SM-DCPS School Counselors Celebrate National School Counseling Week
With all the pressures of school, home, and the challenges of a post-COVID learning environment, now more than ever students of all ages need a support system to help them cope with all these changes as they strive to thrive and learn at school.
National School Counseling Week 2023, “School Counselors: Helping Students Dream Big,” will be observed from February 6 to 10 to highlight the tremendous impact school counselors have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career.
“I don’t believe in ‘I can’t,’” said Miami Senior High School Counselor Victor Cuevas. “I want to help every student reach their potential, graduate, and aspire to bigger things.”
The countless benefits of a comprehensive school counseling program are brought to life at M-DCPS by our more than 650 qualified and dedicated school counselors, who pour their hearts into educating the whole child.
“Many students have experienced failure in their personal as well as their academic lives. It is up to us as school counselors to inspire confidence in these students and provide them with a renewed sense of hope,” said Ana del Cerro, School Counselor at Coral Gables Preparatory Academy. “By helping to build up their self-esteem, we open avenues for them to dream big.”
School counselors actively engage in helping students examine their abilities, strengths, interests, and talents. They also work with parents and teachers to provide an educational system where students can realize their potential and set healthy, realistic, and optimistic aspirations for themselves.
“School counseling programs help to increase student achievement and provide a much-needed resource for students, parents, teachers and administrators,” said Jill Cook, American School Counselor Association Executive Director. “School counselors are integral to student success.”
School counselors are certified, experienced educators that form an integral part of the total educational program. They work with students to remove barriers to learning by addressing students’ emotional and academic concerns.
“My theoretical experience never prepared me for the reality of the hardships of my students’ experiences,” states Dominique Benoit, who is a counselor for grades 9 and 12 at North Miami Senior High. “My students are hardworking, courageous, and resilient. I help foster those qualities by nurturing, encouraging, and validating their dreams and goals every day.”
Parents or community members with specific questions or concerns about school counseling programs should contact the school counselors at their local schools.
