LMS School Counseling Newsletter
January 2016
Hello!
Happy New Year
Each semester, we will be providing you with a monthly newsletter of what's going on in the counseling department. This semester, we would like you to help welcome our therapist, Regina Scruggs!!!
Who is Serving Your Students?
Mrs. Quita Jones, School Counselor
quitajones@lowndes.k12.ga.us
Mr. John Chick, School Counselor
johnchick@lowndes.k12.ga.us
Meet our New Therapist!!
Her services are being provided through a grant from BHS this year. The goal is to provide intense, consistent therapy for students that need it, while keeping their attendance at school high.
Currently, there are only 2 students on her caseload. If there is student that you feel would benefit from on-going counseling services, please refer them to Ms. Jones or Mr. Chick. We will begin working with the student, then refer to her, if they meet requirements for BHS services. If they do not meet the requirements, the student will be referred out for assistance.
Please stop by on Thursday and introduce yourself to her. She will be located in the office next to Mrs. Jones.
What Does A School Counselor Do?
The 4C's of School Counseling
School Counselors are not scary people. Your team at Lowndes Middle School consist of 2 very compassionate and caring adults. We look forward to working with your children in the classroom, in small groups and individual sessions as needed. We are available Monday-Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to assist with any needs that arise. Our duties are summed up using 4Cs:
Counseling is available to individual students, small groups, and parents in conjunction if concerning their child(ren).
Consulting takes place between counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, teachers and parents.
Coordinating the efforts to assist a child and/or their family with community agencies.
Conduct Classroom lessons in the academic, career, and personal/social areas that follow a comprehensive developed school counseling program which is developed and based on American School Counseling Association(ASCA) National Standards.What Programs are Offered?
The Middle School Counseling Program is designed to focus on improving school climate and increasing academic performance, along with providing career and personal counseling to students. School wide programs focus on Bullying Prevention and Kindness Promotion, Tolerance, Diversity and Respect. Grade level programs focus on Career and College Awareness, Study Skills, Goal Setting, and Time Management, etc.
Some Activities & Programs housed under the Counseling Department include:
- LMS Meeters & Greeters
- Sources of Strength Peer Leaders
- Red Ribbon Week
- Random Acts of Kindness
- Girls Group
- New Student Orientation
- 8th grade Career Days to Wiregrass
- 8th grade Tour of Lowndes High School
- SUCCESS Mentors Group Mentoring
- Learners Motivated to Succeed Mentoring Program
- New Student Tours
How Do Students See Us?
Students can see the counselor in any of the following ways:
- Self-referral
- Request from the counselor
- Parent referral
- Administrative referral
- Teacher or staff referral via email or phone call
- Referral by friend(s)
Parent Information
How Parents Can Help Promote Student Success
Parents play a key role in ensuring that their adolescent achieves school success. When parents, students, and school staff work together, the student will obtain his/her academic goals as well as become a productive citizen. Some of the actions that parents can take to promote school success are:
- Communicate with school staff to be aware of homework assignments
- Sign up for Parent Portal
- Sign up for Teacher Remind and School Remind
- Review your child’s homework
- Encourage your child to seek friends who will be helpful to them
- Try to do something enjoyable with your child at least once a week
- Set clear expectations for students about homework; have a set place and time for homework
- Get acquainted with your child’s teacher(s)
- Monitor where your child goes/this will encourage them to stay out of trouble
- Communicate with school staff first when there is a concern with the school
- Attend school functions such as conferences, programs, and athletic events
- Encourage students to participate in school-related after-school activities
- Consistently enforce household rules
- Set aside a time when the whole family reads
- Encourage students to talk about school, social activities, and their interests
- Teach standards of right and wrong and demonstrate these standards
- Provide a quiet place where your child can study (preferably a quiet room)
- Support school discipline policies
- Talk to your child about tobacco, drugs, alcohol, gangs, and violence
- Monitor your child’s choices of TV programs, video games and music
- Monitor your child's social media use (what they are posting and receiving)
Parents are free to call the Counseling Office at any time for a meeting if you have academic, social, or personal concerns about your child. The Counseling Office can help to arrange parent-teacher conferences, small group or individual counseling, as well as, outside referrals for intervention. Specific workshops/meetings for parents the Counseling Department host include:
- Parent University Monthly Sessions
- 8th-9th Grade Transition Meetings
- 5th-6th Grade Parent and Student Transition Meetings
Lowndes Middle School
Website: https://sites.google.com/a/lowndes.k12.ga.us/lms-counseling/
Location: 2379 Copeland Road, Valdosta, GA, United States
Phone: 229-245-2280
Twitter: @cj1scounselor