The Culver City Unified School District is celebrating National School Counseling Week 2021, “School Counselors: All in for All Students,” sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), from February 1–5, 2021. This special week is designed to focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within CCUSD and throughout U.S. school systems and how students are different as a result of what school counselors do. National School Counseling Week highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success, address mental health issues and plan for a career.
The special week honoring school counselors provides recognition for school counselors who “implement comprehensive school counseling programs, a vital part of the educational process for all students as they meet the challenges of the 21st century,” said Superintendent Leslie Lockhart. “We are so proud of the work our counselors do every day and how they have managed to pivot, even in the midst of distance learning and a pandemic, to put students first.”
Lockhart recognized school counselors for being actively engaged in helping students examine their abilities, strengths, interests and talents; for working in a partnership with parents as they encounter the challenges of raising children in today’s world; for focusing on positive ways to enhance students’ academic, postsecondary and social/emotional development; and working with teachers and other educators to provide an educational system where students can realize their potential and set healthy, realistic and optimistic aspirations for themselves. School counselors are certified, experienced educators with a master’s degree in school counseling. The combination of their training and experience makes them an integral part of the total educational program.
CCUSD counselors work with all students to remove barriers to learning by addressing students’ academic concerns, postsecondary options and social/emotional skills. CCUSD has established a Social Emotional Learning and Counseling Resources section on its website to provide parents with a variety of mental health resources and specific articles addressing everything from dealing with student stress and anxiety to taking care of your own emotional needs.
Parents or community members with specific questions or concerns about school counseling programs should contact the school counselors at their local schools. More general information can also be found on ASCA’s website, www.schoolcounselor.org.
