Counseling Services

The Islander Middle School Counseling team includes three MISD counselors and twp Mercer Island Youth and Family Services (MIYFS) school-based mental health counselors. All counselors on the team can provide support to students around the many issues and concerns facing children and adolescents today including anxiety, symptoms of depression, stress, and relational/friendship issues. In addition to supporting social/emotional and life skills development of IMS students, the three MISD school counselors guide students’ academic planning.
 

IMS Counseling Department Mission Statement

The Islander Middle School Counseling department will provide a comprehensive developmental school-counseling program addressing the academic, social/emotional and life skills development of all students.  Islander Middle School counselors, as part of the Mercer Island School District learning community will provide a support system.  All students will have access to services that will enable them to become responsible and productive citizens, who can successfully manage future challenges.  With the support of our Counseling department, Islander Middle School students will be able to progress self-confidently within an ever-changing society.

Islander Middle School Counseling Philosophy and Beliefs

The Islander Middle School counselors believe:

• All Mercer Island Middle School students can be taught and should be given the opportunity to do so.
• All Islander Middle School students have dignity and worth and have a right to a safe, mutually respectful, collaborative learning environment.
• Learning involves the instruction of the whole person and is a continuous lifelong process.
• Learning requires the active participation, mutual respect and individual responsibility of students, teachers, parents and community members.
• Diversity is to be respected and appreciated as we foster school pride among the Islander Middle School community.

The Islander Middle School Counseling Program should:

• Be student centered
• Include education that extends outside the classroom environment and allows students to expand lifelong skills that can assist them in the pursuit of their life goals.
• Consider all students' ethnic, cultural, racial, sexual orientation and special needs when planning and implementing the school-counseling program.

All Islander School Counselors:

• Will abide by the professional school counseling ethics as advocated by the American School Counselor Association
• Will participate in professional development essential to maintaining a high quality school-counseling program