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Walnut Creek Intermediate School

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What does a counselor do?

WCI Academic Counselors

Stephanie Arganbright (A-L)
SArganbright@walnutcreeksd.org

Gaby Alvarez (M-Z)
GAlvarez@walnutcreeksd.org


Welcome to Walnut Creek Intermediate! 
At WCI, students have a school counselor assigned to them based on their last name.  Students should use them as a resource during their entire school experience.  To see a counselor or member of the Wellness team, students should come to the WCI Wellness Center.  A member of our staff will be there to greet them and assist them with their questions/needs.
 

  • School counselors support students in their academics, as well as their social and emotional development. Students see counselors for a multitude of reasons. Examples include:

    • A student has a conflict with their best friend and needs assistance in resolving the conflict.
    • A student received their first D grade and is struggling in math. What can they do?
    • A student is having a hard time talking with a teacher and needs some strategies to work through an issue.
    • A student just experienced a death in the family and is extremely emotional and can't seem to focus in class.
    • A student wants to go to Stanford or Berkeley and they want to know what the requirements are.
    • A student is stressed-out from the academic pressures they are feeling from parents and need some guidance.
       

  • School counselors provide students a safe, reliable space when students feel they need a knowledgeable, reliable and responsible adult to talk to.  In alliance with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Ethical Standards, it is the school counselor's responsibility to keep topics/issues discussed with students private and confidential, unless:

    • Students report that they are hurting themselves.
    • Students report someone else is hurting them or has threatened to hurt them.
    • Students report that they are going to cause harm to another person.

    Under these circumstances, school counselors make the professional decision to contact the appropriate authorities, including notifying parents/guardians, school administration and/or the police.  These exceptions are told to all students.
     

Counseling Services

 

Our counselors offer a wide range of services for our students and families. Parents may arrange appointments with a counselor by phone or email.  If students would like to see a counselor, they can;

  • Send an email to their counselor to request an appointment
  • Come to the WCI Wellness Center and request an appointment.  Drop-ins are welcome and counselors will speak with students if available. 

Highlights of some of our Counseling Services are listed below for your convenience.

  • Students meet individually with their counselors or as a group to address social/ emotional or academic concerns. Referrals are through staff, parent, peer or self. Your counselor may also provide you with referrals for outside agencies that provide individual or family counseling.  

    For more information about community resources and our district Wellness Program, please visit our website Community Resources page.

  • Counselors present information from college and career to social and emotional development in order to build confidence, personal awareness, problem-solving skills, and positive peer relationships

  • Counselors welcome parents in the joint planning of their students' academic and developmental goals and are available for parent meetings.

  • Counselors promote tolerance and respect for our diverse student population and hold meetings to resolve conflicts between students.

  • SST meetings are held to assist struggling students with strategies that may help improve their academic performance. Tiered supports are available for students on an as needed basis and are integrated into the district's Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS). 

Counseling FAQs

  • There are times when we all need a little help to solve problems that overwhelm us or cause emotional stress. Counselors provide caring, expert assistance during these times.  Counselors help you identify stressors in your life and assist you in finding the best ways to cope by finding constructive ways to deal with a situation beyond your control. 

  • If your family is experiencing a transition (such as moving, changing schools, family additions, divorce), you may see some changes in the behavior of your child.  This is absolutely normal!  Children adjust to transitions very differently depending on the child and the situation, so don't be surprised if it does take a while.  Providing stability and routine in your child's life is important, in addition to a nurturing and supportive environment can help.  We are happy to consult with you and discuss the possibility of help with counseling services if needed, or resources that can help. 

  • If you feel your child has been bullied at school, please immediately bring this to the attention to your child's classroom teacher, counselor or administrator so they can help.  You can offer suggestions such as ignoring the bully, walking away, telling them to stop, using an "I" message, and going to a trusted adult (which is not tattling or “snitching”) This is requesting assistance with a serious problem. 

  • We do see students on a 1-1 basis when self-referred, or when referred by a teacher/parent.  Due to time constraints, we do not provide ongoing therapeutic counseling services.  If further help is needed, we can recommend local resources in the area to continue services.

  • Counseling is terminated when the problem that you pursued counseling for becomes resolved or more manageable.  The academic counselors work with WCI Wellness services over-lap as needed.  The amount of sessions that a student may need is evaluated on a case by case basis.  Counseling services at WCI are intended to be short term.  If additional time for more serious issues is needed, off campus resources are communicated to families to pursue.

  • Parent notification depends on the purpose of the student’s visit.  We provide our students with school-based counseling services that are compliant with educational code and school counseling standards, which does allow for students to speak with counselors in a confidential manner.  Counselors will notify parents in cases where we have concerns for the child's safety, safety of others, cases of bullying and cyber-bullying. 

  • Personal information shared with the counselor is not shared with the classroom teachers unless permission to share the information is granted by the student or the parent.  Academic information applicable to classroom performance will be shared with the professional educator. 

Counseling Resources