☕️ Busy? Here's the TL;DR
- Start your SEL efforts before the school year starts
- Introduce families to the Guidance Office in a newsletter
- Introduce each counselor, their area of specialty, and contact info.
- Add sections for the different services that the Guidance Office offers.
A school’s SEL efforts can start well before the first day of school.
One smart use of your communications channel is to send a school newsletter introducing families to your guidance & counseling staff in the weeks before school starts. Not all parents know how to access support for their children, so give them the info they need with a “Meet the Guidance Counselors” newsletter.
Here’s what to include:
1. Introductions
Include a photo, contact info, & description of services for each member of your guidance office. For millennial parents especially, it helps to have a visual reference & a way to contact a counselor via email or text message.
2. Logistics
Make sure drop-in hours are clear, as well as how to make an appointment. You want parents to understand how to access a guidance counselor & be able to guide their kids to the guidance office too, if need be.
Easiest way to do this is with a link or a screen shot.
3. Add resources.
Your counseling office may have multiple services: from college counseling to learning support to mental health guidance. Create a section for each service, and add extra info & resources that families might find useful.
Above all, you want families to feel comfortable seeking out support.
And that’s all there is to it! Get started in a click with this template👇🏽.
