School Counseling Week in SFUSD

Published in Chinese in Sing Tao Daily on Sunday, Feb. 16.

By: Dr. Maria Su

For a student, having a trusted adult at school can make a world of difference in their education. I hope your student has one! If that reliable person happens to be a school counselor, I encourage you to wish them a happy National School Counseling Week, which was celebrated during the first week of February. 

Counselors provide students academic, college and career, and social emotional learning services. We publish updates from a lead counselor in our monthly High School Student Newsletter where students can find useful resources. From our January edition, here are some tips and tricks for high school students that can be interesting for parents and guardians to know, too.

• Students: Make appointments to meet with your school counselor regularly.
• Talk to your teachers. Remember they are there to assist you but won’t know that you need extra help unless you ask. If you’re absent or falling behind, make an appointment with your teacher to get the work you missed.
• Review your transcript each semester to stay on track. You can help your student view their transcript with these tips or ask your counselor for an unofficial copy.
• Utilize this On Track Grad Guide 2024-25 to help plan at each grade level. 

As a child psychologist by training, I can tell you it is also important for students to focus on mental health during the long spring semester. Our lead counselor also compiled these tips for students: 

• Students: If you are facing a challenging time personally, find someone at school that you can talk to. This may include your School Counselor, the Wellness Center, the Principal or Assistant Principal, or a teacher.
• Taking care of your physical and/or mental-emotional health will help you be able to focus in school, so take advantage of the support and confidential services available to you.
• Talk to your parents, teachers, coaches, supervisors at work (for those that have a job) if you are having trouble balancing your time.
• Remember to keep it fun, too! Talk to your school counselor for opportunities to take advantage of afterschool and summertime. Get involved at school! Join a club, get active and practice self-care!
• Stay focused on your education! It is one of the few things you have full control over, so take pride in it and the doors it can open. 

While high school counselors are key in college and planning for after high school, counselors for our younger students do heavy lifting, too. For example, a counselor at Paul Revere K-8 School designs career-exploration excursions for her students where they learn real-life activities from cooking, making/recording music, writing advertising copy, or even learning how to fingerprint!

There is nothing quite like the feeling of accomplishing something you worked hard on at school. When there’s a trusted counselor there to witness that success, it’s even more meaningful! Thank you, SFUSD school counselors, for always being there for our students!

Dr. Maria Su is Superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District.

WATCH: Dr. Maria Su Celebrates SFUSD School Counselors