Role of the School Counselor at Kontakt International School
The school counselor’s role is to provide social and emotional support to the students and families of KIS. This includes counseling sessions, parent meetings, advising teachers, and providing classroom presentations to address the emotional and social well-being of the students. Counselors handle a multitude of issues within the school community. Below are just a few examples of what a counselor is able to address at KIS.
Academics and Physical/Emotional Health
The physical and emotional well-being of a student is intrinsically linked to his/her success in school or extracurricular activities. Poor stress management, family problems, lack of organizational skills, low self-esteem, and other issues can all have a negative impact on the quality of a student’s work and his/her relationships with others. As students reach adolescence, issues like anger management, interpersonal relationships, body image, hygiene, and time management can become more apparent. Students are encouraged to discuss these issues with the school counselor in order to receive ongoing support and to learn practical skills such as how to express feelings appropriately, limit-setting, time management, stress management, and other skills. At both the primary and secondary levels the school counselor works with students individually, in groups, and in the classroom to improve their social/emotional well-being and to learn practical skills that will help them be successful in and out of the classroom.
Transitions
Families who live abroad for an extended period of time have the pleasure of traveling, meeting new people, and learning about and participating in different cultures. Despite the upside of being an expatriate, it can also be stressful. For students who attend international schools, they must learn to deal with the flux of adjusting to a new environment, saying goodbye, and developing and maintaining meaningful personal relationships whilst being expected to handle a school workload and extracurricular activities. Moreover, transitions are not just limited to students who are coming and going. The school counselor helps address these issues by assisting KIS teachers and administration during orientation week, providing resources and information to parents and students, and meeting with students individually.
Confidentiality
Counseling sessions are confidential, but there are limitations to confidentiality. Students, parents, and teachers can be assured that they can speak to the KIS counselor without being concerned that the content will be discussed publicly. The counselor takes great steps to ensure that information is not shared widely. However, it is also important to stress that the counselor does consult with administration and faculty as being the bridge between the students’ needs and expectations of the school. Furthermore, if a student is expected to be a danger to themselves or others, the counselor will intervene and notify the appropriate administrator/parent in order to ensure the situation is addressed immediately.