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Welcome back to school! My name is Sara Lipsey, and I am excited to be a part of the ALA team this year. I have joined the staff as your new middle and high school counselor, and I am looking forward to meeting you all. I am a Licensed K-12 School Counselor in North Carolina, and I received my training at UNC Chapel Hill. This will be my third year as a school counselor, and I am ready for the new experiences and relationships I will make here.
As a school counselor, I offer a variety of services under the umbrella of “social/emotional support.” Most frequently, I work with students one-on-one to provide counseling in the school setting. This counseling can be the result of a recommendation made by the parent, the teacher, or the student themselves. I uphold confidentiality in my office, and therefore the student and their family’s privacy is protected with me under law. Please know that I always encourage students to talk with their parents/guardians, but I will only be contacting parents about these sessions in the event that there is a safety concern. That being said, I am always happy to work alongside parents to support students in any way I can. In addition to individual counseling, I also provide group counseling sessions and classroom lessons when appropriate. These sessions can cover anything from social/emotional health to academic skills. In fact, this year I will be teaching a 6th grade elective called “Academic Strategies,” in which students will learn the keys to a successful Middle School Career. In high school, I will also be working with your students on college and career readiness and future planning. Together, we will prepare for college testing, explore financial aid options, and make plans for achieving our goals! I am very much looking forward to helping your students find the path that’s right for them. I will be contacting parents/students soon, starting with those who asked their advisor to get in contact with me. If you have any questions or would like to set up a meeting, please contact me through my email address: [email protected]. Also, please check out my website throughout the year for resources and information about my counseling program: alacounselor.weebly.com. Have a wonderful start of school! Sincerely, Mrs. Lipsey |