Central Observes National School Counseling Week Feb. 7-11

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Donated to the Digest

CENTRAL COUNSELORS — Helping kick off National School Counselors Week 2022 are (left to right) Ms. Melody Hoffman, counselor; Mrs. Stacy Alexander, college access coordinator; Mrs. Shea Vetterick, counselor, and Ms. Chelsea Thornhill, counselor.

Alyssia Crowe, Staff Writer
February 11, 2022

National School Counseling Week was observed February 7 through 11to focus on all the good that school counselors do for their students. At Central, the counseling staff of Mrs. Shea Vetterick, Ms. Chelsea Thornhill and Ms. Melody Hoffman help students stay on track for graduation and help them talk about issues they might be facing personally. Mrs. Stacy Alexander is Central’s college access coordinator and she does lots to help high school students transition into life after high school.

This year’s theme for the National School Counseling Week is “Better Together” in reference to a return to in-person learning. The week highlights the impact that school counselors can have helping students in achieving school success and planning for a future career.

“School counselors primarily help students in three different domains which include academic, career, and personal/social,” explained Hoffman who is in her first year working at Central.  She pointed out that counselors help students with understanding the requirements for graduation and selecting classes to help prepare them for the future.

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School counselors can also help students with their time management and study skills. They can also help provide career counseling by helping students explore options for a future career that best fits their interests, skills, and personality.

— Ms. Melody Hoffman, school counselor

After students have decided on a career path counselors  help by assisting with college and post-secondary planning.

“Finally, counselors can assist students with personal and social issues that could include conflict resolution, relationship concerns, bullying, stress and anxiety, and emotional regulation,” she said, adding that school counselors’ ultimate goal is to help students be successful in both their academics and social lives.

“As you can see, school counselors help students in a variety of areas,” stated Hoffman.

For National School Counselor’s Week, the counseling department planned morning announcements related to school counseling for each day. In addition, the newly-formed Positivity Club worked closely with the counseling department to add signs, decorations, and inspirational posters to the counseling suite of offices.

The sponsor for National School Counseling Week is the American School Counselor Association or ASCA. The association is a nonprofit organization founded in 1952 that supports school counselors’ efforts in helping students focus on school.