SMS SCHOOL COUNSELOR NEWS
October 26, 2020
School Counselor News
Southern Middle School Guidance Staff
Mrs. Connie Markle, Guidance Clerk A.M. x3272
Mrs. Jackie Winterson, Guidance Clerk P.M x3272
Mr. Jason Katz, School Counselor Last Names A-K x3523
Mrs. Lisa Hall, School Counselor Last Names L-Z x3522
Please reach out and contact us with any concerns, so we are able to work with you in a proactive manner to ensure your son/daughter gets what they need to make school a happy, safe place to learn. You may contact us at [email protected], [email protected] or at 717.235.4811, extension 3272.
How can your child see Mr. Katz or Mrs. Hall? Below are links to schedule times to meet with us.
Students with Last Names A-K
Schedule a virtual appointment with Mr. Katz
Students with Last Names L-Z
Schedule a virtual appointment with Mrs. Hall
- If your child attends school on the A/B Hybrid schedule, we will be happy to meet with them during lunch or I/E or on their virtual days we can set up google meets to meet virtually.
- It is very important to maximize everyone’s face to face time with teachers.
- If someone is having a serious emotional crisis that prevents them from attending class, we will gladly help them and contact home for parental support.
- Anyone enrolled in Digital Academy is welcome to set up an appointment with us virtually at any time that works in their schedule.
- Parents are welcome to schedule a virtual meeting to discuss any needs you have with your child.
Staying in class with teachers as much as possible on face to face days will go a long way in keeping school related stress manageable for students.
We Want To Hear From You
Please take a few minutes to let us know what things you feel would be beneficial for us to know about your student by completing our Southern Middle School Counseling Parent Survey by clicking on the hyperlink. Thanks to all of you that already responded. Also, take a moment and ask your child if they filled out their student survey- if not, please encourage them to do so.
New Family Resources
COVID-19 virtual learning and education: Thinking and learning
Previously Shared (But Still Awesome Family Resources)
Covid-19 Mental Health Tip Sheet
Parent Tips for Distance Learning
A Teen’s Guide to Understanding and Coping with Covid-19
A Teen/Young Adult’s Guide Of Things To Do At Home To Combat Loneliness And Boredom
York County School of Technology
Due to guidelines related to Covid-19, York County School of Technology was not able to present in-person to 8th grade classes this year. York Tech put together a video presentation for students to view. All 8th graders have recently viewed the video presentation in Social Studies class.
Video Presentation for All 8th grade students
In case your student is absent from school on the day of the presentation the link for the presentation is included above. The video can also be found on the York Tech website at www.ytech.edu.
Student Question and Answer Sessions:
If students are interested in learning more about York County School of Technology they have an opportunity to attend student question and answer sessions on:
Wednesday, October 28 at 1:30 pm-2:30 pm
Join Zoom Meeting Link: October 28 Student Q and A
Meeting ID: 828 5381 5283
Passcode: 1TyEBX
Wednesday, November 4 at 1:30 pm -2:30 pm
Join Zoom Meeting Link: November 4 Student Q and A
Meeting ID: 828 5381 5283
Passcode: 1TyEBX
Family Question and Answer Sessions
York Tech is providing opportunities for families to join question answer sessions via Zoom on October 29th from 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM. The link to the meeting as well as meeting ID and passcode can be found below:
Join Zoom Meeting Link: Family Q and A
Meeting ID: 815 5322 7685
Passcode: VCYD3Q
Virtual Open House: November 12, 2020 from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm additional information regarding the open house will be sent closer to the event.
Click here to access the York County School of Technology Resource Guide that contains information regarding the application process and details about each technical area.
In order to apply to YCST, please use the link included to complete the online application process:
If you have any questions about York County School of Technology, please contact Mrs. Hall or Mr. Katz in the guidance office.
K-12 SYCSD School Counseling Advisory Council
November 18 Virtual Meeting
The advisory council serves as a link between the school counseling program and the various stakeholders in the school and community. The advisory council meets a minimum of twice per year. Members will serve in a leadership role to support the mission and goals of the school counseling program. The advisory council will review data and provide feedback on the effectiveness of the school counseling program, as well as make recommendations regarding program changes that would be beneficial to all stakeholders. In addition, this council will provide valuable insight into both school and community needs. For anyone interested in joining the Advisory Council and attending the November 18 meeting, please sign up here. Additional information will be provided closer to the meeting.
The Student Assistance Program & School Based Mental Health Program – Offered Virtually
The Student Assistance Program continues to function actively in the middle school. As a reminder, the SAP team is a group of trained staff members who work to identify, intervene and refer students who are having difficulties due to a variety of possibilities. The student assistance program is available to all students at SMS (the exception being someone who is already receiving drug/alcohol or mental health counseling). Please contact the guidance office to make a referral or obtain additional information.
The SYCSD/PCBH School Based Counseling Program utilizes a multi-disciplinary approach to bridge the gap young people who need mental health care, and young people who receive mental health care by providing coordinated mental health services at a licensed satellite office of PCBH in the familiar environment of the school setting. Please contact Mrs. Hall or Mr. Katz for more information if needed.
Crisis Intervention Services
If you are concerned for the immediate health and safety of a child call 911 and send them to the location of the child. If you share the crisis information with a student and have any concern, please contact your school counselor as soon as possible so they are able to follow up.
- TrueNorth Wellness Crisis Intervention – 1-866-325-0339 or 717-632-4900 (for student experiencing a mental health crisis or suicidal ideation) Open for phone calls – no walk ins or home visits.
- York Hospital, Hanover Hospital and UPMC Memorial Emergency Departments have 24/7 Crisis Intervention Services available, but due to the influx the departments may have with COVID 19 cases, you may want to avoid these locations unless you have no other options.