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The Counselor’s Message

The counseling program in our district is available to help student, parents, and staff develop positive learning experiences. The program consists of a variety of services and activities, including guidance and curriculum, individual planning, responsive services, system support, and student advocacy.
Guidance and Curriculum
Curriculum is presented as classroom instruction, large and small group activities, school presentations, parent workshops and community events. Teachers, community members, support staff and administrators may also be involved. The Elementary counseling and guidance curriculum focuses on:

• Academic Development
• Career Development
• Personal/Social Development

Examples of programs used in the guidance program include:

• Second Step- violence prevention
• Steps to Respect- bullying prevention
• Kelso’s Wheel- conflict management
• Character Education

Responsive Services
Responsive services are counseling activities that meet the immediate needs, concerns, or problems that district students from their academic, personal/social and/or career involvement. Responsible services include individual and small group counseling, consultation with staff, parents, and community agencies on the student’s behalf, referral to outside resources, crisis counseling for prevention, intervention and follow-up and peer facilitation. In responsible services, school counselors use their unique expertise for immediate intervention and short term counseling. They do not provide therapy.

Systems Support
System support integrates the Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program in to the school. To enhance student learning, school counselors provide advocacy while over-seeing program content and improvement. System support activities include communication, program coordination, program review (data driven, providing staff instruction, consultation and feedback on emerging student needs, collaboration and participation on district leadership teams and other committees.

Individual Student Planning
Individual planning consists of activities that student’s in developing and reviewing their own individual academic, career, and personal s/social interests and plans.

Student Advocacy
Student advocacy focuses on the proactive involvement of the counselor to ensure all students have equal access to achieving high standards. Counselors are aware of potential barriers for students, including special needs, gender, race, language, sexual orientation, social and economic status, giftedness, disabilities, religion, etc. The school counselor must be an advocate in the school and community for all students to achieve.

It is my personal objective to complement and enhance our district's vision and mission with a counseling program that creates a culture of trust where all students, staff, families, and community members collaborate. I'd love to meet with you to answer any questions or address any concerns you might have. I will be on the Golden Hills campus on Thursday. You can contact me via phone at (530) 533-4708 ext. 255 or email rwalker@palermoschools.org

Rainbow Walker, MS, PPS

District School Counselor

Palermo Union School District

(530)532-6000, ext. 2307

rwalker@palermok8.org

Monday:  Golden Hills/Palermo

Tuesday:  Golden Hills

Wednesday:  Helen Wilcox

Thursday:  Out

Friday:  Palermo