance Counselor to School Counselor.
The difference between Guidance Counselors and School Counselors include:
Guidance
- Reactive
- Services for some
- Impact measured through feelings & perceptions
- Work in isolation
School
- Proactive/Data-driven
- Ensure equitable access to education
- Impact measured through achievement, attendance & behavior
- Develop, manage & evaluate a comprehensive school counseling program
All of the counselors at Pius X are certified and licensed educators and members of the American School Counselor Association. On any given day, counselors are providing a number of services including: short-term counseling for students, making referrals for long-term support, advocating for students in a variety of settings, providing interventions for improvement in any of the three domains, working with families, collaborating with teachers, helping students apply to college….and the list goes on and on. As counselors, we are blessed to have an office full of people who are outstanding in what they do. Carla Kruml, Registrar and Sandy Hartman, Administrative Assistant, are the glue that keeps us together. The Pius X Counseling Center is a place where students can come for help, support and encouragement to support their success and well-being.
We are lucky to, once again, have a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner from Immaculate Heart of Mary with us one day a week, and you will see information about Emma inside this newsletter. Emma’s services are free to our Pius X families with a referral from the Counseling Center.
We thank you for choosing Pius X for your children and are glad to partner with you. May you have a Blessed and Peaceful Thanksgiving.
