Mission/Vision/FAQs

Hello! My name is Michael Reeves, Licensed School Counselor for McCulloch Junior High School. I would like to welcome on behalf of our Student Services department you to look at some of the information and resources available at our school and in the community.

Mission

School Counselors facilitate the academic, career, and personal/social development of all students. School Counselors, Home/School Coordinators and other support members are integral members of the instructional team. They directly impact student achievement by delivering comprehensive services that meet the needs of the 21st century school community. What does this mean for your child? This means that we pay close attention to every student in the building and how he/she connects to his/her education and therefore achieves to the maximum level possible. I help your child and all school stakeholders to creatively problem-solve any issues that may (temporarily or otherwise) pose an obstacle to the learning process.

Vision

Professional School Counselors are uniquely trained leaders who promote success for all students. They collaborate with school stakeholders using data driven decisions to facilitate the success of the 21st century learner in an ever-changing society.

As a result the student will:

achieve to their maximum potential
demonstrate academic, career, personal/social problem-solving skills
recognize and appreciate individual differences
develop communication, citizenship and employability skills to make positive contributions to the community
access human and technological resources for support and information

How does your child experience Student Services here at McCulloch Jr. High?

Individual counseling: We work with a student in a safe, positive, and confidential setting to address issues that get in the way of school achievement. Topics are based on the needs of the student and may include: understanding feelings, changing families/divorce, grief, stress, social skills, academics, bullying, problem-solving, and decision-making.

Small group counseling: A process where students sharing similar issues or concerns work together in a small and large group environments. The group sessions usually last about 20-25 minutes during the students lunch. Topics are based on the needs of the students and may include divorce, family issues, grief and loss, friendship and social skills, study skills, conflict resolution, anger management, self-esteem, and stress-management.

Classroom counseling lessons: We develop and implement classroom lesson based on needs of students and school standards.

Tips for families: Navigating the middle grade years

1. With freedom comes responsibility. Junior high school can be one of the most stressful years socially for students. With the addition of hormonal changes and new emotions, your regularly compliant child might begin to test limits. It is important that as a parent you continue to allow additional freedom, but you still maintain regular monitoring of your child's schoolwork, friends and social activities.

2. Monitor your child's homework, but don't manage it. Parents should continue to keep track of student's grades and completion of work. Parents can view daily assignments on each teacher's classroom webpage. Parents should also monitor grades through Infinite Campus. If you have lost your Infinite Campus account information, please contact Social Services.

3. Monitor your child's technology use. As a parent, you will need to set the rules for all technology in your house, including cameras, devices such as phones, tablets, etc. You will want to set limits on how much time the devices can be used as well as how those devices can be used. You are the boss for your child's technology and can limit or take away any devices. You may even want to create a technology contract with your child that outlines all rules for technology.

4. Help your child develop a strong work ethic. Your student should have homework or review activities every night to complete. If your child does not have homework in a particular subject, encourage him or her to at least spend 10 minutes reviewing notes from class that day. This will greatly improve your child's test performance over that material. In middle school , students will be responsible for making up any work that occurred during absences.