Salida school counselors are in place to lead a myriad of projects in the schools. The counselors at each school provide leadership and programs that are suited to the developmental level of the students. At Salida Middle School, the counselors strive to support growth and development for all students, close achievement gaps and prepare our students for post-secondary and workforce success. Individual and group counseling, as well as crisis response management are addressed by the SMS counselors. The counselors work to have a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of the home, school and community for our students. The counselors work to collaborate with all members of the education team and serve as a community liaison to strengthen these connections and thus bring success to our students.
Salida Middle School has adopted a curriculum through Generation Schools to address students’ social and emotional intelligence. Social and emotional intelligence includes:
The ability to identify, manage, and express emotions constructively
Control impulses
Express empathy
Persevere when things get difficult and challenging
Communicate and relate effectively with others
Work collaboratively in groups
Negotiate and resolve differences in a win/win manner
The counselors work with all staff to support the school-wide implementation of this program.
Salida Middle School counselors meet weekly with each grade level team, providing the support with teachers to identify students who may need additional instructional or behavioral interventions. This process is called multi-tiered systems of support, or MTSS. Grade-level teams meet with parents and other staff to create individualized plans to support these student’s individual needs. Plans are reviewed regularly and progress is monitored to determine the success of the interventions or develop new interventions as needs arise.
Students and parents are encouraged to contact their school counselor if looking for support, or if there are any questions or concerns.
For the 2020-2021 school year the SMS school counselor is Erin Johnke and she can be reached at 719-530-5317 or [email protected].