School Counseling

New Mission Counseling Mission Statement

The priority of the school counseling office is to provide support for academic, personal/social, and college & career development in order for our students to become lifelong leaders. We pride ourselves in working to ensure that each and every New Mission graduate is afforded the opportunity to become academically prepared for college and have an opportunity to apply to and be accepted into college. In order to graduate from New Mission, all students must apply to a minimum of five colleges and/or programs and meet with the members of the guidance team to verify their post-secondary plan prior to high school graduation.

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Get to Know Your New Mission School Counseling Team!

Overview

How Can a Student Access the Services of the School Counselor?

Caregivers, teachers, administrators, and students can initiate a referral to the school counselor.

School Counseling Overview

Counseling is a helping process in which the school counselor provides a safe, nurturing environment. By establishing a trusting, confidential* working relationship, students can share their feelings and develop positive solutions to personal issues. Often, the focus is on problem solving, decision making, and discovering personal meaning related to learning and development. The New Mission Counselors collaborate with teachers and caregivers on early identification and intervention of children’s academic and social/emotional needs, which is essential in removing barriers to learning and developing skills and behaviors critical for academic achievement. School counseling programs are essential for students to achieve optimal personal growth, acquire positive social skills and values, set informed career goals and realize full academic potential to become productive, contributing members of the world community.

*Confidentiality

An important obligation of school counselors is to maintain the confidentiality of their relationships with students. School counselors are obliged not to disclose information that a student has shared within the context of the counseling relationship, unless such disclosures are necessary to protect the student from posing a serious threat to themself or to others.

What do school counselors do?

School counselors help all students:

  • Apply academic achievement strategies

  • Plan for postsecondary options

  • Manage emotions and apply interpersonal skills

Duties include providing:

  • Individual student academic planning and goal setting

  • School counseling classroom lessons based on student success standards

  • Hands-on college planning

  • Short-term counseling to students

  • Referrals for long-term support

  • Collaboration with families/ teachers/ administrators/ community for student success

  • Advocacy for students at individual education plan meetings and other student-focused meetings

  • Data analysis to identify student issues, needs and challenges

A Note About Middle School...

Although the school counselors are here to support all students, most middle school concerns and questions should go directly to Shemere Johnson, Dean of 7th and 8th Grade. Ms. Johnson works very closely with the school counseling department to support the various academic and socio-emotional concerns of all middle school students. She can be reached at sjohnson9@bostonpublicschools.org or 617-635-6437 x 31715.

School Counselor Qualification

School counselors are licensed educational professionals that have earned a master's degree or higher. They have received training to meet the academic, career, social/emotional, and developmental needs of all students within the school.

Grading Schedule SY23-24

Parent / Student Forms