Counseling Center

What does an Elementary School Counselor do?

A school counselor is a professional educator with mental health training and perspective. Through this lens, our job is to advocate, respond and support the student in (and out) of the educational experience. This is done by:

One-on-ones - Time that is just the individual and the counselor working a specific skill set; usually no more than 6-8 meetings (less than 20 minutes a time).

Small Groups - A focused group, no more than 8-10 students in a group that meets once a week for 8-10 weeks on a specific issue or skill.

Community Support and Resources - Acting as a connector to different community resources or to be an advocate for your family/student.

Guidance Lessons - Following American School Counseling Standard (ASCA), I will be teaching lessons K-5 on social skills (how to get along with peers, how to problem solve by yourself, and when to bring in an adult), anti-bullying, calming strategies and other topics.

Referral Process

All students have free access to my services. They can refer themselves by coming to my office, stopping me at recess, bus or in the hall. A staff member or a guardian can refer a student if they believe the student would benefit from this. I will see a student twice before I need written permission from the guardian to continue seeing the student.

We are lucky to have a Yamhill Mental Specialist here at Dayton Grade School four days a week. If more in-depth counseling is needed, referrals can happen without much a delay. Parents/Guardians will be notified first if this is the case.