SOUTH DAYTONA ELEMENTARY

600 Elizabeth Place

South Daytona, FL 32119

(386) 322-6180

School Counselor

School Counselors

Ciana Desimini cmdesimi@volusia.k12.fl.us

Jeannie Joiner jljoine2@volusia.k12.fl.us

What Counselors Do

School counselors have many roles. Their primary goal is to encourage, support, and foster positive academic, career, social, and personal development in child and youth in schools.

Below, we have listed specific responsibilities and roles of school counselors.

1. Individual counseling and advisement, e.g., Resolve conflicts, identity development, specific student concerns (cultural adjustment, learning a new language, social class, racism, substance use, grades, peer pressure, etc.);

2. Consultation—working with administrators, teachers, and staff to meet student needs, e.g., Teach staff about various student issues (suicide and loss)

3. Student appraisal—coordinating information that goes into confidential student files and interpreting the info to help qualify students for special programs;

4. Parent help—meet individual and in groups with parents, provide resources and information on child development,

specific topics, etc.;

5. Referral—provide referrals to appropriate professionals in the schools and in the outside community;

6. Program planning—coordinating work of various school personnel, parents, and other interested parties in implementation of the school counseling program. Students in the USF School Counseling Program have developed programs in the following areas:

Ethnic identity
Health education
Bullying
Retention and first generation college students
Sociodrama around peer relations.

7. Career development—developing and implementing career awareness as part of the school counseling curriculum;

8. Change agent for the school atmosphere;

9. Student advocate in meetings with teachers and staff;

10. Classroom observations on behaviors, relationships and providing feedback to teacher, students, parents, staff;

11. Public relations—explain importance of counseling with school staff, parents, teachers, students, community members; explain problems students may have. Relate to cultural stigmas;

12. Local research—student population characteristics (drug use on campus, etc.);

13. Screen students—interview new students, etc.;

14. Staff development—around particular issues.

Elementary School Counseling Support Groups

Listed below are a number of groups that are common for elementary school counselors.

Academic Support Study Skills Group (3-5)
The activities in this group help to develop skills to increase academic success in intermediate elementary students. The students in this group are typically the students who need supplemental instruction on strategies to use in the classroom to help them focus, prepare and get on track to learn. They are not highly disruptive and do not have severe learning concerns. They are not performing as well as they could on classroom assignments or statewide tests.

New Student Support Group (Lunch Bunch Group)
The activities in this group help to develop skills for students transitioning into a new school, at any time during the school year. The following activities were designed to be used with students in grades 3rd to 6th.

Impulsive Behavior/ADHD Group
Activities from Calm Down and Play: Activities to Help Impulsive Children , Loretta Oleck Berger, MSW

Friendship Support Group (K-2)
The activities in this group help to develop skills for primary grade students to make and sustain healthy friendships in school.

Friendship Support Group (3-5)
The activities in this group help to develop skills for intermediate grade students to make and sustain healthy friendships in school.

Grief Support and Referral
School counselors, with the permission of the student's parent or guardian, can provide valuable support for students who have experienced the death of someone close. The activities in this group help to teach children about death, to recognize and express feelings of sadness and grief, encourage open communication and help with skills to cope with the loss of someone close. Referrals are given for grief counseling and support which can include Equine Therapy for the student and family and Camp Begin Again or the Begin Again Children's Grief Center.

K-Kids Leadership Group (3-5)

Provides leadership and service learning opportunities for students in grades 3-5. Students must be referred by their teacher and have parent permission to participate. Kiwanis of Daytona Beach is our club sponsor and provides our school with leadership activities, food drives, book drives, seeds of service, leadership awards and financial support. Students learn to give back to their community and school through this program.

Breakfast Refuels a Kids Brain: Study