The counseling program at St. Bernard Academy is available to help students, parents, and teachers develop positive learning experiences. Religion, science and homeroom teachers are all involved in the counseling of students. All grades include units on building self-esteem, becoming informed about drugs, building decision-making and relationship skills, and violence prevention skills.
The Guidance Counselor’s role includes the following services:
· Counseling individual students – Each student from level 8 to 1 is given an appointment to visit with the counselor. Topics discussed include what the student did during the summer, what books they have read, what their favorite academic subject is, who are their friends, what they want to be when they are grown, etc.
· Small group counseling – Sometimes conflicts develop among students and talking it out usually resolves the situation. A little reconciliation process benefits all!
· Classroom group guidance – Videos and programs are used to discuss pertinent developmentally appropriate topics such as bullying, trustworthiness, honesty, respect, responsibility, caring, fairness, picking good friends, inhalants, tobacco, alcohol, ecstasy.
· Consulting and making referrals – Sometimes students have problems that require getting clinical help and referrals are made for this.
· RAINBOWS program for children experiencing grief, either from the death of a loved one or divorce.
· The SAFE AT LAST program, mandated by the Diocese of Nashville, teaches children about safety, including safe touch and secrets, safety on the internet, at home answering the phone or door, and safety when lost.