Welcome Lions
We are your middle school counselors!
We offer a full range of services including: individual, group, & classroom counseling, consultation with parents, teachers and outside agencies, as well as programming and class registration information. The School Counseling Department offers services to all of the students at Dumbarton.
What Do Professional School Counselors Do?
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 school counseling 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 network.
Classroom Guidance and School Wide Programming
Classroom guidance lessons can be on numerous topics such as study skills, career and college readiness, program planning, conflict resolution, and bullying to name a few.
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, conduct mediations, provide referrals to outside resources, and collaborate with others on student programs such as scholarships, college nights, career fairs, character education, values program, student recognition, staff development, etc.
School Counselor's Role
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
The Professional School Counselor
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 School Counseling provides regular staff development and in-service training for school counselors. Additionally, the office encourages memberships in local, regional, and national professional organizations.