Orville A. Todd Middle School:
Guidance Services

The counselors at Todd consist of guidance counselors, a school psychologist and social workers that work as a team with students, parents and teachers. The primary function of this team is to counsel with students on any matter that they feel is important. Many students expect a counselor to solve problems. This is not always possible. What a counselor can do is help students [and their families] select a possible solution to a problem and continue to help select possible solutions until things improve.

Students are referred to the counselors through self-referrals, teachers/staff, other students, parents, administrators and the nurse. All issues discussed with a student and/or parents are kept in strict confidence. Some of the subjects that have been discussed with counselors include peer relationships, divorce, loss of a loved one, peer pressure, self-esteem, personal difficulties, choices, drugs and their dangers, personal/family difficulties, expressing and managing feelings [anger, sadness, jealousy, etc.], effective communication, homework, grades, student/parent relationships, student/teacher relationships, courses required for graduation, career exploration, job descriptions, setting goals and other concerns.

In addition to the services mentioned above, counselors work with students in group settings, such as group counseling and mediation, to effectively reach those with common concerns and issues. Group counseling provides a safe haven for students to share feelings and receive support when facing certain issues such as divorce, etc. Mediation between peers, teachers, etc. is sometimes necessary as a solution for an issue or concern.

Counselors provide information and resources to parents, teachers, and community members on a variety of issues and assist in facilitating referrals to outside agencies including but not limited to outside therapists/psychiatrists, hospital programs, out of district school programs, and the PINS process. Placement reviews and planning occurs with information gathering that includes teachers, administration, parents, psychologists and guidance counselors.

Additional Guidance Services

• Facilitation of parent/teacher conferences. Requests by either teachers or parents for team meetings are scheduled through the guidance secretary and usually take place during a team-meeting period [when a team of teachers share the same free period], or at 2:30.
• Academic planning occurs in January for scheduling eighth graders into the ninth grade. An important part of this process is the involvement of the parents/guardians. The middle school counselors work in conjunction with the high school counselors to make this process a smooth one.
• Orientation for incoming sixth graders helps ease the tensions for both students and parents.
• Schedule changes are done only on an as needed basis.
• Home tutoring will be provided if a student has a health problem or physical impairment, which in the opinion of a licensed medical examiner, will cause him/her to be absent from school for an extended period of time. Contact your child’s guidance counselor to set up this program.
• The Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth was established in 1979 to develop a program to identify, challenge, and reward young people with academic talent. The CTY annual Talent Search looks for exceptional mathematical and/or verbal reasoning abilities among students in the seventh grade in order to provide opportunities that encourage them to excel. To qualify to take the SAT I: Reasoning Test or the ACT, students must score at or above the 95th percentile on any reasoning section of nationally normed tests. The SAT I and ACT provides information that can help students recognize and develop their academic strengths. The Todd Middle School has been participating in the Talent Search since 1984. Numerous students have scored high enough on the SAT test to qualify to take academic programs during the summer at various participating colleges. In October letters will be sent home regarding eligibility for the Johns Hopkins Talent Search and an informational meeting will be scheduled for late October.

Psychological & Social Worker Services

In addition the Psychologist and Social Workers offer the following services:

• Identifying students in need of special education and 504 Accommodation Plans and facilitating the implementation of these services.
• Assessment of student’s levels and abilities in academic, cognitive and social/emotional realms. The information gathered by the psychologist helps to identify if the student is in need of services in school and at what level these services should take place.
• Referring eligible students to the Committee on Special Education [CSE]. The CSE will meet and determine if the student is qualified to obtain services provided through the school and will work to develop an Individual Education Plan [IEP] for the student.
• Developing Functional Behavioral Assessment [FBA] and a Behavior Intervention Plan [BIP]. These plans help in understanding what function the student’s behavior serves and in turn helps the teachers with strategies aimed at addressing student needs and thus helps the student achieve his/her goals.
• Provide counseling services akin to the guidance staff and often times counsel students on a more frequent or long-term basis.

How to Meet with the Counselor

Guidance Counselors

Students should make an effort to meet and get to know his/her guidance counselor. To meet with a counselor, students are encouraged to make an appointment with the guidance secretary who will make every effort to schedule appointments for them on that day. The best times to see a counselor are during lunch, homeroom, Todd Times, or after school. If an emergency arises, students are required to get a pass from a teacher to see the counselor.

Psychologist/Social Workers

Students can be referred to the psychologist or social worker by parents, teachers, the principal, the other counselors, or themselves. Long-term counseling services will only take place with parental consent. The psychologist and social worker will work with the students to determine the most appropriate counseling times.