• Alcova Elementary School Counseling

  • School counselors are a part of your child's education team who work together with other school personnel to help support your child at children around the earth holding hands school.  We work with students' short team one-on-one, in small groups, and in their classroom through our classroom guidance activities. School counselors help parents and teachers better understand their student's social, emotional, and educational needs.  We teach skills in leadership, test-taking, decision making, coping, communication, personal safety and protection, positive peer relationships, and career awareness.  In addition, school counselors are available to offer support during crisis situations.


    Your child can visit the counselor if he or she is concerned about: making friends, adapting to a new school, classroom behavior, coping with family changes such as a new family member, divorce or death, completing work, being bullied, and anything that interferes with school success.

    School counselors are advocates on behalf of ALL students.

    During digital learning, Gwinnett County School Counselors will continue supporting students' academic success, career development, and social-emotional growth, utilizing Zoom and Google Meet for individual meetings, conferences, presentations, groups, and classroom lessons/activities.
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  • Counseling Services

    Classroom Guidance
    Counselors see classes on a regular basis. Guidance lessons follow Gwinnett County Counseling Competencies and Standards and address topics such as careers, testing, study skills, decision making, friendship, personal safety, and problem-solving.


    Individual Counseling
    Counselors see students individually at the request of a teacher, parent or student. Counselors may also make referrals to outside agencies when requested by a parent or when they feel it is necessary.


    Small-Group Counseling
    Students are referred by teachers or parents to participate in small group counseling. Group topics include family changes, grief & loss, positive behaviors, social skills, self-concept, academic support, and school success.


    Consultation
    Counselors consult and collaborate with a number of individuals including teachers, other counselors, school social workers, DFACS, parents, and administrators in an effort to support our students and remove any barriers to learning.

  • When to Call a Counselor

    If you have a concern about your child and are not sure who to call, school counselors are a good start.

    When to call a counselor:

    • When your student is having difficulty achieving academically
    • When your family changes interfere with academic progress
    • When you want to promote educational success and become involved at our school
    • When you need help regarding attendance issues
    • When you want to discover available community resources and agencies for your student and/or your family

  • Parent Information

    Dear Parents and/or Guardians,   

                                                             
    We all share a common goal for our children to be safe and protected from all things harmful.  Related to that goal, school counselors are required to present annual personal safety lessons designed to prevent sexual abuse.  The Think First & Stay Safe™ program is a research-based program that teaches specific personal safety education by way of interactive classroom lessons, classroom posters, role playing and corresponding activities.   Think First & Stay Safe™ enables students to take an active and necessary role in protecting themselves from abuse and exploitation. A committee of professional school counselors reviewed the program and selected components that were developmentally appropriate for elementary students and developed lessons around those concepts.

    You can also learn more about the detailed lesson plans and research behind this program at www.childluresprevention.com. Please be aware that more information is provided on the website than is actually used in Gwinnett County. The plan for Gwinnett includes: the key concepts taught at all grade levels; each grade reviews what was learned in the previous grade(s) and then learns additional lures or tricks.  Specifics are provided below:

    Key Concepts :
    You can use your built-in computer and make safe choices.
    People are like the weather. Most are safe, but they can change.
    Lures are tricks used to get children away from safe adults and safe place.
    Laws help protect children and there are adults who can help you.
    Your instincts help keep you safe.
    A stranger is someone you don’t know.
    Someone may even use threats to trick you.
    No one can take away your dignity.

    Kindergarten:
    Review key concepts
    Pet Lure
    Name Lure

    1st Grade:
    Review key concepts
    Assistance Lure
    Fun & Games Lure
    Affection Lure

    2nd  Grade:
    Review key concepts
    Bribery Lure
    Friendship Lure

    3rd  Grade:
    Review key concepts
    Emergency Lure
    Authority Lure
    Hero Lure

    4th Grade:
    Review key concepts
    Job Lure
    Ego/Fame Lure
    E Lure
    Drug Lure

    5th Grade:
    Review key concepts
    Review All Lures
    Video: Breaking the Silence

    If you prefer that your child not participate in the sexual abuse and safety prevention lessons, please write and sign a note indicating your preferences and send it to your child’s teacher. As always, your counselor is available to discuss any concerns you might have.  Unless written documentation is received, your child will participate in the sexual abuse prevention and safety lessons.

