Welcome to the Francis Case Counseling Program!
My name is Mrs. Cole. I have been the School Counselor at Francis Case Elementary since 2011. Here at Francis Case, my days sure are busy! I have the privilege of working with staff, students, and families all day, every day. With nearly 450 students, that sure keeps me running!
Here at school, I do monthly classroom lessons with each classroom. Topics are derived from and correlate with the Douglas School District Counseling Curriculum, which cover academic, personal/social, and career developmental areas. Examples of lessons and topics presented to students include bullying, generosity, decision-making skills, and conflict resolution.
I also run small, topical groups for students. Groups typically run for six weeks, lasting thirty minutes per week. Students can be selected for participation in groups by parents or classroom teachers. I do get parental permission for students to join a group. Topics may vary, but examples may include groups focused on building academic skills, social skills, anger management skills, and a special group focused on students that have parents deployed with the military.
In addition to classroom lessons and small groups, I also see students on an individual basis. Students are able to request a meeting with the counselor through their parents, their classroom teacher, or they may leave me a meeting request in my box located near my office. Students see the school counselor for a variety of reasons, including friendship issues, personal issues, emotional difficulties, and academic issues. While meeting with students, I always encourage them to talk with parents/caregivers about their concern as well; however, I will get permission from the child to contact parents in the case that something needs to be shared immediately. Students have confidentiality privileges during these meetings, except in the case of immediate danger, abuse, or neglect, in which case school counselors are mandated reporters.