Program Overview
TAS counselors promote all students’ social, emotional, academic, and multicultural competencies in a safe, respectful, and motivating school environment. This is achieved through a collaborative partnership of school personnel, parents, and community with the purpose of preparing all students for wellness, academic success, lifelong learning, and global citizenship.
We believe:
- Student well-being is at the heart of our educational approach;
- All students are deserving of a sense of belonging and connection;
- All students are capable of change and growth;
- Student success is individually defined and enhanced by one's own unique strengths;
- It is essential to celebrate diversity in all its forms and to support our students’ development towards an awareness of their personal identities; and
- Communication between home and school should be collaborative and ongoing.
Building on the KA-12 counseling philosophy and beliefs, the middle school counseling program is designed to support student wellness academically, socially, and emotionally during this important and exciting stage of their lives. The counselors also work closely with parents, faculty, and administration toward achieving maximum success for each student.
Middle school is a complex time of academic growth, exploration, and self-discovery, along with social and physical maturation. The students in the TAS middle school are in an academically rigorous environment that strongly encourages active involvement in a wide variety of sports and clubs. While dynamically engaged in learning and developing, the students spend essential time with their peers and teachers in a variety of settings. The counselors’ role is to provide students with guidance and support throughout this three-year adolescent journey.
Students find that the counselors are easily accessible via email or drop-in visits to the counseling office. Daily interaction with students occurs through a variety of mediums such as teaching health classes, monitoring the hallways and cafeteria, sponsoring clubs and sports, visiting during homeroom and study periods, and chairing the student wellness action teams.
Working closely with families who transition in and out of the middle school is another important counseling task. Change is hard and both students and parents benefit from a supportive school environment. The counselors take great care to work with colleagues in the lower and upper schools in order to ensure smooth transitions from one division to the next. In addition, the counselors pay special attention to students in transition, including directing the student ambassador program that provides students who are new to TAS with a “buddy” to help them settle in. The counselors are readily available contacts for students and parents if questions or concerns arise anytime during the year.
Additional counseling services are also available at the Community Services Center.
