ASD-S School
Counselling Services
and Superintendent’s Update
Our
School Guidance Counsellors and Guidance Teachers will be offering telephone
support to K-12 students and families beginning Wednesday, April 1, 2020.
We
know the important role our Guidance staff plays throughout the year and
believe their support is needed at this time more than ever. We have set up a
phone service to allow students to connect with the Guidance Counsellor or
Guidance Teacher from their school. This service may be used by any ASD-S
student or their family.
How can my child’s guidance staff help?
School
Counsellors and Guidance Teachers can help students dealing with mild anxiety, personal
issues such as stress management, and offer supportive strategies for
maintaining good mental health and well-being during the COVID-19 crisis. Our Guidance staff can also answer questions related to the
school counselling services, including postsecondary planning.
Please
be advised that Guidance staff may be unable to answer specific questions related
to the school closure, for example questions about exams, school work, or
graduation celebrations. Please refer to the Q & A
document on our website for the most up-to-date information available.
Guidance staff also have limited information on adjusted timelines for
postsecondary institutions; however, please remember that all students are
affected by this pandemic and the Department of Post-Secondary Education and
Labour is working with colleges and universities to ensure students are not
disadvantaged by the school closure.
How
do I access school guidance staff?
There
are three dedicated phone lines for students and families to call:
- Hampton
Education Centre (Sussex to Kennebecasis Valley)
- 506-349-6241
- Saint
John Education Centre (Saint John, Grand Bay-Westfield, St Martins) - 506-349-7663
- St.
Stephen Education Centre (St. George to the Fundy Isles) - 506-343-5263
Students
in Grades 9-12 or their parents or guardians are welcome to call for support. We
ask that parents or guardians call on behalf of our students in K-8. Callers
will reach a member of our Education Support Service team who will ask about
the nature of the request and then have the Guidance Counsellor or Guidance
Teacher from your child’s school return your call.
The
phones will be answered Monday - Friday 8:15 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. beginning
Wednesday, April 1, 2020.
What if my child or youth has a more serious
mental health concern?
You
can reach the nearest Child and Youth Team (weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) at
the following numbers:
Charlotte County area:
506-466-7380
Saint John area:
506-658-3737
Sussex/KV area: 506-432-2217
If
your child is in crisis outside of these hours, please contact Saint John
Mobile Crisis Services at 1-888-811-3664 (evenings and weekends). In case
of emergency, please call 911.
- - -
We
know feeling a sense of connection to those close to us during these uncertain
times is very important. Some schools
have been connecting with students through telephone calls, creative You Tube
videos, Twitter messages, and suggestions for home activities. We feel extending access to our Guidance
staff is an essential piece of maintaining that connection to our students.
We will
continue to reach out to our ASD-S families as more information becomes
available regarding school closures and continued services. Please keep
checking the ASD-S
website for
updates to our Q & A document, self-care information, and some great ideas
for home learning. There, you can also find a link to a helpful resource, “How
to talk to my child about COVID-19.”
You may have
received or will receive a question from your school about Internet access and
devices in your home. This information will help inform plans for home learning
options. The school districts have been working collaboratively with the
Department of Education and Early Childhood to develop a home learning plan and
we expect a communication in early April from the Department regarding the
continuation of learning during the school closure.
Please note the
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development have confirmed there
will be no April Report Cards.
Hoping
you and your family are doing well, thank you for your on-going support of our
schools.
Zoë
Watson, Superintendent