Monthly Discussion Topics for Adjustment Councilors

August /September
  • Compile student caseload
  • Identify students and their classroom assignments
  • Meeting/ Discussion with previous counselors (ie: transition years; move from another school),
  • if needed
  • Setting up Office
  • Identifying service delivery for students on IEP’s; 504’s; Behavior Plans; Safety Plans
  • New student tours
  • Insuring all Anti-Bullying materials are distributed to classrooms
  • Meeting with building administration
  • Essential resources for the School Adjustment Counselor (ie: 51As, counseling referrals)

September

  • Meet and talk with teachers about at risk students on SAC caseload
  • Prepare for open house
  • Developing schedule for counseling sessions; groups
  • Creating and distributing permission slips to give to parents
  • File review
  • Review school drills and emergency procedures and our role in them
  • Review of student handbook, specifically attendance policy and procedures, behavioral
  • expectations, bullying policy, etc.
  • IEP Goal/Benchmark development and determining service delivery
  • Record keeping procedures
  • Discussing mentor/mentee observation and develop schedule for observations
  • Problem solving difficult situations (ie: students, families, staff)
  • Collaboration with teachers, parents, and administration
  • Evaluation: procedures, goal development, cycle, evidence collection



October through December

  • Conferring with parents and teachers for ongoing support
  • Preparing for Parent Conferences
  • IEP Progress Notes at end of marking period
  • Preparing for holidays/vacations (ie: what to anticipate with students; identifying potential
  • problems)
  • Identifying families in need (ie: food support, gifts, community resources)
  • Problem solving difficult situations (ie: students, families, staff)
  • Collaboration with teachers, parents, and administration

January-February

  • Reviewing caseload (individual and groups) and identified students with continued need or
  • dismissed from counseling
  • Problem solving difficult situations (ie: students, families, staff)
  • IEP Progress Notes at end of marking period
  • Collaboration with teachers, parents, and administration

March-May

  • Collaborating with teachers and other support staff around MCAS testing
  • Problem solving difficult situations (ie: students, families, staff)
  • IEP Progress Notes at end of marking period
  • Transition meetings with other school adjustment counselors (ie: Pre-K to K; 4 th to 5th; 8th to 9th)
  • Collaboration with teachers, parents, and administration
  • Preparing for parent conferences

June

  • IEP Progress Notes at end of marking period
  • Problem solving difficult situations (ie: students, families, staff)
  • Review of caseload (ie: individual and groups) to determine services for next school year
  • Mentee Self Assessment Survey
  • Reflections on current year and preparation for next school year
  • Closing of school checklists (ie: anti-bullying materials, building keys/cards)