Counseling

Brandenburg Counselor's Corner

Vision statement

The Brandenburg Middle School counseling department empowers each student to reach his/her maximum potential by providing a safe and secure environment that encourages personal inquiry and growth, social responsibility in a diverse community, and the pursuit of academic excellence. Holding to the belief that every student can learn and deserves our best, we partner with others at school, home, and the community to maximize student outcomes and produce responsible, well-prepared citizens who will be college, career, or military ready upon graduation and eager to thrive in our global economy.

Mission statement

The mission of Brandenburg Middle School’s counseling department is to aid in the provision of an exceptional education to all students through a proactive, comprehensive, and developmentally appropriate program addressing students’ academic and career goals while supporting their personal, social, and emotional needs. We will ensure equity and provide access to all students through a comprehensive guidance curriculum, responsive services, individual planning, and system support. The counseling department will develop meaningful relationships between school, families, and community to produce students who are college/career/military ready and globally competitive.

Counseling staff

The Brandenburg Counseling Department is comprised of 3 full-time counselors. Each student is assigned a counselor based on grade level.

Division	Counselor	Phone (972)	Ext.
8th Grade	Essence Jones	926-2630	x51205
7th Grade	Suzanne Battles	926-2630	x51208
6th Grade	Fidel Lozano	926-2630	x51229
Responsive Services	Janelle Nash-White	926-2630	x51219

Brandenburg counselors provide counseling (individual or group) and classroom presentations to students regarding academic and personal/social issues. Please submit a need to see my counselor form for an appointment.

SEL Strategies


Calming Room	Mood Meter Resources	YOU MATTER
Suicide Hotline	Positive Affirmations	SEL Information
CCMR Activities & Resources	Reading Resources to Help with Stress	Common Sense Media App

Choice of Subject

The deadline for students to make any changes to their Choice of Subject form for the 2023 -2024 school year is Friday, February 17, 2023. Any schedule requests after that date can only be done through the counselors. There are QR codes on each Choice of Subject form that give detailed descriptions of the CTE classes being offered next year. To access the Choice of Subject forms, you may use the links below.

Current 6th Graders Choice Form

Current 7th Graders Choice Form

Individual counseling

Counselors meet with students in a one-on-one capacity when the student or an adult requests a meeting. These meetings are confidential (unless safety is a concern) and are to discuss issues such as academics, problem solving, goal setting, personal problems affecting school and other issues that may be impacting learning. Counseling sessions are generally brief but a counselor may make a referral to on-going counseling if necessary.

Group counseling

Small groups are formed when a common need surfaces for a small group of students. Some examples include, resolving a conflict among a group of students, goal setting, adjusting to middle school, etc. Participating in small groups can help students relate with other students who have similar challenges.

Other counseling services include:

reviewing your choice of subjects each spring during registration (February - April)
helping solve academic scheduling problems
providing study skills and academic information
providing career and college information
helping in teacher/student relationships
helping cope with family issues
listening to concerns about friends, etc.
giving you information about life and decision-making skills
referring you to people or places outside of school for help if necessary
being your advocate – counselors are here for you

Tips for a successful school year

As a parent, you know your child best. However, the school counselor can help you better understand your child as a student. Here are a few tips to aide in helping your child meet success:

Check your child’s Canvas page- review the calendar on a daily basis to monitor that assignments are being completed and submitted
Access Skyward on a regular basis – this allows you to monitor your child’s grades
Create a tutorial schedule for your child

What should you do if your child is not achieving to their ability level?

Talk to your child - find out what they are struggling with and what steps they have taken to get help
Talk with the teacher – find out if your child is struggling with tests, quizzes, homework, and/ or behavior
Talk with the counselor about other available interventions (weekly progress reports, school tutoring, private tutoring, shadowing, counseling, etc.)

Request accommodations for testing

Bullying

No student should be subjected to bullying or harassment that interferes with their ability to learn or their safety.

Visit the Bullying Prevention and Investigation page on the district website for more information and resources.

Anonymous Alerts®

You can use the Anonymous Alerts® webform or mobile app to quickly, easily and anonymously report bullying, cyberbullying and other sensitive topics to school officials.

Anonymous Alerts® is monitored by GISD Security 24-hours daily and should only be used for serious and urgent matters. In the event of an emergency or life-threatening event, always call 911.

Submit an Anonymous Alert ®

Download the app

To place a report from a mobile device, first download the free Anonymous Alerts® app from the Apple App Store or Google Play store. Then open the app and enter activation code garlandisd.

Quicklinks