School Counseling
Our role as certified school counselors is to support all students regardless of need. Some of the services we provide include individual check-ins, group counseling, career planning, and connecting students to school-based and community resources. Utilizing leadership, advocacy, and collaboration, school counselors promote student success, provide preventive services, and respond to identified student needs by implementing the comprehensive TASD school counseling program based on the National Standards of American School Counselor Association (ASCA) that address academic, career, and personal/social development for all students.
Ms. Emma Pellicano (student last names A-K)
epellicano@trinityhillers.net (ext. 5506)
Ms. Heather Watson (student last names L-Z)
hwatson@trinityhillers.net (ext. 5510)
Trinity Area School District Counseling Program Mission Statement
“Every Student, Every Year”
The Trinity Area School District’s Counseling program is an integral part of the total educational experience for each student. As professionals, certified counselors serve as advocates for all students while working to establish and preserve partnerships with educators, parents, and community members. The counseling program is determined by the developmental needs of our students as outlined by the academic, career and personal/social National Standards(ASCA). The certified school counselors encourage all students to reach their full potential within the context of their individual, family, and multicultural perspectives. The counseling program is sequential, comprehensive, developmental, and coordinated. Counselors provide proactive and preventive services to every student, every year to strive and guide each student to become a lifelong learner and a productive, interactive, and successful citizen.
Responsive Services
This is a broad category including any resources the counselor can provide for direct, immediate concerns of each student. Responsive services are usually customized for each individual child, even though the menu of possibilities is standard. Although, not every student needs to access Responsive Services, they are available to every student. Such services could include, but are not limited to: individual counseling, conferencing with a parent or guardian, working with teachers in reference to an individual child, support and consulting with in-school services, referring students and families to community agencies when appropriate, crisis intervention, IEP or Student Assistance support, academic/behavioral consultation and referral or small group counseling.
Individual Planning
The counselors help students and their parent make informed decisions about the student’s future, such as appropriate course selection, elementary school to middle school transition, middle school to high school transition, and school/career goal setting. Individual Planning also assists students in navigating the world of the middle school by processing rules and routines, policies, grades, attendance and other strategic information. The school counselor serves as a facilitator of each student’s personal/social, academic and career development.
System Support
Counselors also spend part of their time in System Support. In addition to records management, standardized testing management, review of grades and honor roll, BUG and Golden BUG Awards, National Junior Honor Society, this area develops and implements positive programs. Counselors provide support to the school wide system through participation on various committees and K – 12 curriculum writing. They provide appropriate support to the district counseling program and other programs at the middle school. These aspects provided by the Counseling Department do not have a direct impact on the students, but Trinity Middle School could not be successful without these vital, behind the scenes components.
Curriculum
The curriculum is designed to be developmental, meaning that it addresses the tasks and need of the students as they develop through the grades. It is preventive, teaching skills to help students avoid and prevent difficulties through problem solving, planning and sound, informed decision making. Students are seen individually and in small group meetings. Many activities are available to each and every student enrolled, chosen to fit the needs of the student, school and community.
TMS school counselors have designed and implemented a developmentally appropriate program of services based on the unique needs of the children served. Some major elements of the program include:
| Consultation and referrals | Transition Planning | |
| Crisis Intervention | Academic Support | Group Class Meetings |
| Individual Counseling | Coordination of Testing | Liaison between home/school/agencies |
| Intern Counselor Supervision | Family Support | Student Advocacy |
| Conferences | Consultation | K – 12 program development |