Guidance

The school counseling program is comprehensive and developmental in nature, and is designed to be integral to Madras Middle School’s total educational plan. Our counseling program is designed for all students, emphasizes personal growth, and individual potential, and is directed toward helping students learn more effectively. We work with students, teachers, parents, school administrators and community resources to meet these goals.

The following are situations in which students may be referred to the Counseling Department:

• any child who requests to see the counselor
• students with learning difficulties
• students having difficulty with relationships
• students demonstrating observable changes in behavior that cannot be accounted for by the teacher
• children who are antisocial
• children who are constantly late to school or with their work
• children with frequent complaints of physical ailments
• children who are fearful or nervous
• children who seem to seek only negative attention
• children who have experienced a death in the family or a close friend
• children experiencing divorce or separation in the family
• children who are often absent from school
• children entering a new or special learning class
• children who exhibit excessive aggressive behavior.

The following are situations where it is necessary to make immediate referrals to the Counseling Department:

• suspected evidence of child abuse, physical or mental
• a child cries or gets sick daily
• a child who becomes unable to function in a normal way
• any behavior change in a child that is sudden or unusual
• a child undergoing a traumatic family experience
• indications of mounting hostility between a child and a teacher or his peer group.