What the school counselor and social worker do at Marshall

• Guidance lessons: In collaboration with subject teachers, we plan socio-emotional learning (SEL) lessons to address scholars’ needs related to socio/emotional development, academic success, and college/career readiness. These interventions are preventive in nature.
  
  
• Consultation: We consult with teachers and parents/guardians to identify the best and most appropriate strategies to support our scholars. We serve as a scholar advocate.
  
  
• Individual, small group counseling (in-person / virtual): We meet individually or in small groups with scholars that experience difficulties that can negatively impact learning such as social interactions, organizational skills, and personal/social concerns. We offer short-term counseling support (up to 6 sessions), if the scholar requires long-term support or the issues go beyond the scope of services of the school counseling program, a referral will be issued to a specialist or an outside service, and parents/guardians will be informed accordingly.
  
  
• Restorative Circles are embedded in scholars ‘schedules every Wednesday from 8:30 – 9:05 AM. Scholars will be invited to get involved in a circle to discuss current topics or to solve conflicts. Norms will be posted on a visible board. Scholars are invited to speak openly about the conflict or issue with the idea of seeking support and planning action steps to repair the harm done to others. The circle space is about accountability to one’s community. Scholars will learn to discuss their issues, listen to different perspectives, and come to peaceful agreements. The circle participants develop and practice skills in communication, relationship-building, empathy, democratic decision-making, conflict resolution, and problem-solving.
  
  
• Intervention Assistance Team: We are members of the IAT. The IAT is established to identify instructional recommendations for students having learning difficulties, behavioral or other concerns. We focus on assisting with scholar observations and gathering data, to provide additional support and resources, to confer with teachers, parents, and scholars as appropriate.
  
  
• Mentor program: Peer-to-peer mentoring programs are an opportunity for a middle school scholar to be matched to an elementary scholar to form a mentoring relationship. We will facilitate mentoring training, supervise, and evaluate the mentoring program.
  
  
• College/Career readiness: The counseling department & Project Explorer collaborate to connect middle school scholars to high-impact college and career opportunities through school day explorations, after-school expeditions, weekend excursions, summer experiences, and 1:1 advising. In addition, eighth-grade scholars develop a Personal Graduation Plan (PGP). The purpose of a PGP is (1) establish a high school graduation plan, (2) track successfully completed courses and credits, and (3) guide conversations about life after high school graduation.
  
  
• Parent/guardian workshops: We organize seminars & workshops for parents/guardians in response to specific needs in the school community.