The Counseling Services at Middle Creek YR Elementary:
The Counseling Services at MCES:
Individual Counseling: Individual sessions are provided for a variety of issues.Sessions usually last 20-40 minutes depending on the age of the child.Sessions are planned around the child’s academic schedule in order to not interfere with learning.School counseling services are meant to be short-term, so a child is usually not seen individually more than 5 times.
Group Counseling: Groups are offered for common topics.Groups typically have 5 children of about the same age.Group topics include newcomers, retention, grief and loss, social skills, anger management, adjustment to kindergarten, relational aggression, ADD/ADHD, self-esteem and healthy behaviors in girls, and separation and divorce.
Classroom Guidance: Mrs. Fillard visits all classes approximately 6-7 times per year.Topics address the personal/social, academic and career needs of the students.Mrs. Fillard surveys the classroom teachers in order to provide lessons that meet the needs of the students.Examples of classroom topics include how to deal with bullies, organizational skills, exploration of careers, and Peace Club, a conflict resolution unit.
Consultation: Mrs. Fillard is available to consult with parents, teachers, other school staff and outside agencies in order to best meet the needs of the students at MCES. Parent consultations often focus on concerns at home or school, that the parent would like help with. They can also help parents find outside counseling services for more long-term needs. Teacher consultations often involve behavioral or academic concerns, or the personal/social needs of the students. Mrs. Fillard can help with the development of a behavior plan and classroom interventions for struggling students.
Coordination: The counselors coordinate many programs within Middle Creek Elementary. They oversee the Character Education Parent Volunteer program, and sponsor school-wide events such as Bully Awareness Week. They also support the PBIS program through rewarding the SWIM winners each week. Mrs. Fillard serves on the attendance committee, and Mrs. Fillard is the chairperson of the Sunshine Club, a committee that focuses on planning special events for staff. She coordinates the Holiday Helper program that served 130 low-income students last year, as well as a snack program that provides daily snacks to approximately 40 children. She chairs the Service Club which is a club through which 5th grade students can help their school and community. Each year we bring in Interact agency to provide additional classroom guidance lessons for students, and also arrange for middle school counselors to visit in preparation for the middle school transition. Finally, Mrs. Fillard coordinates a snack program for students, and a track out food program with the help of our school social worker.