School Counseling Services

Academic Counseling: Counseling which assists students and their parents to acquire knowledge of the curricula choices available to students, to plan a program of studies, to arrange and interpret academic testing, and to seek post-secondary educational opportunities.

Career Counseling: Counseling which helps students to acquire information and plan action about work, jobs, apprenticeships, and post-secondary educational opportunities.

Personal/Social Counseling: Counseling which assists a student to develop an understanding of self, the rights and needs of others, how to resolve conflict, and to define educational goals, reflecting their interests, abilities and aptitudes. Such counseling may be provided either in groups in which generic issues of social development are addressed or through structured individual or small group multi-session counseling which focuses on the specific concerns of the participant(s).

Classroom Guidance: Group guidance is a planned, sequential program of learning experiences designed to foster the personal-social, academic and career development of all students. The program consists of a variety of activities carried on through specially organized lessons conducted by counselors working in collaboration with classroom teachers.

Individual Counseling: Individual counseling provides a confidential setting in which students are assisted to examine and understand feelings, attitudes, concerns and behaviors; to explore alternatives and make decisions; to carry out their decisions and evaluate results; and when necessary, to engage in further decision-making.

Counselors are able to meet with students without written parental consent to discuss incidental and normal developmental concerns and to assess a situation for possible recommendation for counseling. If, however, a counselor determines that a structured ongoing course of individual counseling is indicated, the counselor will obtain informed written parental consent before proceeding with personal, emotional, and sensitive issues.

Each school shall require informed written parental consent before a structured ongoing course of individual counseling involving personal, emotional, and sensitive issues is initiated. Notification shall include the following:

1. Purpose and goals of the individual counseling
2. Estimated frequency and duration of sessions

A student may be withdrawn from structured ongoing individual counseling at any time. This request must be in writing from the student's parent/guardian.

With respect to personal/social counseling, parents must notify the school in writing if they wish that their son/daughter not participate in the personal/social counseling program.

Group Counseling: Group counseling is used frequently with students experiencing commonly shared concerns and/or developmental difficulties in areas such as anger management, academic underachievement, school attendance, and interpersonal relationships with peers and adults. In such situations, emphasis is on problem solving and the development of positive attitudes and effective personal skills.

Counseling groups are also conducted for purposes of enhancing the personal growth of children who do not have serious difficulties. Such children are assisted to develop skills in such areas as study skills, communications, and decision-making.

Each school shall require informed written parental consent prior to a student' s participation in group counseling activities. Notification shall include the following:

1. Purpose and goals of the group counseling
2. Estimated frequency and duration of sessions
3. A statement that all materials and supplemental media used in whole or part shall be available for review by parents.

A student may be withdrawn from structured ongoing group counseling at any time. This request must be in writing from the student's parent/guardian.

Parents interested in reviewing guidance and counseling materials may call their school counselor for an appointment to review said materials. Individual schools may also make materials available for review at other times such as open house or PTA meetings.

In 1997, a citizen task force recommended to the school board the adoption of the following citizenship traits to be included in our citizenship education program. In 1998, all schools began including these traits in their instructional program:

• Responsibility: Dependable, reliable, and accountable for one's conduct and actions
• Respect: High regard and consideration for authority, other people, self, property, and community
• Compassion: Kindness; treating others as you as you wish to be treated; a desire to help others
• Honesty: Trustworthy; refusing to lie, steal or deceive; exhibiting honor and integrity
• Tolerance: Empathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own beliefs or practices
• Perseverance: Persistence, fortitude to pursue a goal in spite of obstacles
• Cooperation: Teamwork; acting together to achieve a common goal
• Self-discipline: Self-control; focus; able to correctfor self-improvement

A citizenship Education Resource Guide for Newport News Public Schools has been provided to guidance counselors, administrators, and teachers to support the schools' citizenship education programs.