Kimberly Gust, Guidance CounselorOverview:
The Veribest School District's Counseling & Guidance Program supports teaching and learning by assuring that all students achieve academic success and develop life skills through the acquisition of academic, career, and personal/social competencies, which will prepare them for meaningful participation in a diverse, changing world.
Our credentialed school counselor provides comprehensive school counseling programs that incorporate prevention and intervention activities through school-wide assemblies and activities, classroom guidance lessons, intentional guidance groups, individual counseling, and collaboration with outside community resources. Our counselor also assists students in ensuring they meet high school graduation requirements. Our "Crisis Response Team", comprised of internal and external expertise in Intervention Counseling, provides support to students, families and staff in the event of a crisis, emergency or traumatic situation. Our counselor is also responsible for administering violence prevention curriculum and character education programs.
Our school counselor will:
- Design and implement a comprehensive school counseling program based on the National Standards for School Counseling Programs and the American School Counselor Association’s (ASCA) National Model
- Ensure that students will receive guidance curriculum in the areas of academic, career, and personal/social development.
- Provide intervention services for students experiencing academic and personal/social barriers to learning.
- Provide guidance and information to students and families to ensure success in student attendance, behavior, and graduation, and prevention of drug use and violence.
- Provide resources to ensure that the school counseling center is a family-friendly environment.
- Ensure that students have access to a safe school climate necessary for academic and social/emotional growth.
- Our school counselor holds relative degrees in the areas of Education, Counseling and Guidance, Social Work or Marriage and Family Therapy.
Programs & Services:
The Counseling and Guidance Department provides a number of programs and services in order to help students achieve success and develop life skills in three personal competency areas.
Achieving Academic Success
From Pre-K to grade 12, our credentialed school counselor will support the school staff and parents in helping our students achieve competencies at each grade level. The following are examples of ways in which our credentialed school counselor contributes to student academic success:
- Test-taking strategies
- Study Skills
- Tutoring programs
- Small counseling groups
- 4-year educational plan
- Understanding Enrollment Options Programs and Services
- Understanding Emotional Intelligence(EQ) and the barriers to learning
Achieving Career Development Success
Our credentialed school counselor utilizes career development lessons and strategies to help students understand the relationship between personal qualities, education and training, and the world of work. The following are examples of how our credentialed school counselor contributes to career development success:
- Career awareness and exploration
- Goal setting
- Service learning
- High School Graduation Fact Sheets
- High School Graduation Guides
- School to Career
- Scholarship Guides (see below)
- Links to programs, that advise and inform students about college admissions, financial aid, and achieving academic success. (see below)
