Gilbert Middle School’s school counseling program is comprehensive and developmental.  Our goal is to provide each student with guidance services in the areas of academics, personal/social, and career exploration.  Our program is based upon the South Carolina Comprehensive Developmental Guidance and Counseling Program Model and the American School Counselor Association Model.

Classroom Guidance

GMS counselors will go into classrooms at all grade levels and will teach lessons on bullying, leadership skills, decision making, coping skills, communication skills, and career development. Classroom lessons are correlated to the South Carolina Comprehensive Developmental Guidance and Counseling Model. The lessons are collaborative and innovative and focus on the Lexington 1 objectives of Learning to Learn, Learning to Work, Learning to Live.

Individual Counseling

Counselors at GMS offer students brief individual counseling services. Students are encouraged to express how they feel and examine their own behaviors in order to cope with friendships, family issues, behavioral issues and grief & loss. Students are sometimes referred by teachers, administrators, or peers, but they are also free to self-refer.

Small Group Counseling

Although personal/social issues are often approached in individual sessions, we also use groups to help students resolve and cope with these issues. The group setting offers students a supportive, encouraging environment where they are able to express their feelings with students who express the same concerns. Parent permission is always required and the group will be led and overseen by a school counselor. Topics addressed are: bullying, friendships and social skills, family changes, grief and loss, and adjusting to change. Upcoming groups will be announced through newsletters and on our school counseling homepage.