Elementary Counseling
Counselor's Welcome
Hello, my name is Jaci Guilkey. I have the privilege of serving as the school counselor for Orrick Elementary. I love helping kids gain social/emotional skills and supporting their success in the classroom. My husband and I have six kids, so our house is always busy and loud! In addition to being a school counselor, I enjoy going on family vacations, swimming, bike riding, reading, and going to church.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.
Elementary Counseling
Counseling Overview
Whole Class Lessons:
I go into each classroom bi-weekly to provide counseling lessons. I am in preschool through second grade classes for 30 minutes and third through sixth grade classes for 45 minutes. Lessons focus on academic, social, emotional, and career development.
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Academic lessons focus on skills such as developing healthy school habits, overcoming difficult tasks, setting goals, identifying strengths and weaknesses, developing a growth mindset, asking for help, and taking responsibility.
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Social skills that are taught include learning how to solve conflicts, respect personal space, use social filters, apologize, be a good sport, respect differences, be a good friend, respect boundaries, and to avoid gossiping and spreading rumors. Teaching social skills also includes lessons on bullying and how to seek help or help others.
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Lessons that center around emotions are aimed at teaching students to identify emotions in self and others, communicate feelings, express feelings in healthy ways, and to use “chill skills” to deal with big emotions. Older students learn about the brain and our fight/flight/freeze response, the Zones of Regulation, anxiety, depression, stress, and healthy coping skills. .
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Career development lessons include an introduction to different types of careers, the 16 career clusters, identifying interests and values, identifying areas of strength, and researching details of careers (salary, education required, etc.).
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Some lessons do not fall neatly into one of the above categories. Some examples include: Drugs and alcohol, personal hygiene, puberty, body safety, safety in the community, and internet safety.
Small Group Counseling:
Small Group Counseling consists of a small group of students (4-8) that is centered around a special topic or theme. This allows students to learn and practice more skills beyond what whole class lessons can provide. Special topics might include healthy friendships, grief, divorce, study habits, etc. Small group sessions typically consist of 30 minutes once a week, for six to eight weeks.
Individual Counseling:
I work with students individually on a weekly or bi-weekly basis depending on the need. Counseling is kept brief (20-30 minutes) so that students do not miss too much class time. Individual counseling focuses on solving problems, building social skills, identifying emotions, and building positive/supportive relationships. Individual counseling is provided based on parent or teacher referral. When student needs go beyond what can be addressed during the school day, I make referrals for families to seek community counseling services. In addition to scheduled counseling, I meet with all students as needs arise.
Cat Packs
Cat Pack Information
We are excited to share a great benefit with you! Orrick Methodist Church and Orrick Christian Church will be continuing to fund our Cat Packs this school year.
Cat Packs are bags of additional food to be taken home by students who have this need. The bag of food will include meal items and snacks to supplement the food you provide for your child/children on weekends. Cat Packs will be sent home with your student on Fridays (or the last day of the school week) throughout the school year. Elementary Cat Packs will be placed in the students’ classrooms and Junior & High School Cat Packs can be picked up in the High School office.