    Sincerely,


    Adriane Grey and Amy O'Neal
    School Counselors

  • Student Resources

    Make a plan for after school activities. Schedule adequate time for homework, play, and sports.
    Scale back TV time. There is never a quiz on what you watched on TV, but maybe for the book, you should be reading!
    Establish a family reading time. Reading is for everyone and you may get to be the teacher for younger siblings.
    Establish a bedtime for school nights. You should have at least 8 hours of sleep.
    Keep a large calendar. Mark each family member's activities in a different colored pen.
    Collect important phone numbers. Update friends, parent's work, the school's office, after-school programs, and neighbors.
    Create a "homework question" phone list. Determine which classmates you can call when you don't know what to do.
    Have a backup plan. Find another adult who will help you if you do not understand your work, like a neighbor or an older sibling.
    Spruce up a study space for yourself. Include pens, pencils, a dictionary, and other needed supplies.
    Set up a file for school papers. Place all school notices in it so you don't misplace them.
    Get in the habit of getting ready the night before school. Set out clothes, pack lunch, and put your backpack by the front door.

    Parents: please contact the counselor for resources concerning specific topics

  • Community Resources

    Click here to access some of the many community resources in Gwinnett County. If you do not find the help you are needing, please contact the parent center or a counselor for additional resources.

    Community Resources

  • Weekend Food Bags

    Weekend Food Bag Application

  • Attendance Policy

    Alcova Elementary School State Attendance Law
    Attendance at school is an important part of student success and achievement. A pattern of absences may put a student at risk of not achieving the Academic Knowledge and Skills (AKS) for their grade level and courses. Certain absences are considered to be excused according to state guidelines. Excused absences include:

    • Personal illness or attendance in school endangering a student’s health or the health of others.
    • A serious illness or death in a student’s immediate family requiring absence from school
    • A court order or an order by a governmental agency, including pre-induction physical examination for service in the armed forces, mandating absence from school
    • Observing religious holidays, necessitating absence from school
    • Conditions making attendance impossible or hazardous to student health or safety
    • Serving as a page in the Georgia General Assembly
    • A student, whose parent or legal guardian is in military service of the United States or the National Guard, and such parent or legal guardian has been called to duty for or is on leave from overseas deployment to a combat zone or combat support posting, shall be granted excused absences, up to a maximum of five school days per year, for the day or days missed from school to visit with his or her parent or legal guardian prior to deployment or while on leave

    Please remember that if your student is absent from school, you need to send a note to the school stating the reason for his/her absence. Should the reason be one noted above, your child’s absence will be marked excused.

    After 10 absences without a medical note being submitted, a medical note may be required to excuse an absence.

    A state truancy law (O.C.G.A. Section 20-2-690.2) defines truant as “any child subject to compulsory school attendance who during the school calendar year has more than 5 days of unexcused absences.” This same state law also ties attendance to a student’s driving privileges.

    It is important for parents to be aware of attendance requirements. Please read Gwinnett County Public Schools’ Student/Parent Handbook, which outlines attendance expectations. In addition, our teachers and school leadership will communicate with you regularly on school attendance issues. Parents will receive an attendance letter when their child accumulates 5, 7 and 10 unexcused absences. When a student reaches 10 unexcused absences the school social worker will hold a Student Attendance Review Committee (SARC meeting). When a student accumulates 15 unexcused absences the family will be referred to DFACS.

    Thank you for your support of your student’s academic achievement. Your child’s regular attendance at school makes a
    difference!

    Sincerely,
    Professional School Counselors

    *All attendance excuses must be turned in within five days of the absence. We will not accept late attendance excuses.