Guidance and Counseling

Guidance Counselors:

Ms. Taschenberger and Mr. Dobbins -- Guidance Counselors

Mr. Myers -- Staffing Specialist

Welcome to the Guidance Office!
It is the mission of the Fort McCoy Guidance Department to provide a school counseling program that will lead to student excellence in academics, career awareness, and social/personal development.

To achieve this goal, the school counselors utilize a comprehensive guidance program that is preventative in nature. Students at Fort McCoy are provided with instructional lessons that help ensure that ALL students are on the road to success in school and in life.

MEMBERS OF THE FORT MCCOY SCHOOL GUIDANCE STAFF

Guidance Counselors:

Support and Diagnostic Staff:

Phone Numbers:

WHAT CAN OUR COMPREHENSIVE GUIDANCE PROGRAM DO FOR YOU?

PARENTS:

We are here to help you help your child be successful in school, at home, and in the community. HOW? Guidance services for parents include:

• Telephone Conferences
• Parent Conferences
• Parent/Teacher Conferences
• Helping Parents help their children
• Parent Workshops on interpreting FCATscores, Homework Tips, Parenting Teens, etc…
• Academic Planning, Middle School and HighSchool Orientation
• Scholarship and College Planning
• Referrals to community agencies
• Academic Planning and Diploma Option Meetings
• Information and Resources

Concerns you may want to discuss with your child’s school counselor include:

• Classroom performance
• Family changes
• Home or community stressors
• Classroom Behavior
• Peer Relationships
• Responsibility
• Any Sudden Change in Your Child’s Behavior or Attitude

STUDENTS:

The guidance team at Fort McCoy provides information and support in the areas of Academic, Career, and Social/Personal Development through:

• School-wide Guidance Activities
• Classroom Guidance
• Academic Planning and Advisement
• Group Counseling
• Crisis Counseling
• Transition Programs
• Coordination of Fun and Community Service
• Activities

TEACHERS:

As part of each student’s academic team, the school counselors are here to support you in meeting individual student academic and behavioral needs.

• Accommodations and Program Information
• Behavioral Intervention plans
• Academic Interventions to deal with struggling students.
• Classroom Guidance Lessons to support your class needs
• Parent Conferences and parent communication Academic Planning

Ways for a student to see the school counselor:

Self Referral -- guidance request forms are available through guidance and classroom teachers
Parent Referal -- please call with any concern or questions
Teacher Referral -- teachers frequently bring concerns to the team for follow up
Administrative Referrals -- involving academic or behavioral concerns

2011-2012 GUIDANCE PROGRAM TOPICS:

ACADEMIC:

• School Success Skills
• Test Taking Strategies
• Study Skills
• Organization and Time Management
• High School Planning (Grade 8)
• Understanding & Using Accommodations
• Progress Monitoring of Student with an “F” Grade 5-8
• Referrals for Academic interventions

SOCIAL/PERSONAL:

• The Big “3” Character Education Program
• Solving Conflict with Parents, Teachers, and Peers
• Suicide Prevention (Grades 6-8)
• Bullying Prevention
• Divorce Groups
• Anger Management Groups
• Grief and Loss Groups
• Developing Positive Coping Skills
• Personal Responsibility
• Dating Violence (Grades 6-8)
• Abstinence and Healthy Choices Education (Grade 7)
• Human Growth and Development (Grade 5)

CAREER:

• Career Awareness Activities
• Interest and Strength Inventories (Grades 7-8)
• Linking Education to Future Goals
• Academic and Career Planning Portfolio (Grade 8)

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General Information

Registration:
All new students must register in the Guidance Office. Our personnel are familiar with all the requirements and can help answer any of your questions.
Attendance:
Taking attendance is the responsibility of the classroom teacher. If a child is not in his/her classroom by 9:20 am, he/she must check in at the Attendance Office before reporting to class. Also, if children are chronically absent, tardy or picked up early, notices may be sent from the Attendance Office in accordance with Marion County School System policies and Florida Statutes. Upon your child’s return to school, send a hand-written note to the reason for the absence. If your child was seen by, please send the doctor’s note. Any student, who is absent more than 5 days in a rolling 45 day period, will be required to have a doctor’s note for further absences to be excused. This is in accordance with FL statutes.
Signing Out Early:
Any parent wishing to sign a student out early must first sign in at the front office and present identification. Then, please proceed to the Attendance Office to sign out your child. You must be listed on the student’s pick up authorization list. There will be no checkouts after 2:45pm.

Advanced Absences:
A request for an advanced absence should be submitted to the attendance office 48 hours prior to the first date of the absence. All advanced absences must be approved by the Fort McCoy administration. Criteria considered for approval includes: student academic, attendance, and discipline history.

Official Records:
Your child's cumulative records are housed in the Guidance Office. If you need to review anything in the folder please call ahead and make an appointment for someone to go over the contents with you. If you need a copy of any document in your child's folder we can provide it for you. If you request more than two copies, a charge will be assessed at 5 cents per copy. Again, please call ahead and we will try and have it ready for you or will send it home via your child. If you are transferring out of Ft. McCoy we will make sure all necessary documents are forwarded to your child's new school.

Parent Conferences:

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Websites for you and your Student:

FCAT released tests are now available on the DOE website for grades 4, 8 & 10. You and/or your child can see and practice for upcoming tests.
FCAT Released Tests 4,8,&10
A Great website for exploring careers and for educational planning for high school and college.
Facts.org

Registration

Click here for instructions and forms on how to enroll or withdraw your child.