COUNSELOR’S CORNER

By Mrs. Spoales

As the Counselor, I will have the pleasure of working with students in the entire school.  I will work with students as a class through classroom guidance lessons, in addition to holding small group and individual sessions in my office. 

  The School Counseling Program is comprised of the following areas:

·        CLASSROOM GUIDANCE:  Lessons will be presented on a monthly basis in each classroom to teach developmentally appropriate, preventative lessons to all children on topics such as:  social skills, self-esteem, feelings, diversity, anger and the world of work.

·        GROUP COUNSELING:  Group counseling is provided for small groups of students experiencing similar needs.  These may include making and keeping friends, anger management, coping with separation and divorce, getting organized/study skills and/or improving self-esteem. 

·        INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING:  Individual counseling is an important aspect of the school counseling program.  Students can self refer by completing a counselor slip located in every classroom or outside of my office and placing the form in the bag outside my office door.  Parents can refer their child by completing a “Parent Referral Form” located outside the main office and placing it in my mailbox in the main office.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns at 301-253-7000 or by email, Erin_M_Spoales@mcpsmd.org  

Welcome
BACK TO SCHOOL

• Attendance is directly linked to achievement. Here’s how to help your child have SUPER attendance for the upcoming year.
• Avoid scheduling family trips or appointments during the school day. Any time out of the classroom is missed instruction and a child can feel overwhelmed by trying to catch up.
• Discuss with your child what happened in school each day. Show them that you care about their work and progress. If you do this from the beginning, they will come to expect it and freely share their day without you having to ask!
• Don’t accept excuses for why your child “must” miss or be late for school.
• Support school rules and consequences for skipping class and being tardy.
• Make sure your child stays healthy by eating nutritious food and getting enough sleep and exercise.
• Show your child why education is important. Give specific examples of how education helps people succeed.
  

Many of the kids that I talk with come to my attention from referrals from parents, teachers and students themselves.   During the 1st week of school your child will bring home a letter and needs assessment.  Please fill this out to let me know specific areas to address classroom lessons and if your child may need to talk individually or in a small group setting with peers!  You may reach me by email or by phone at 301-253-7000. 

Last year I saw had over 115 lunch bunches and sadly there were still many sign-ups left at the end of the year that I couldn’t get to.  This year I am changing lunch bunches to try to accommodate as many kids as possible.  Each grade will have 2 months out of the year that they may sign up for lunch bunch.