School Counseling Services at our School

Elementary School Counselors foster student learning through the development of skills and attitudes necessary to be successful learners and exemplary citizens through classroom lessons, small group counseling, individual counseling, social lunch bunches, and collaboration with school professionals and families.

School counselors serve as the student’s advocate and they adhere to the Code of Ethics of the American School Counselor Association. Confidentiality is important to the counseling relationship, because it facilitates trust. However, if the student shares something that suggests harm to anyone, that information must be shared.

School counselors promote excellence through their work in four program areas:

• Responsive Services: personal and crisis counseling, small group counseling, 504, and support services
• Life Skills Curriculum: engaging classroom lessons for every student that promote safety, character education, social and emotional development, and strategies for academic success for every grade level
• System Support: collaboration with teachers and staff and fostering community relationships

• Individual Planning: test planning and interpretation as well as goal setting

The counselors facilitate Life Skills lessons on the Specials rotation that adhere to the Williamson County Schools Scope and Sequence.

The Edmondson School Counselors will send a monthly newsletter outlining specific topics covered and some insight into each lesson. Examples of some K-5 lesson topics:

• Self-awareness
• Emotional regulation and feelings
• Study skills
• Coping strategies
• Goal setting
• Communication strategies
• Online safety
• Peer pressure
• Conflict resolution
• Respect and manners
• Friendship and kindness
• Growth mindset
• Career exploration
• Responsibility

Small groups are organized to help students meet certain challenges they may be facing. These groups give students an opportunity to share and acquire specific skills in a smaller setting. They usually meet once a week in groups of three to seven students. The duration of the group can last from five to eight weeks. Examples of small groups:

• Friendship groups to help children build social skills.
• Emotional regulation groups to help students learn how to manage their emotions in a healthy way.
• Self-esteem groups to help children feel positive about themselves.
• Self-control groups to help children manage their voices and bodies.
• Grief groups to help children cope with the death of a loved one.
• Changing families groups to help children adjust to the challenges of divorce, remarriage, and step-families.

If someone at EES believes your child would be a good fit for a small group, one of the School Counselors will send you an informational letter regarding the opportunity which you may accept or decline. 

All students are free to talk with one of the EES Counselors (as long as a student hasn’t been opted out of receiving School Counseling services) about personal concerns they may have. Students may be referred by teachers, parents, or self-referral.

The Edmondson Elementary School Counselors host several special events throughout the school year.

• Character Assemblies
• Parenting Enrichment Opportunities
• Service Projects through Student Council
• 5th Grade Transition to Brentwood Middle School

We work hard at Edmondson to support a worry-free environment where students can do their very best. Unfortunately, teasing and bullying incidents may occur and can be discouraging to a child and disruptive to the learning process.

If a student needs help resolving a conflict or if a student feels that they are being bullied, they should communicate with their teacher, one of our school counselors, or administration.

Character development is very important at EES. Life Skills classes, led by one of the EES school counselors, focus on a character trait of the month. Throughout the year, we will teach and consistently enforce our schoolwide expectations. Students caught meeting or going above and beyond expectations will receive verbal praise at school, and students can earn E-bucks to spend in various ways.

Character Traits 2024-2025:

August - Respect

September - Kindness

October - Empathy

November - Teamwork

January - Optimism

February - Curiosity

March - Integrity

April - Responsibility

At the end of each month, one student from each class will receive an EES Character Award for the corresponding trait.