COUNSELOR'S CORNER

  • Counselor's Corner  
    Talk To Your School Counselor
     
    Mrs. Gambino
     
    Mrs. Margaret Gambino, 8th Grade School Counselor (Email)
     
    251-928-2573
     
     
     
    Dear Parents:   
     
    As School Counselors, we are very excited about the opportunity to work together with the students, faculty, staff, and administration of such a great school.
    We love what we do, and are committed to helping your student be successful.
      
    At Fairhope Middle School, School Counselors are responsible for:
     
    1. Providing direct counseling services to students individually, in small groups, or large group instruction 

    2. Providing education and support services to parents

    3. Providing consultation services to teachers

    4. Facilitating referrals to community support services

    5. Advising students on academic planning and career guidance, including helping students understand standardized test score results

    6. Working with Fairhope High School to inform students of the academic requirements for high school, including assisting students with registration and development of the state- mandated high school 4 year plan 

    7. Conducting Attendance Early Warning Conferences As Needed
     
    8. Serving on the RTI (Response to Instruction) Team 
     
    9. Serving on the School Improvement Team As Needed- ACIPS 
     
    10. Serving as Homebound/Section 504 Coordinators 
     
    11. Conducting the annual required teacher training sessions
     
    12. Monitoring online Bullying Reporting Program 
     
    Should you wish for us to speak with your student, please do not hesitate to either call or email us. Please be aware that there may be a time when we may talk with your student due to a self-referral, student referral, teacher/staff referral, agency referral, or administrative referral.
      
    We are immediately available to meet with any student in a crisis. However, every attempt is made by us not to interrupt academic classes (Math, Science, English, and Social Studies) whenever possible for non-emergency situations. We have an open-door policy for students, and also have a sign in sheet for students requesting to speak with a Counselor. The FMS Counseling Office is a Safe Space where ALL students are welcome.
     
     Safe Space
    As School Counselors, we maintain a brief list of local private counseling services for referral purposes for parents interested in private counseling for their student. Click Here for the list. This referral list is not a recommendation for any provider of private counseling services. Please understand that School Counselors are unable to meet with individual students on a regular basis due to the volume of students at our school and other duties. Also, we are not therapists. Should a parent request that his/her student meet with a counselor on a regular basis, as School Counselors, we would need to make a referral to an outside agency/therapist. If your child is resistant to seeing a therapist, please click here for helpful information. 
     
    AltaPointe provides an on-site counselor who comes to FMS weekly to see students. This school-based service is provided via a referral from a School Counselor to AltaPointe. An AltaPointe counselor can only see students at FMS who have this insurance: PEEHIP, Medicaid, or ALL Kids. Parents interested in AltaPointe school-based counseling are welcome to contact the School Counselors for more information.

    Announcements

    Please check out the school website at least weekly because we will announce/post Counseling and Guidance activities for both 7th and 8th grades as well as information about important upcoming events, and the high school parents registration meeting in February/March.
     
    Fairhope Middle School's Counseling and Guidance Programs
     
    Counseling and Guidance  

    1. You Are Unique Program for 7th Grade and Socially Unacceptable for 8th Grade

    2. Alabama Career Planning System (ACPS/Kuder) for 7th and 8th grades. 8th grade students develop their high school 4 year plan via ACPS (Kuder Navigator).

    3. Activities/Programs in recognition of Suicide Prevention Week, Red Ribbon Week, Bullying Prevention Week/Choose Kindness Week, and Youth Violence Prevention Week, for 7th and 8th Grade and other programs as needed

    4. Standardized testing education for students and facilitating test prep activities 
     
    5. Peer Tutoring Program 
     
    6. Attendance workshops for students to improve school attendance 
     
    7. Internet Safety Program (Child Advocacy Center)
     
    8. Coping Skills Program
     
     
     School Counselor's Conference Area
     
    Welcome!