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Thurston County honors National School Counseling Week, local educators emphasize counselors’ role
Summary
The Board of Health read a proclamation recognizing National School Counseling Week and educators described counselors’ roles in student academic, social and mental-health supports across Thurston County schools.
Thurston County’s Board of Health read a proclamation on Feb. 11 recognizing National School Counseling Week and acknowledged school counselors’ roles in academic guidance, social-emotional learning and student wellness across county districts.
Erin Wick, who said she represents the Thurston County Superintendents group and serves as executive director of integrated student supports, told the board that counselors connect families to resources and support students facing mental-health struggles, housing instability and other challenges. Laura Conklin, director of Inclusive Schools and Systems for Olympia School District, described regular district-level planning with elementary, middle and high school counseling leads to align K–12 supports including college-and-career readiness and social-emotional learning.
Tricia Wolf said her school-district mental-health support team partners with counselors to provide individualized services at the school level and noted North Thurston School District has dedicated funds to continue that program. The proclamation packet supplied to the board stated countywide figures used in the proclamation: about 103 school counselors serving roughly 42,000 students across nine school districts; the proclamation also cited a statewide student-to-counselor ratio figure noted in the packet.
Board members and presenters framed the proclamation as recognition rather than a policy change; they commended counselors’ work and discussed continuing partnerships between schools and county health services.
