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Counseling

North Beach MS/HS Counseling Program

Welcome to the North Beach MS/HS Counseling Program. The North Beach School District, in partnership with the community and the home, will provide educational experiences that enable every student to become:

    • Able and adept with self-management skills
    • Skilled in social interactions with peers and adults
    • An efficient information-seeker
    • An informed decision-maker
    • A proficient problem-solver
    • A responsible citizen

 

Our Social Emotional MS/HS School Counselor Jennifer Simmons Staff Web Page

My name is Jennifer Simmons, and I am the Social-Emotional School Counselor for North Beach Middle/High School. I believe every student has a right to be treated with unconditional regard and respect. I see my role as an advocate and a guide to students. I strive to be a resource for parents and teachers. After spending the past 30 years in various social services roles I am excited to bring my experience and expertise to North Beach.

I am a certified substance use prevention professional, suicide prevention trainer and experienced parent educator. I have worked in public health, mental health, and criminal justice. I believe in lifelong learning and work continuously to improve and educate myself though regular consultation with fellow North Beach Professional School Counselors, the Administration Team and the faculty at City University’s School of Health and Social Sciences. I am a graduate student seeking my Professional School Counseling Degree working under the supervision of Dr. Kimberly Walker. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. My hours are 7:30-3:00 Monday-Friday. You can text or call 360-660-5132.

The North Beach School District Counseling Program believes:

  •  All students can achieve
  • All students have a right to a safe, nurturing, and respectful environment
  • Cultural, ethnic, socioeconomic, racial and gender differences, developmental and special needs will be respected and honored
  • Parents and caregivers play a vital role in the education of their children and their culture, beliefs and values will be respected
  • All students will have access to high quality, professional counseling services
  • The counseling department will create a positive school environment by encouraging collaboration among counselors, teachers, administrators, parents and the community to further student achievement.
  • School counselors are advocates for all students and guided by the ethical standards of the American School Counseling Association https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/f041cbd0-7004-47a5-ba01-3a5d657c6743/Ethical-Standards.pdf

Confidentiality:

The North Beach MS/HS School Counseling Program will inform parents/guardians and/or appropriate authorities when a student poses a serious and foreseeable risk of harm to self or others. “Serious and foreseeable harm is different for each minor in the school setting and is determined by students’ developmental and chronological age, the setting, parental rights and the nature of harm” (ASCA, 2016, A.2.e).

Report to parents/guardians and/or appropriate authorities when students disclose a perpetrated or a perceived threat to their physical or mental well-being. Follow applicable federal state and local laws when making a report. https://www.dcyf.wa.gov/safety/mandated-reporter

Abide by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which defines who has access to student’s education records. https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html

Referrals:

The school counselor will collaborate and consult with school personnel, parents/guardians, community partners and agencies/organizations to coordinate support for all students, making referrals as needed to support students and promote their success.

Data Driven and Best Practices Programing:

The 36 American School Counselor Association Student Standards are broad standards that identify and describe the knowledge, attitudes and skills students should be able to demonstrate as a result of a school counseling program. School counselors use the standards to assess student growth and development, create culturally sustaining strategies and activities and build a program that helps students achieve their highest potential.

To operationalize the standards, school counselors write or select measurable learning objectives that align with specific mindsets or behaviors, which become the foundation for classroom instruction, appraisal and advisement, and counseling activities addressing student developmental needs. The learning objectives directly reflect the school counseling program’s vision, mission and goals, as well as the school’s academic mission. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/7428a787-a452-4abb-afec-d78ec77870cd/mindsets-behaviors.pdf