GVMS Counseling Coordinator
August 31st, 2023
Welcome Back
Welcome back Hawks! We are so excited to have our students back in the building with us. With us being two weeks underway, we are really seeing our students adjusting to the world of Middle School and all it has to offer. This newsletter will be sent out quarterly to help provide important information about what the counseling department is doing, how to best help your students, and what to expect for the year. We look forward to a great year and are excited to see what our students have to offer!
The GVMS Counseling Department
The counseling department oversees the social-emotional wellness of all GVMS students. To successfully do this, counselors collaborate with parents and staff. Counselors are responsible for: maintaining 504’s, student crisis management, student support services, small groups, individual counseling, classroom lessons, teacher and parent support, new student support, attendance monitoring, grade monitoring, and homebound/hospitalization transitions.
The Gainesville Middle School Comprehensive School Counseling Program is:
- Based up on the requirements of Prince William County School Division as well as the -developmental needs of middle school (grades 6-8) students.
- Committed to implementing the Prince William County Developmental Counseling Curriculum, which aligns with American School Counseling Association (ASCA) national model and meets the specific needs of our diverse populations.
- Planned and coordinated by Gainesville Middle School Counseling Department in accordance with guidelines set for by Prince William County Student Services Department, the GVMS stakeholders, and community at large.
- Committed to develop community partnerships to enhance school counseling services, to meet the needs of all students.
- Dedicated to deliver an all inclusive, developmental, data driven program aligned with the ASCA National Model.
- Committed to involving all counseling team members to evaluate and monitor students' academic, personal and social success at Gainesville Middle School
School Avoidance and Anxiety
School avoidance – sometimes called school refusal or school phobia – is not uncommon and occurs in as many as 5% of children. These children may outright refuse to attend school or create reasons why they should not go.
They may miss a lot of school, complaining of not feeling well, with vague, unexplainable symptoms. Many of these children have anxiety-related symptoms over which they have no conscious control. Perhaps they have headaches, stomachaches, hyperventilation, nausea or dizziness. In general, more clear-cut symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, fever or weight loss, which are likely to have a physical basis, are uncommon.
School refusal symptoms occur most often on school days, and are usually absent on weekends. When these children are examined by a doctor, no true illnesses are detected or diagnosed. However, since the type of symptoms these children complain of can be caused by a physical illness, a medical examination should usually be part of their evaluation.
School-Related Anxiety:
Most often, school-avoiding children do not know precisely why they feel ill, and they may have difficulty communicating what is causing their discomfort or upset.
When school-related anxiety is causing school avoidance, the symptoms may be ways to communicate emotional struggle with issues like:
Fear of failure
Problems with other children (for instance, teasing because they are "fat" or "short")
Anxieties over toileting in a public bathroom
A perceived "meanness" of the teacher
Threats of physical harm (as from a school bully)
Actual physical harm
For more information and tips on how to manage this at home, please visit School Avoidance: Tips for Concerned Parents - HealthyChildren.org
Counseling Lessons
Counselors are required to provide grade level lessons in a variety of topics throughout the year. Below is a list of lessons that will be provided this year.
6th Grade:
1. Academic Advising and Vision Meeting
2. Introduction to Naviance
3. Technology Choices and Consequence
7th Grade:
1. Academic Advising and Vision Meeting
2. What is my Game Plan?
3. Signs of Suicide
4. Pause Before you Post
5. Flirting Vs. Hurting
8th Grade:
1. Academic Advising and Vision Meeting
2. Strengths Explorer
3. Specialty Program Scavenger Hunt
4. Healthy Relationships
Small Groups
The counseling department has provided small groups in the following areas:
Anxiety Management
Social Skills
Organization Skills
Impulse Control and Boundaries
Bullying
Self-Esteem
If you have students who you feel would benefit from a small group, please reach out to their counselor. Small groups are based on the needs of the students each year.
Purple Star
Gainesville Middle School is proud to announce that we are applying to be certified as a Purple Star School! The Virginia Purple Star Designation is awarded to military-friendly schools that have demonstrated a major commitment to students and families connected to our nation’s military. Schools that earn the award will receive a special Purple Star recognition to display onsite.
Parent/Guardian Intervention Request
This form is to be completed by parents or guardians who are concerned about their child's attendance, behavior, mental health, substance use, or academic challenges. If this is a life threatening situation where your child is in danger of hurting themselves or others call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Counseling Caseloads and Contact Information
Jessie Castles
Director of School Counseling
Last Names A-C
Erin Abbott
School Counselor
Last Names D-I
Sarah Ware
Last Names J-Mi
Alexis Hawkins
Last Names Mo-R
Autumn Brown
Last Names S - Z