Belief Statement

The counselors at Grace Snell Middle School believe:

• All students can achieve academically.
• All students have dignity and worth.
• All students have the right to participate in the counseling program.
• All students should have access to a professional, certified school counselor.
• All students' needs will be considered in the planning and implemetation of the counseling program.
• A successful school counseling program should be future-oriented, encouraging middle school students to plan for high school, postsecondary education, and career opportunities.

Mission

The mission of Grace Snell Middle School’s Counseling Department is to provide students with a structured and intentional program of counseling services, thereby helping them achieve academic success, prepare for post-secondary education and careers, and become world-class citizens. The counseling program is developmental and comprehensive, addressing student needs in the areas of academic knowledge and skills, college and career readiness, behavior, and personal/social development. As counselors advocating for each student, it is our mission to ensure that all Grace Snell Middle students have equal access to opportunities that will maximize their potential and academic achievement. We pursue excellence in our counseling program as we fully support our students in their quest to meet local, national, and world-class standards.

Vision

The vision of the Grace Snell Middle counseling program is that all students will possess the knowledge and skills necessary to attain the highest levels of academic success. We envision that our students will develop strong character and will become responsible, respectful, and honest men and women, fully capable of assuming their roles as tomorrow’s world-class citizens. Grace Snell Middle students will be highly prepared for high school, college, and their careers of choice.  Our students will leave Grace Snell Middle ready to assume their future roles as lifelong learners.

Comprehensive Counseling

Grace Snell Middle School's counseling department is a data-driven, comprehensive counseling program. In 2014, Grace Snell Middle School earned National Recognition for its comprehensive counseling program through the American School Counselor Association’s RAMP (Recognized ASCA Model Program) Award submission. This means that our counseling department is comprehensive in scope, data driven to support student needs as well as educating and supporting students’ academic journey, focusing on post-secondary, and future career options. Counselors utilize school data to find areas where more support is needed to improve student achievement. Through interventions and supports counselors work to increase student academic achievement, increase positive student behavior, and minimize truancy at the local school. The ability to track school performance in the counseling department, aids in creating effective support that will increase student achievement in support of the local school LSPI goals.

Mandated Reporter

When a child reports possible abuse to school employees, it's our duty to respond. Here are a few steps to take when reporting urgent child concerns:

• Report your concerns to the grade level counselor and/or assistant principal.
• Follow up with your designated report to ensure that a report is made to child protective services.
• Remember, to make a report or cause a report to be made, mandated reporters only need to have "reasonable suspicions," not direct evidence.
• Mandated reporters have anonymity.

Making an Appointment

Parents: Call or e-mail your grade level counselor to request an appointment

Students: Students can ask to see the counselor with a signed agenda or hall pass, and also fill out an appointment request slip. The appointment request slips are available in the grade level office.

Counseling Lessons

The counselors will give at least 3 core lessons to their grade level throughout the year. Many of the core lessons are taught through science and/or social studies classes. All students receive core curriculum lessons in School Expectations and Anti Bully, GCIS Career Pathways, and Child Lures. Child Lures does have a permission slip for parents to sign only if they DO NOT WANT their child to receive the Child Lures lesson. GCIS career Pathways ensures that all students receive lessons about college and career readiness.