Friendship. Scholarship. Sportsmanship.
GDS Experience
Counseling
At Greensboro Day School, we support a holistic view of student health and well-being, which means focusing on students’ social and emotional needs as well as their academic needs. Three full-time licensed counselors—one in each division—support our students each and every day at GDS, not just when students are facing challenges.
Our counselors work to foster a school environment that is built on wisdom, respect, and community and focused on common values we all share: love, truth, respect, responsibility, and fairness. Whether one-on-one, in small groups, or in a classroom setting, our counselors work to promote a healthy school climate through an intentional focus on developing the skills of self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, building healthy relationships, and social awareness.
Strong interpersonal and emotional skills at school are directly related to improved academic and social outcomes, so our focus on whole child health is an essential part of the GDS experience. Research has shown that students who develop an awareness of their emotional and interpersonal effectiveness are less likely to engage in risk-taking behaviors and more likely to manage emotional distress.
What Our Counselors Do
List of 3 items.
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The Lower School Counselor helps students by
- teaching guidance lessons to all grade levels to enhance social-emotional life skills.
- supporting students one-on-one, in small groups, or classroom settings.
- educating students on coping strategies, healthy communication skills, and learning to set healthy boundaries.
- providing parent education and working with families to build communication skills, positive parenting strategies, and healthy relationships.
- working closely with the learning support department and the administration to advocate for students and families.
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The Middle School Counselor helps students by
- teaching classroom lessons to all grade levels to cultivate a culture of belonging.
- assisting students with goal-setting and healthy decision-making.
- supporting students one-on-one, in groups, and in classrooms as they navigate ever-changing interpersonal relationships.
- educating students on how to process and discuss their own emotions.
- brainstorming new ways for students to solve problems and resolve conflicts.
- advocating for them and empowering them to advocate for themselves.
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The Upper School Counselor helps students by
- working with students in groups or individually.
- supporting parents through consultation and resources.
- providing professional development for faculty in adolescent development.
- coordinating the upper school advisory program.
- educating students in social and emotional wellness through First Year Foundations and CLEAR Labs.
- providing professional consultation to middle and lower school counselors.
- leading the upper school student support team.
Greensboro Day School develops the intellectual, ethical, and interpersonal foundations students need to become constructive contributors to the world.
