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Academics
Student Support
Counselors
To Support and Advocate for Our Students
Counselors
Our student support network includes the entire community and our counselors are a vital part of our education team. They help all students in the areas of academic achievement, career, and social/emotional development. Our counselors strive to make each student feel known, understood and valued and serve as a resource for students when they need help outside of the classroom.
Counseling Philosophy
Severn School Counselors believe that
- every child can succeed under the right circumstances;
- every child has the potential to learn;
- every child has the right to be recognized for his or her personal strengths;
- academic, social, emotional, and physical well-being are interrelated.
Furthermore, we believe that an effective counseling program
- benefits all students, not just those with acute needs; and
- anticipates concerns and provides interventions ahead of time and responds to concerns as they happen.
In this Section
The mission of the Severn School counseling program reflects the mission of the school. We seek to provide a comprehensive and developmentally appropriate program founded on emotional wellness and healthy choices. This helps to ensure that every child meets his or her full potential as a student, a leader, and a community member. By partnering with students, families, and the school community, Counselors aim to help every student feel known and valued.
Counselors' Roles
Severn’s Counselors take concrete steps to meet the school’s and department’s philosophy and mission and to deliver a school-wide and cross-divisional counseling program.
Counselors meet with students individually and in small groups for short-term counseling. In addition to helping students manage common stressors, counselors screen students for symptoms consistent with clinical disorders. When necessary, they help parents find appropriate outside mental health providers and serve as the liaison between the school and provider.
Parent education and support is a priority. The counseling department hosts both daytime parent forums and evening events focusing on topics relevant to children and adolescents. These gatherings feature an outside expert on the topic at hand and provide an opportunity for both education and Q&A. Previous topics include anxiety, resilience, talking with your child about sexuality, internet safety, and developing a healthy body image. Parent connections are further strengthened through grade-level coffees which are also attended by the respective division head and dean of students. These gatherings serve as an opportunity to address grade-specific parent questions and concerns.
Counselors consult with teachers and administrators to enhance their work with adolescents. When indicated, counselors act as a conduit between students and faculty to help mediate problems. In times of crisis, the counselors coordinate with the school and community to bring together resources. As the foundation of their work, the counselors are members of and adhere to ASCA and ACA professional and legal standards.
In addition to maintaining school-wide counseling initiatives, the Lower, Middle and Upper School counselors carry out specific roles to meet the unique needs of their respective division and student population.
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Lower School Counselor
The Lower School counselor teaches the Heartstrings Program which is a social-emotional curriculum designed to strengthen social responsibility by building a foundation of understanding and respect for others. The program celebrates and appreciates people and their perspectives, addresses the social-emotional needs of the individual student, and educates the whole child by furthering important social skills. Focused grade-level activities teach age-appropriate strategies for areas such as empathy, self-control, problem solving, conflict resolution, mindfulness, and bullying prevention.
The Lower School counselor also provides individual and group counseling to students as well as parental support, as needs arise among students and families. The counselor regularly consults with learning specialists, teachers, and administrators to ensure the needs of students are being met. Lastly, she co-leads Student Council meetings monthly with student representatives in grades 2-5. -
Middle School Counselor
The Middle School counselor teaches extensive Health and Wellness classes to each grade. The grade-specific curriculum is designed to address the developmental needs of each age group. Held in small groups, these classes ensure that individual students have an opportunity to express their thoughts, questions, and concerns in a personal and safe environment.
In addition, the Middle School counselor co teaches academic classes when the content overlaps with her area of expertise. These opportunities serve as a forum for the counselor to develop a strong rapport with each student. Beyond the students, much of the Middle School counselor’s role focuses on supporting parents as they navigate the middle school years. -
Upper School Counselors
Upper School counselors meet with students individually and in small groups for short-term counseling and personal coaching. In addition to helping students manage common stressors, the counselors are a resource in the community to support the adults who work with and care for Upper School students.
Upper School counselors also coordinate the US Advisory and Peer Counseling programs; coordinate school-wide, counseling-based initiatives, such as the annual Prevention Solutions program; co-teach grade level seminars and ninth grade Health and Wellness; help plan the new-student orientation, and team with teachers and administrators to enhance their work with Upper School students.
