Elementary and Middle School Guidance and Counseling

The counseling program at GSIS is designed to help children better understand themselves and others and to develop personal skills, behaviors, and attitudes that will help them to create positive relationships and resolve conflict. The importance of developing character traits such as empathy, meekness, self-discipline, respect, responsibility and trustworthiness are at the heart of the program.

The GSIS guidance program was developed to meet the personal, academic and social needs of our PK – 8th grade students. Training of students is regarded as the joint responsibility of the home and the school.

Responsive Services

• Student advocate
• Individual counseling
• Small group counseling
• Consultation with students, parents, teachers, and school staff
• Referrals to agencies and private counseling
• Parent education programs
• Helping students adjust to change
• Crisis Intervention
• Individual Planning
• Discussion with students, staff and parents regarding progress of students referred to the school counselor
• Transition to Middle School/High School
• Job shadowing

Guidance Curriculum

• Groups
• Classroom presentation
• Programs for students
• Resource for teachers
• 6th, 7th, and 8th grade guidance presentations.
• Life skills presentations

System Support

• Working with agencies
• Working with school support service personnel
• Consultation with teachers
• Guidance & Counseling Program planning and operation
• Support for educational and academic program
• Dorm Committees
• Building Crisis Team Member

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Guidance Curriculum

Guidance Curriculum for Elementary and Middle School Students (From the family letter of Second Step program)

We use a curriculum called Second Step Program to help the elementary and middle school students think about, develop, and practice positive social skills.

The second step program is divided into three units for the elementary students:

Unit I Empathy Training: Children learn about feelings and ways to show understanding and caring toward others.

Unit Ii Impulse Control and Program Solving: Children learn new ways to solve problems and practice skills such as calming down, apologizing, interrupting politely and making new friends.

Unit III Anger Management: Children learn to manage their anger in ways that do not hurt others.

Five main themes are interwoven throughout the lessons at each grade level for the middle school students:

• Empathy and communication
• Bullying prevention
• Emotion management
• Problem solving, decision making, and goal setting
• Substance abuse prevention
• Talking About Touching: A Personal Safety Curriculum

We also use Talking About Touching: A Personal Safety Curriculum for grades K-4. This program teaches children skills that will help keep them safe from dangerous or abusive situations. Children also learn to ask for help when they need it.

The program is divided into three units:

Personal Safety. This unit teaches children rules that will help keep them safe in potentially dangerous situations.

Touching Safety. This unit focuses on teaching children to identify unsafe touches and to say “No”, get away, and tell a grown-up if someone tries to touch their private body parts. Children are also taught to not keep secrets about touching.

Assertiveness and Support. This unit gives children a chance to practice getting out of unsafe situations and to ask a grown-up for help if they need it.
Additional lessons will be provided to the students as requested by classroom teachers or homeroom teachers

Possible Counseling Topics are:

• Coping with Changes
• Changing Families (illness, death, separation, divorce, moving, siblings, etc.)
• Self-esteem
• Friendship Skills
• Getting Organized
• Study Skills
• Stress Management
• Anger Management
• Making Decisions
• New Students
• Fears or Worries
• Academic progress
• Conflict Resolution
• Adjustment to school
• Social Skills