Everyone has those days when everything appears to be going wrong and you need someone to talk to. Whether you’re having a bad day or need a schedule change, the counseling office is the place to go.
Counselors have many jobs to fulfill for students in all grades. On average a counselor is responsible for around 244 students. “Our jobs can be like a juggling act which not everyone realizes. Everyday we create and attend meetings with the various parents that call us. We work closely with students, parents, and teachers to ensure that every student is taken care of. I work with four different administrators to ensure my students in all grade levels are getting what they need. However, the most time consuming thing I do is the college process with my seniors, although it is only a small part of what I do,” counselor Laura Cope said.
As November is the time for college applications, counselors are busy helping seniors with the process. Counselors, along with college career information coordinator Lynda Hitchcock, are available to help seniors through the college process. “The college application process is time consuming and does have a lot of steps to follow. As a counselor, it is a systematic process and our main job is helping students follow these steps. It can be a stressful time for some students, but we are there to help them through it. We want to help our students who want to go to college have their best chance of getting in,” counselor José Varela said.
The counseling office has taken new steps to help students with mental illnesses by implementation of the “Flash Pass.” Students who feel they need to have full time contact with their counselor have the option to speak with their counselor about obtaining a flash pass.
A flash pass allows students to leave class at anytime to see their counselor if they have an immediate problem. “I think the flash pass is very helpful students. It allows them to be able to leave class anonymously and avoid judgment by their peers. It also does not interrupt class time as the teacher can see why the student is leaving. I think it is a good way for students who need to speak with their counselor quickly to do so,” counseling secretary Sherrie Clark said.
Counselors also make themselves available to student’s parents.
Alyssa Bursie
Commons Editor
