Sunset Lake Elementary Counseling Center

Individual Counseling: Individual counseling sessions can be requested by the parent, teacher, or student. Students can receive 6-8 sessions per school year that are typically 20-30 minutes in length. Counseling sessions are short-term and solution-focused. Meaning, the goal is to provide the student with a safe space to share their feelings and help them learn/practice skills that help them cope with their challenges.  Students must have parent permission to meet with the school counselor more than once.

Small Group Counseling: Small group counseling will be run on an as needed basis. Students may benefit from small group counseling if they struggle with anxiety/stress, emotion regulation, parental divorce/separation, grief/loss, social skills, self-esteem, etc. Students can be referred to a small group by a parent or staff member. If your child is invited to participate in a small group, you will be notified. Please note that small group participation is always a decision between the counselor, parent, and child. 

Classroom Lessons: The school counselor will come into your students classroom periodically to teach lessons on social/emotional skills. Examples of counseling lessons include: health/safety, social skills, anti-bullying, conflict resolution, career awareness, acceptance of differences, emotion regulation, etc. 

Lunch Bunch Groups: Lunch bunch groups are for students who could benefit from extra time with an adult and/or their peers. Lunch bunch groups meet once per week, for 5 weeks during lunch time. The time consists of conversation starters, playing games, and eating lunch together. This is non-formal, and is more of a social-time rather than counseling. 

Referrals to Community Counseling Agencies: If your student needs additional support, beyond what is offered at school, an outside referral can be made. Ms. Brooks is happy to help you get connected with a counseling agency that is a good fit for your child/family. 

Refer your student for services:

If you’d like to refer your child for school counseling services, please click this link. 

In addition to working with individuals and groups, counselors in the elementary buildings reach out and teach social and emotional skills to all students. The elementary counselors at Vicksburg Community Schools teach a minimum of 6 lessons in every single classroom in the BK through the fifth grades. This allows all students to get to know the counselors as teachers and helpers in the school. Counseling staff also plan and organize other activities for the entire student body such as Red Ribbon Week a drug awareness week in October and other anti-bullying activities.

Classroom objectives for BK & K

• Self-Esteem
• Safety
• Communication Skills
• Anger Management Skills
• Conflict Resolution Skills
• Anti-Bullying Skills

First Grade

• Self-Esteem
• Safety
• Communication Skills
• Anger management skills
• Conflict resolution skills
• Anti bullying skills

Second Grade

• Self-Esteem
• Listening Skills
• Friendship skills
• Anger management skills
• Conflict resolution skills
• Anti bullying skills

Third Grade

• Problem solving skills
• Internet Safety
• Conflict resolution skills
• Multiple Intelligences
• Career Awareness
• Anti bullying skills

Fourth Grade

• Self Esteem Skills
• Career Awareness
• Anti bullying skills
• Cyberbullying skills
• Anger management skills
• Diversity lessons

Fifth Grade

• Self Esteem skills
• Anti bullying skills
• Sexual Harassment skills
• Cyber bullying skills
• Friendship making skills
• Peer Pressure skills
• Transition to Middle School

Click here to use our single sign on to access Xello.

What is Xello?

Xello is a career-resource software platform that helps students create their very own, unique roadmap for future success. Built on a proven model for student success, Xello aligns to the Michigan Career Development Model, including Educational Development Plans (EDP) and Talent Portfolios.

Xello helps students discover the pathway that’s right for them, whether it involves a trade, college, university, entrepreneurship, or other training. As students gain self-knowledge through assessments and reflection, they save careers, schools, programs, and experiences to form a vibrant, visual roadmap that’s easy to update and share.

Xello is the tool used in VCS to help students explore and plan for careers and colleges in a meaningful, personalized way. High school students can also connect with local businesses for work-based learning opportunities to build workplace readiness skills.

How can families get involved?

Family members are encouraged to explore Xello with your child by logging in together. Your child can log in to their account via desktop or mobile device to share what they’ve learned about themselves, the world of work, and their future options. 

Is Xello safe and secure?

We take data protection and privacy very seriously. So does Xello. The program complies with legal requirements for safety and security outlined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). That means advertising is not displayed within Xello, nor is data used for commercial purposes. Xello is also a signatory of the Student Privacy Pledge, requiring them to uphold strict standards for safeguarding student privacy regarding the collection, maintenance, and use of student personal information.