School Counseling services at RCMS are integral to the total educational program.  A staff of professional school counselors, under the leadership of the middle school Director of Student Services, provides counseling services, which include individual and group counseling, academic support and planning, college and career awareness, individual assessment, school/family conferences, and intervention referrals.  Each student is assigned to a school counselor based on team placement. 

Middle School counseling is also a unique opportunity to guide early adolescent students through the challenging years of development. We are excited to have this opportunity to assist in the educational development of your child as a component of the student/school/home team.

The Role of the Middle School Counselor

School counselors are specialized, professional educators certified by the Virginia State Department of Education. They are an integral part of the RCMS community, committed to the growth and well-being of their students. School counselors provide students with skills and motivation to become contributing members of the community. School Counselors collaborate with all members of the school community to form partnerships for the benefit of all students. They meet regularly with students, parents, teachers, administrators, and community liaisons to help develop and deliver programs that support all students’ academic, career, and social/emotional development.

RCMS Counselor Roles

Academic Domain

• has regular contact with teaching teams and/or parents to discuss any issues of concern regarding students, and to create plans for improvement;
• meets with students both individually and in groups to address issues such as study skills, time management, test anxiety, academic intervention, and motivation;
• works with special education and 504 committees to assess student need for support;
• continually addresses changing student needs through evaluation and conferral with all members of the school community. 

Social & Emotional Domain

• performs student mediations and conflict resolution;
• assists in student development of resiliency skills;
• helps students navigate transition from elementary school and to high school;
• confers with outside agencies for the purpose of referrals;
• provides developmental, prevention and intervention services to students. 

Career Domain

• provides college and career awareness and exploration through guided curriculum;
• strives to continually provide student refocus and reinforcement of relevance of middle level education to higher education and the world of work;
• shows students the connection of career goals to educational goals.