OVER VIEW Of GMS Guidance Plan
School counselors follow the ethical guidelines of their professional association -- The American School Counselor Association (ASCA)This is especially important in helping to understand the ethics of confidentiality within the school setting. 
The SAU 27 Comprehensive Guidance Plan provides goals and objectives for the guidance program based upon a 2007 needs assessment that surveyed students, parents and teachers.  The Guidance Plan focuses on three domains for program planning: personal/social, academic, and vocational.  Guidance Counselors deliver services via three central methods:  Classroom/school guidance, small group counseling, and individual student planning/counseling.  The guidance counselor is also available to provide consultation to teachers and parents as well.

Classroom/School Guidance:  The counselor visits classrooms regularly to deliver lessons on various topics such as conflict resolution, bullying prevention, peer pressure, making choices, academic planning, safety, and character education.   The Guidance Counselor, with the support of the Character Education Extension Committee, also helps develop whole school educational opportunities designed to promote a sense of belonging and connection within the school community.       

Small Group Counseling:  A number of small group opportunities are available to children at GMS.  Friendship Circles during lunch provide children a chance to participate in a small social group marked by acceptance and belonging.  The Green Team is a service learning based program for third and fourth graders who may benefit from programming that enhances student self-esteem and self-concept.  In coordination with the school social worker, the guidance counselor may also offer Changing Families, Mood Management, Grief and Loss, and Understanding ADHD groups.

Individual Student Planning and Counseling:  The guidance counselor offers individual counseling to students.  Parent permission is required for regularly scheduled counseling, while short term, solution-focused counseling is offered on an as needed basis to all students.  Examples of counseling goals may focus on academic motivation, divorce, loss, or student goal setting. 

About Fern Seiden:
Fern received her Masters Degree in Social Work in 1997 from the University of Connecticut School of Social Work, and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in School Counseling in 2003 from Rivier College.    She has worked at GMS since 2003.  In 2009 she received the NH Elementary School Counselor of the Year award.   Much of her work as a counselor is based on the principles of the Circle of Courage, that proposes that all children need to experience Independence, Generosity, Belonging, and Mastery in order to reach their potential in school and life.