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Counseling
What Do Middle School Counselors Do?
Middle school counselors play an important role in supporting students’ academic, social, and emotional growth during a critical stage of development. They work with students, families, and staff to create a safe, supportive, and engaging learning environment.
Key Roles of Middle School Counselors
- Academic Support
- Social & Emotional Support
- Career & Future Readiness
- Family & Community Partnership
- Schoolwide Support
In short: Middle school counselors are advocates, problem-solvers, and guides. They help students navigate the academic and social challenges of adolescence while building the skills they need for high school and beyond.
Limits of Confidentiality
School counselors provide a safe place for students to share their thoughts and feelings. Most conversations are private, which means they are kept between the student and the counselor. However, there are times when the counselor must share information to keep students safe. It is important for both students and parents to understand these limits.
When Counselors Must Share Information:
- If a student talks about wanting to hurt themselves or someone else.
- If a student says they are being hurt, have been hurt, or are in danger.
- If there is concern about abuse or neglect.
- If the court requires the counselor to share information.
- If the counselor needs to work with teachers, administrators, or other staff to help support the student’s safety or success.
As School Counselors, we will always do our best to let students and families know when information needs to be shared. The goal is to keep every student safe, healthy, and supported both in and out of school.
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- Check Canvas often to stay on top of grades and upcoming assignments, and tests.
- Communicate with your teachers if you think you will need additional support in your classes. Remember, your teachers want to help you succeed!
- Get organized and prepared: have a separate folder for each class, utilize a planner, write out a to-do list every day... whatever works for you! (Your school counselor can help you get organized if you don't know where to start).
- Take advantage of WIN to receive extra help with classes you're struggling in and keep from falling behind.
- Figure out what study strategy works for you. Do you like flashcards? Writing notes? Watching videos/listening to audio? Reading about a topic? Everyone is different and everyone's study strategy will look different.
- Pair up with a friend or a group of friends to work on assignments and study together. You can keep each other accountable and have more fun.
- Check in with yourself: how are you doing academically? Physically? Emotionally?
- Make time for self-care: spend time with your family and/or friends, do the things you love just for fun, get good sleep, or get exercising!
- If you need help, reach out to a trusted adult right away! This could be a family member, a teacher or staff member you trust, your counselor, etc. We want to help you be happy and healthy.
- If you want more support academically, socially, emotionally, or just need someone to talk to, visit your school counselor or fill out the counseling referral form. Our doors are always open
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- Reassure your child that it is okay to feel nervous
- Highlight the positives: more independence, new opportunities, and the opportunity to learn new subjects and develop additional hobbies and interests.
- Attend orientations and meetings for parents.
- Be a good listener—oftentimes, they just want to be heard, not fixed.
- Reassure your child that middle school is a safe space.
- Hormones are real. Mood swings, eye rolls, and drama come with the territory.
- Don’t take things personally. Middle schoolers push boundaries to figure out who they are.
- Talk about social skills.
- Openly communicate with your child.
- Help your child develop organizational strategies.
- Encourage your child to become their own advocate.
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School and future success starts with commitment to attendance!
As part of CMS’s Five Cs- being COMMITTED means coming to school, getting to class on time, and doing your best. The Counseling Department is committed to promoting and improving student attendance by addressing academic, social, emotional, and environmental barriers that may impact a student’s ability to attend school consistently. As counselors, we try to be proactive and use a student-centered approach to support regular school attendance as a key factor in academic success and long-term well-being.
We aim for excellent attendance (100%) for all, however we do recognize and understand that there are many reasons why students may miss school—some of which are unavoidable, like illness or unexpected transportation issues. If attendance drops below 95% the school will contact parents or caregivers immediately to put a plan in place to make improvements. We’re here to support families in overcoming attendance challenges. If you're facing barriers to getting your child to school regularly, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Together, we can help your child develop strong habits and a positive attitude toward learning that will last a lifetime.
Mental Health Matters
Adolescence can be a time of emotional ups and downs, and students face stress from school, friends, and other pressures. Our counseling staff help students better understand their emotions, regulate how they respond to stress, and communicate more effectively.
Overview of CMS’s Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum
DBT-Steps for Adolescents is part of our school’s Tier I social-emotional curriculum. Tier I supports are provided to all students to promote positive social, emotional, and learning outcomes.
What is DBT-Steps for Adolescents, aka DBT-Steps-A?
Despite its name, DBT-Steps-A (Dialectical Behavior Therapy Steps for Adolescents) is NOT considered therapy. It is a structured yet flexible program that helps youth build skills for managing emotions, improving relationships, making healthy decisions, and coping with life’s challenges.
Why are we using DBT-Steps -A?
Adolescence can be a time of emotional ups and downs, and students face stress from school, friends, and other pressures. DBT-Steps-A helps students better understand their emotions, regulate how they respond to stress, and communicate more effectively. Lessons will focus on the following:
- Mindfulness
- Distress Tolerance
- Emotion Regulation
- Interpersonal Effectiveness
How will DBT-Steps-A be implemented?
DBT-Steps-A is taught in small lessons and activities throughout the year, weekly during students’ 30-minute WIN (What I Need) period. Students learn strategies that promote emotional resilience, positive self-image, and healthy relationships. While the lessons are part of our school day, the skills taught will also support students in their daily lives outside of school.
How can you support your student?
We encourage you to engage in conversations with your student about the skills they are learning. You can ask what strategies they are practicing and how they are using them at home or with friends. By reinforcing these skills, you’ll be helping to create a consistent support system for your child’s growth. We are hopeful DBT-Steps-A will help your child feel more confident in handling challenges and contribute to their emotional health and well-being.