Counseling Program

School Counseling Program Mission Statement: The Miller Creek School District's comprehensive school counseling program will ensure equity, access, and success for all students through data-informed practices and multi-tiered systems of support. MCSD's comprehensive counseling program fosters academic achievement, social/emotional growth, and post-secondary readiness through proactive interventions and social-emotional learning. MCSD collaborates with families and communities to empower students, creating safe, healthy, and inclusive environments.

Led by Stephen Layton, LVE full time Counselor, the total Tier 1 + 2 student engagements via counseling

through the end of November this year was 4832 (532 more than through the same time period last year).

So what does this mean exactly?

In short, Mr. Layton has carefully curated a schedule that includes staff, student and parent engagements to support all. 

Below are the items he has covered to date for the 2024-2025 school year!

August-November, 2024

• Whole school expectations assembly to strat the year and get the school moving.
• Grade level expectations meetings to review our Shared Agreements - We Are Safe, We Are Responsible, We Are Respectful, and We Are Allies.
• Whole school campaigns to ensure students understand agreements. This included randomly interviewing staff and students about what those agreements are and how they transfer to our school learning spaces.
• Trust Adult Week to help connect students to staff. 
• "Have You Filled a Bucket Today?" Book readings with every class followed by discussions that focus on: Empathy, Kindness and Community.
• Life skills video and presentation at whole school assembly.
• Targeted work with each class to create video/presentations. To date, this includes: Responsible decision-making, Self-awareness, Self-management, Social Awareness
• Responsive small groups for resolving conflicts at recess and creating shared agreements
• Monthly classroom lessons for every class to support CASEL 5 life skills
• Emotional regulation, impulse control, personal space, cooperation, growth mindset, tone of voice and active listening, social skills
• Targeted classroom lessons in various SEL spaces to support areas of need for those particular classes. 
• 2nd grade emotional regulation class meetings to discuss ways to support
• Leadership clubs to address student connections to our school. This includes a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Team, Sunshine Club, and PEACE Ambassadors.
• Lunch clubs to support alternative spaces for our studentsv at lunch. This includes: Lego Club, Board Games Club, and Newspaper Club
• Restorative meetings via the PEACE method to resolve interpersonal conflicts.
• Proactive and responsive small groups to address social, emotional and behavioral issues.