A message from Mrs. Gallagher regarding the Coronavirus:

Thank you for visiting the School Counseling site. Undoubtedly, you or your child may be struggling with ways to deal with this new and scary situation. And students in your home may be asking for ways to understand what is happening right now. The links below should help if you need guidance on how to explain what the virus is and how we can cope with the feelings that come along with it. 

Talking to Kids about the Coronavirus

Kids handout about Coronavirus and coping skills

Covibook: A book for supporting and reassuring young children about the Coronavirus

Brainpop video: The Coronavirus

Here are some resources while your child is home from school: 

Brainpop: Health and Social/Emotional Learning - Tons of videos, quizzes, and games

Storyline Online- Online picture books read aloud. Check out: The Empty Pot, Enemy Pie, A Bad Case of the Stripes (they're a few of my favorites!)

GoNoodle for Families- videos to get kids up and moving

As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns: lgallagher@trinityhillers.net 

Frequently Asked Questions

1.  What exactly does a counselor do?

Much like the school nurse, our services are available to ALL students, not just those with an emotional disability or in a crisis. It is our job to make sure that students are happy and doing their best at school. This is a tall order since so many factors go into kids doing well---their ability to focus and and pay attention, their relationships with peers and teachers, how well they can manage their feelings and impulses, and their lives outside of school. We can address these issues using individual or small group counseling, as well as classroom guidance lessons. We ask kids to think of us as a coach who helps them solve their problems. We are also an adult in the building with whom they are never “in trouble."

2.  Why do kids need school counseling?

• Children learn best when they feel good about themselves and their relationships with others.
• Children who understand their feelings are better able to control their behavior.
• Children are capable of making responsible choices.
• Schools, parents, and communities that communicate and collaborate provide the most effective support to children.
• Attitudes formed during elementary school shape future attitudes towards learning, self, and society. 

3. How are you different from a therapist at an outside agency?

We frequently see children just once or twice, or in the classroom setting rather than our offices. Our primary role is to deal with school-related problems. Sometimes an issue is better addressed more intensively in a therapeutic setting, and with greater direct parental involvement. Contact us if you’d like us to recommend an outside therapist for your child.

4. How do children get to see you?

Children may come to us in a variety of ways. Usually it’s by recommendation of the classroom teacher and/or the parent.  Often, children will approach us themselves and ask if they can see us. They may also ask their teacher or someone in the office to give us a message. 

5. Will you notify me if you see my child?

Children frequently pop in to tell us about relatively minor or time-limited issues like an argument with a peer or the death of a pet.  If that happens, we may not notify you unless: there is a safety concern, your child has asked to see us repeatedly, or if the worry or problem is significant (by adult standards). 

Special thanks to Laurie Parker Mendoza for the content on this front page.  Ms. Mendoza is a School Counselor at Pentucket Lake Elementary School in Massachusetts.