Dear FISD family,

National School Counseling Week 2010, "Celebrate School Counseling," will be celebrated from Feb. 1-5, 2010, to focus public attention on the unique contribution of professional school counselors within U.S. school systems. National School Counseling Week highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career.

School guidance counselors at FISD serve in a variety of roles. They often work with parents, teachers, students and the community to address three strands of guidance: academic success, college/career information, and personal/social development.

The mission of the FISD Counseling and Guidance Department is to create and sustain effective comprehensive counseling and guidance programs and services which help students become lifelong learners and responsible productive citizens by promoting their personal growth and academic development.

The counselor’s office at any campus from elementary to high school is a busy place. School counselors develop character-building programs to inspire good manners and healthy social behavior in students. They work with students who, though young, may have emotional or behavior issues that must be addressed with the parent, teacher and student. They oversee testing and help students make academic decisions that may change the course of the student’s future. They organize parent education classes and work with the campus resource officers and child protective services to intervene in dangerous situations.

FISD’s counseling and guidance department has a crisis response team that consists of approximately 20 counselors, three Student Assistance Coordinators, and two Parental Support Coordinators from FISD who have received additional training for responding to schools who have a need for additional help when problems arise. They are first on the scene if there is a tragedy or emergency situation involving a student at a campus.

The department also provides support for students and parents. The district’s student assistance coordinators and parental support coordinators provide individual campus counselors, students and parents with information to deal with issues such as peer pressure, drops in grades, parenting issues, transitioning to new schools, suspicions of substance abuse, and college information among other things.

FISD’s counseling and guidance professionals offer professional advice along with compassion for the struggles students face. It is fitting that the month of February – which society sees as a month of celebrating love and kindness – is also the time of year that guidance counselors are honored. The FISD counseling staff brings heartfelt care and professionalism to any situation.

Sincerely,

Rick Reedy