File: IJ
GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING PROGRAM
The Rockingham County School Board affirms that parents are the student's first teachers
and that the public schools should serve to strengthen family and parental support. No student will be
required to participate in any personal/social counseling program to which the student's parents
object. All students are expected to participate in academic, career, and character education guidance
programs.
For the purposes of this policy, the following definitions apply:
a) Academic Guidance (Academic Advising) - Advice which assists students and their
parents to acquire knowledge of the curricula choices available to students, to plan a
program of studies, to arrange and interpret academic testing, and to seek post-secondary
academic opportunities;
b) Career Guidance (Career Advising) - Advice which helps students to acquire information
and plan action about work, jobs, apprenticeships, and post-secondary educational and
career opportunities;
c) Character Education Guidance (Character Advising)- Advice and lessons to assist
students in developing strong character traits, including citizenship, responsibility, caring,
respect, trustworthiness, and fairness, and which emphasize the prevention of bullying.
Grades K-5
Grade 6-8
Classroom lessons emphasize these six character traits. Grades 4 and 5
also experience a developmentally appropriate bullying prevention
program.
Grade 6 classroom presentations emphasize these six character traits, and
experience a developmentally appropriate bullying prevention program.
Grades 7 and 8 experience a developmentally appropriate bullying
prevention program, while further developing these six character traits.
Grades 9-12
The high school character education program is led by an assigned
school administrator and team of staff members. Various activities and
recognition events for students are held throughout the school year. The
guidance counselors support school-wide efforts to enhance character
development.
d) Personal/Social Counseling - Counseling which assists a student to develop an
understanding of themselves, the rights and needs of others, how to resolve conflict and
to define individual goals, reflecting their interests, abilities and aptitudes. Such
counseling may be provided either (i) in groups in which generic issues of social
development are addressed or (ii) through structured individual or small group multisession counseling which focuses on the specific concerns of the participant(s).
At least annually, parents shall be notified in writing about the academic, career and character
education programs, and the personal/social counseling programs which are available to students
within the school division. Parents will be advised concerning the purpose, general description of the
programs, how parents may review materials to be used in the programs, and procedures by which
parents may limit the students’ participation in the program. Information and records of
personal/social counseling shall be kept confidential and separate and not disclosed to third parties
without prior parental consent or as otherwise provided by law.
(continued)
10/04 RCPS
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD
File: IJ
(page 2)
It shall be the policy of the Rockingham County School Board with respect to
personal/social counseling that parents will notify the school division in writing if the
student is not to participate in the personal/social counseling program, (Opt - Out)
Counseling techniques, which are beyond the scope of the professional certification or
training of counselors, including hypnosis, or other psychotherapeutic techniques that are normally
employed in medical or clinical settings and focus on mental illness or psychopathology are
prohibited.
Adopted:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Legal Ref.:
Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, sections 22.1-209, 22.1-209.1.
Regulations of the Virginia Board of Education Governing Guidance and
Counseling Programs, 8 VAC 20-620-10
Cross Ref.
10/04 RCPS
IGAI Character Education
JO
Student Conduct
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD