Guidance
Madison’s, Friendly, School Counselor, Mrs. Burke has an important role at our school. Mrs. Burke’s role is to promote whole school wellness. This is done by teaching students what it means to be Respectful, Responsible and safe through guidance lessons, individual counseling, and small group counseling. She also promotes academic success by ensuring all students have access to the available resources to help them achieve academic success and reach their greatest potential. Mrs. Burke communicates with teachers; staff, parents and administration in order provide support that will best help a child develop academic and social emotional skills. These skills help our students become future productive citizens in our community.
Individual Counseling
Individual counseling is provided in both crisis situations and referral from a teacher, parent, or the Committee on Special Education. Written permission from parents is required for ongoing school counseling support. Any student experiencing difficulty in school due to home or school issues is eligible for individual counseling. Students with issues that require more intense assistance or whose needs cannot be met within the confines of school will be referred to the appropriate office or agency.
Group Counseling
Group counseling is provided as part of the yearly guidance plan and also as needed. Written permission from parents is required for student participation. The Banana Splits Program is offered annually to students as the schedule allows. This is a lunch time peer support group for students in families that have changed due to divorce, separation, or the death of a parent. Other groups such as friendship groups and social skill groups are conducted on an as-needed basis. Groups may participate in 6-8 sessions.
Character Education
"Character Education is a national movement creating schools that foster ethical, responsible, and caring young people by modeling and teaching good character through an emphasis on universal values that we all share. It is the intentional, proactive effort by schools, districts, and states to instill in their students important core, ethical values such as respect for self and others, responsibility, integrity, and self-discipline. It provides long-term solutions that address moral, ethical, and academic issues that are of growing concern about our society and the safety of our schools." (ncpublicschools.org/charactereducation/)
Madison Elementary School celebrates good character and citizenship through monthly Character Trait recognition celebrations and Outstanding Owl awards every trimester. Character is encouraged throughout the year by the classroom teachers, The School
Counselor and Principal.
The character themes for the 2017-2018 are:
September-Friendship
October- Courage
November- Respect
December- Compassion
January- Perseverance
February- Honesty
March- Self Discipline
April- Responsibility
May- Citizenship
June- Celebrating Community
Resources for Parents
Links to resources: Being a parent is very rewarding, but quite challenging at times. Understanding how children grow and develop and learning how to communicate with them can be of tremendous help in the parent-child relationship. Listed below are some common questions and common problems parents face. If you click on the question, you will be linked to an article that can answer that particular question. (if it does not work copy and paste into the browser)
A blog for parents actively supporting children's social and emotional development.
http://confidentparentsconfidentkids.org/
How can I help my child be successful in school?
How can I help my child cope with death, loss, and grief?
http://www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/griefwar.pdf
How can I help my child cope with stress?
http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/talk/stress_coping.html#
