Guidance Department

Service Learning Form | Magnet School Information

Service Learning | Peer Helpers/Mediators | What do Professional School Counselors do? |

Classroom Guidance | Registration

The Dumbarton Middle School Guidance and Counseling Department is composed of three counselors for the 2005-2006 school year, Mr. Ferenschak (Department Chair), Ms. Campbell, and Ms. Dixon. The department offers a full range of services including; individual, group, and classroom counseling, consultation with parents, teachers and outside agencies, as well as programming and class registration information. The Guidance and Counseling Department offers services to all of the students at Dumbarton.

School Counselors Roles:
The students of Baltimore County Public Schools are served by school counselors on all levels Pre K-12. The counselor’s role is considered an essential component in the students’ academic and social-emotional development.
School counselors are expected to develop an annual needs-based school counseling program for each school which is designed to realize three state goals for school counseling programs. School counselors are required to assist all students in:
•Student Success
•Decision-making and Career Development
• Intrapersonal Self Management and Interpersonal Relationship Skills

Professional School Counselors

The Department of Education of the State of Maryland mandates that all school counselors are graduates of a certified masters level program in school counseling.
The Baltimore County Public School system requires that school counselors commit themselves to ongoing professional development to maintain certification and advancement in their field.
The Office of Guidance and Counseling Services provides regular staff development and in-service training for school counselors. Additionally, the office encourages memberships in local, regional, and national professional organizations.

Service Learning

return to top

How Does Student Service Learning Affect My Child?

Students need 75 hours of Service Learning in order to graduate from High School. Students can begin earning hours the summer prior to entering 6th grade. Each middle and high school has a Service Learning Coordinator that enters and keeps track of student hours, assists teachers with infusion lessons, and makes available to parents and students, information on upcoming community and school-wide programs.

Who is the Service Learning Coordinator at DMS?

Stephanie Campbell is a school counselor at Dumbarton, and also the Service Learning Coordinator. All questions regarding hours and projects may be directed to her at 410-887-5654 or scampbell3@bcps.org.

How Does My Child Acquire Hours?

Students can earn hours through 2 ways – By Infused Projects and Independent Projects.

Infused Hours - All 75 hours are infused in the curriculum from 6th – 12th grade. In other words, if a student does all the work that is asked of him or her, he or she will earn all of their 75 hours through their classes. How? Teachers are required to provide lessons within the classroom that satisfy the requirements of a service learning project. Each year, different classes are selected to do infused lessons. In fact, students can earn up to 70 hours of service through classes in middle school alone.

Independent Projects - We do encourage students to participate in projects that provide service learning hours outside of the regular school day. These projects are called “Independent Projects” and require pre-approval by the school’s Service Learning Coordinator. Prior to beginning an independent project, students must fill out a pre-approval form located in the Guidance Office. This form (see attached link) provides general information about the project. Once approved, students are given a time sheet and reflection form in order to complete their project. After completion of the project, students turn in all forms to the Service Learning Coordinator. Hours are then entered into system and shown on the final report card of that school year.

Independent Project Forms link - http://www.bcps.org/offices/service_learning/pdf/Independent-Project-Forms.pdf

How Do I Find Out More About Opportunities for Independent Projects?

Students are notified by morning announcements, flyers in the newsletters, a bulletin board outside of the Guidance Office, and here on the DMS website. Here is information regarding upcoming projects, as well as general resources for projects. Copies of the Student Service Learning Resource Directory are also available in the Guidance Office for borrowing. This is a great resource of all types of agencies in and around Baltimore County that provide opportunities for service learning. An electronic copy of this resource is also available on the following link:

http://www.bcps.org/offices/service_learning/ Provides resources, forms and general information about Middle and High School Service Learning programs

Looking for opportunities outside of school to earn Service Learning hours? Check out http://www.volunteersolutions.org/bvu-maryland/volunteer/

Local projects:

Looking for a summer camp that provides care but also provides opportunity to earn Service Learning hours through meaningful projects? Check out the Student Sharing Coalition Summer Youth Service Camps for middle school students. There are 2 sessions that run; July 7 – July 18th (9-3 p.m.) and July 28 – August 8 (9-3 p.m.). For more information contact Katherine Leswing at 410-662-8999 or Katherine.leswing@gmail.com

 
  return to top
 
 Peer Helpers/Mediators:
 
There are 10 Peer Helpers in each grade here at Dumbarton. They are chosen by their peers and teachers to meet many characteristics such as honesty, good listening skills, being compassionate, and friendly. The Peer Helpers are trained to conduct mediations in pairs, between students that are having a conflict. They are also trained periodically throughout the year through bi-monthly in-services on varies topics such as “Bully Busters”, advance conflict resolution skills, and “Warning Signs: that someone you know is in danger.” Anyone can request a mediation from a teacher, parent, student, or administrator. Please contact your counselor if you wish to set up a mediation or pick up a Peer Mediation Request form in the Guidance and Counseling Office and place it in the confidential box.

  What do Professional School Counselors do? 
   Counselors meet the needs of all students through three general areas:

•Counseling
Individual counseling, small group counseling, and classroom guidance.

Individual Counseling:
Meeting with students in a one to one setting to aid with student concerns that may be keeping students from achieving at their highest potential.

Small Group Counseling:
From time to time, the guidance office offers small group counseling for issues such as divorce, social skills, grief and loss, etc. Small groups offer students the advantage of being in a comfortable atmosphere with 6-8 other students with similar concerns. Students enjoy the fact that they can meet with other students and discover that they "are not alone". Students can also develop coping strategies while also building a support
group.

Classroom Guidance and School Wide Programming:
Classroom guidance lessons can be on numerous topics such as study skills, career development, program planning, conflict resolution, and anger management to name a few. In a few weeks, counselors will be visiting the 6th grade classes in order to begin lessons on career awareness. Students will begin taking the Coin Junior Career Awareness Assessment in the 7th grade along with the College Ed. Program that will help them gather ideas about careers that suite their interests and abilities. In the Spring 8th grade students will participate in the Career Day where they will hear from speakers from a variety of different occupations.

•Consultation
Counselors are available for consultation with parents and faculty. School counselors also participate in a variety of school teams to develop intervention plans and strategies to assist students, groups of students, or the entire school community.
•Coordination
School counselors play key roles in school-wide initiatives, develop peer helper and mediation programs, provide referrals to outside resources, and collaborate with others on student programs such as scholarships, financial aid information, college nights, career fairs, character education, values program, students recognition, child abuse prevention, staff development, to name but a few.

    return to top
 
Classroom Guidance
     Classroom guidance lessons can be on numerous topics such as study skills, conflict resolution, and anger management to name a few.  In a few weeks, counselors will be visiting the 6th grade classes in order to begin lessons on career awareness.  Students will begin taking the Coin Junior Career Awareness  Assessment that will give them ideas about careers that suite their interests and abilities.
 
 
Registration 

The Spring is a busy time for us here in the guidance office. Student registration for high school as well as middle school takes up much of our time at this point in the year. Current 5th grade students who will be coming to Dumbarton next year have already completed much of the registration process.
Please remember that ALL registration decisions are based on the student's fifth grade teachers. Since we do not know your child yet, his/her current teachers are the best judges of program placement. Changes may be made to current 8th graders' high school schedules until the end of this school year. After this time, changes must be directed to the high school.
Please call 410 887-5654 to set up a registration which are made by appointment only. Please contact the Guidance and Counseling Secretary Mrs. Shaney first to get a list of what paperwork is necessary to bring to complete a registration.

.

  return to top