Williamsburg‐James City Public Schools offer a comprehensive school counseling program that is aligned with Virginia standards and the ASCA National Model, ensuring that all students, pre‐K through grade 12, receive:

• Academic counseling, which assists students and their parents/guardians to acquire knowledge of the curricula choices available to students, to plan a program of studies, to arrange and interpret academic testing, and to seek post‐ secondary academic opportunities.
• Career counseling, which helps students acquire information and plan for post‐ secondary education and career opportunities.
• Social/emotional counseling, which assists students to develop an understanding of themselves, the rights and needs of others, how to resolve conflict, and how to define individual goals reflecting their interests, abilities, and aptitudes.

In collaboration with parents, teachers, administrators and other school and community members, students may receive direct services from the school counselor such as the classroom counseling curriculum, small group counseling, short-term individual counseling, crisis response, and individual student planning. Counselors may also work with students to complete screenings or other measurement tools to collect school counseling specific data for the purpose of identifying and supporting student needs.

If you, as parents/guardians, have questions about the school counseling program or wish to review materials used in the program, please contact your school counselor.

No student shall be required to participate in social/emotional counseling to which the parents/guardians object. Parents/guardians may exercise their right to have students not participate (opt out) in social/emotional counseling services by writing a letter to the school’s principal. Parents/guardians have the option, when writing the letter, to exempt students from all facets of social/emotional counseling services or to allow participation in some parts of it. Affirmative parent/guardian consent is not required for short duration social/emotional counseling which is needed to maintain order, discipline, or a productive learning environment.

Note: This opt out policy is applicable to the current year only and parents/guardians must request that their child not participate on an annual basis.