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Guidance: School Counseling Home

Guidance: School Counseling

MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSELING

The role of the school counselor is to provide students with the tools needed to help with the student's personal/social, career and academic success. Here at North Canton Middle School, our counseling department encourages every student to reach his/her highest potential. In order to get to know our students better, school counselors will remain with a class for three years. In other words, the sixth-grade counselor will become the seventh-grade counselor and the eighth-grade counselor as students progress through middle school. Once students leave eighth-grade to go to the high school, the eighth-grade counselor will become the sixth-grade counselor.

What is Counseling?

  • Meeting with a trained professional either as an individual or in a group, to discuss areas of concern you may be having in your life

  • Dealing with personal, social, vocational and educational concerns

  • Learning a process to make decisions and plan healthy ways of behaving, feeling and thinking

School counselors provide individual counseling, small group counseling and classroom guidance lessons.

Confidentiality
Counseling is completely voluntary. All conversations with a counselor will be held in confidence with the following exceptions: threat of harm to oneself, threat of harm to another and any report of abuse. If teachers or parents inquire about a student, the counselor will give them suggestions as to how they can help and be supportive.

Why Contact a Counselor?

For questions of any kind, feel free to contact the school counselor.

  • Bullying concerns

  • Study skills and organization

  • Conflict resolution

  • Decision-making

  • Life changes

  • Self-esteem

  • Career options

  • Stress/Anxiety

  • Grief/Loss

  • Concerns over student achievement

  • Friendship/Peer Relations

  • Family health problems

  • New school registration and organization

  • Test interpretation

  • Discussing special needs of a child

  • Early discussion of potential crises

  • Family difficulties or concerns 

How does a parent contact a counselor?

Parents can call or email the school counselor at any time for a phone conference or to set up a school visit. Please call 330-497-5635.

 

How does a student see a counselor? 

  • Self-referral

  • Request of a counselor

  • Parent referral

  • Administrative referral

  • Teacher or other staff referral

  • Referral by friend(s)

  • Support groups

 

"Kids don't know how much you know until they know how much you care."
 

MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSELORS

Mrs. Sue VanNostran

Mrs. Sue VanNostran
8th Grade School Counselor 
 

Mr. Christian Griffin headshot

Mr. Christian Griffin
6th Grade School Counselor
 

Mrs. Jami Brennan

Mrs. Jami Brennan
School Counselor & Programming Coordinator
 

Mr. Ross Ranki

Mr. Ross Rankin
7th Grade School Counselor
 

Mrs. Michele Renner

Mrs. Michele Renner
Guidance Department Secretary 
(330) 497-5635