As the school year begins, it’s important to recognize students may face new challenges and feelings. Parents, too, may find themselves navigating uncharted territory as they guide their child(ren) through the complex landscape of social and emotional growth. At MSSA, we are fortunate to have the support of two counselors, Jessica Harrison and Daniel Torres.
Jessica and Daniel are licensed counselors with expertise in guiding and supporting children. Jessica, a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor, is available on campus every Tuesday and Wednesday, while Daniel, a Licensed Professional Counselor-Associate, can be found here on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Together, they support the social-emotional growth of our students through parent and student requests, leadership programs, middle school advisory, classroom visits, and teacher training.
Requests to see the counselor can happen at any time and occur in two ways:
- Parent request: Parents of our younger students typically request help and guidance when they see a change in their child’s behavior. When this occurs, Jessica or Daniel will observe the child in the classroom to help parents better understand their child’s classroom interactions and offer skills to use at home to help the child.
- Student request: Students make requests through a locked confidential request box. When making the request, students express the intensity of their feelings and the urgency of their need for support. Our counselors then strive to meet with students on the same day or the following day whenever possible.
Because student requests generally require short-term support (something that can be resolved in two or three meetings), the counselor’s office typically does not contact parents after the first request unless further intervention is necessary. Instead, the counselor will provide solution-focused support by promoting skills to move forward. For example, if a child is having a friendship dilemma, Jessica or Daniel might talk about green and red flags in friendship, discuss how to move forward, and then check in to see how things are going. Essentially, they are helping the students build a toolbox to use as they navigate complex situations.
In cases where outside resources or long-term support is needed, parents will be informed and provided with appropriate referrals.
Jessica and Daniel are not just problem solvers; they interact with our students in other ways. They have launched our third-year and sixth-year leadership programs. Both are lunchtime programs aimed at supporting students’ emotional growth. The third-years focus on skill building, especially empathy and friendship, as they prepare to move to UE. The sixth-years dive into social dilemmas by simulating difficult situations and working through them by role-playing and modeling the scenarios. Counselors will be sending more information about the sixth-year program this fall, and information will be sent to the third-year families in the Spring.
Jessica and Daniel have also been instrumental in helping MSSA implement the RULER program, an evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning (SEL) developed at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. The pair brought emotional awareness to the forefront. Because of this, both our staff and students have a better understanding and vocabulary centered around emotional well-being.
While Jessica and Daniel are unable to provide long-term counseling to MSSA students, they can connect families with vetted external resources that align with our community’s needs. We encourage parents to reach out whenever they observe challenges and to utilize the support available through our counseling services.
As we celebrate this school year, let us remember the importance of emotional well-being and the resources we have at MSSA to support our students’ journeys.