Counseling Department
     The Wilson School District Counseling Department is an integral part of the district's Pupil Services division.  The fifteen Wilson counselors have masters degrees and are fully certified professional counselors. 

     The following Pupil Services staff work closely with the counselors and teachers to provide comprehensive programs and services to all Wilson students and their families.
  • The  Student Assistance Coordinator  collaborates with the counselors in the areas of alcohol and other drugs, suicide, and other student issues.
  • The Health Services Department consisting of four full time and eight part time School Nurses  work closely with the counselors on behalf of students.
     The counseling program is no longer ancillary to the instructional program.  It is an integral component.  Education is charged with educating this nation's most valuable resource, our children.

  Elementary School is a time when students develop attitudes concerning school, self, peers, social groups and family.  It is a time when students develop decision-making, communication and life training skills and character traits.  Early identification and intervention of children’s problems are essential to change some of the current statistics regarding self-destructive behaviors.  If we wait until children are in middle school or high school to address these problems, we lose the opportunity to help them achieve their potential, as well as feelings of dignity and self-worth.

  
Elementary School Counselors implement effective classroom guidance focusing on understanding of self and others; coping strategies; peer relationships and effective social skills; communication, problem-solving, decision-making, conflict resolution; and study skills, career awareness and the world of work; and substance education.

  • Provide individual and small group counseling dealing with self-image, personal adjustment, family issues, interpersonal concerns, academic development, and behavior modification.
  • Provide assessments by helping students identify their skills, abilities, achievements, and interests as well as interpretation of standardized tests.
  • Work with specialized populations and needs that require special attention.
  • Develop students’ career awareness as a lifelong process.
  • Coordinate school and community resources, and school-wide guidance related activities.
  • Provide consultation with school staff members and outside agencies and social services concerning the welfare of the students.
  • Make appropriate referrals for special services for students and families within the school and community.
  • Communicate and exchange information with parents/guardians by way of conferences, parent workshops and newsletters.
  • Participate as member of the school improvement and interdisciplinary teams.
Middle School is an exciting, but frustrating time for students as well as for their parents and teachers.  Transition is the key word.  During their journey from childhood to adolescence, students are characterized by: being very active, yet easily fatigued due to rapid physical growth; searching for their own identity, turning to their peers rather than to their parents for ideas and affirmation; extremely sensitive to comments from others; and relying heavily on friends to provide comfort, understanding and approval.

Middle School Counselors:

  • Work with students in groups and individually depending on the nature of the problem, issue, or topic.
  • Provide transition activities between elementary and middle school and middle school to high school.
  • Participate as members of school improvement and interdisciplinary teams.
  • Serve as consultants to teachers and parents by providing information regarding academic and emotional needs.
  • Serve as coordinator and manager of indirect services in the community to assist students.
  • Liaison between educational agencies and social services.
  • Provide meaningful career exploration activities.
  • Assist the parents in looking at the “whole” child, including educational, career, and person/social perspectives.
High School is a time of decisions.  Students are deciding who they are, where they fit, determining at what they excel, and how to move forward.  Socialization is the key word.  During this time in high school, students are characterized by: searching and evaluating their strengths, skills, and abilities; tuning into peer acceptance and feedback, separating from parents/family to explore and define their independence; as well as planning for the future.
 
High School Counselors:
  • Provide direct counseling services to students individually and in support groups.
  • Provide education and support services to parents.
  • Provide consultation services to teacher.
  • Facilitate referrals to community support services.
  • Advise students concerning academic planning.
  • Provide career guidance to students and career information to parents
  • Network with post-secondary schools.
  • Maintain an up-to-date library of career and post-secondary school information.
Why School Counselors??
     Together, school counselors, parents, teachers, administrators and community members during the elementary years set the tone for developing skills, knowledge, and attitudes for our children to become healthy, productive adults; during the middle school years can help focus students on the journey of transition; and during the high school years can help students receive accurate information, concrete experiences, and successful planning to take the steps necessary to become a productive and contributing member of society.