Published: February 6, 2023
Written by: Heather, School Counselor
As a school staff member, a counselor in particular, welcoming a new semester at any school brings a flurry of activity – from reflecting on how the first half of the year went to refreshing current practices to polish the second part of the year, and beginning to plan for the upcoming year.
In my reflection this year, I’m reminded of being a former military child as I plan ahead with our school team to become a designated Purple Star School.
In my role, working with military-connected youth is rewarding and inspiring. They see your school through a fresh set of eyes.
What do they notice? What do they miss? What are they most excited about?
In planning out how I can best support them, I appreciate that fresh perspective. With that knowledge, I can expand my support to include all of my students. From creating a welcoming environment to providing comprehensive lessons that feature a variety of tools to keep our youth resilient and healthy, building a comprehensive school counseling program must include the military students and families you may have for only a short period of time.
I am even more mindful of my families and their backgrounds so that I may plan for how to best support them. As a counselor, it’s an honor to be an influence in a child’s life – for however long that may be. And it’s our mission to provide support in a way that helps them successfully move forward to that next great chapter – wherever that may take them.
We have used great resources to support our military connected youth: Virginia Purple Star Designation and for families for their next chapters Monroe Tales: It’s Not Goodbye, It’s See You Later, Sometimes We Are Brave, and Night Catch.
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In honor of National Counseling Week (February 6th-10th), we thank counselors like Heather for the important role they play in welcoming students – especially military-connected students, supporting and celebrating them to bloom where they’re planted.
Does your school have a counselor who helps your military student(s) dream big? Honor them this week on social media by tagging #NSCW23 and #BlueStarFamilies.
Posted In: Family Life