Skip To Main Content

Logo Image

Logo Title

Information

GCPS Elementary School Counseling Standards and Competencies

Kindergarten Competencies

  • Academic Development
    • Learn the importance of using listening skills at all times in school.
    • Follow classroom rules and be able to explain what those rules mean.
    • Follow spoken directions given in school.
    • Cultivate school success by taking responsibility for their actions.
  • Career Development
    • Learn about various careers and occupations
  • Social/Emotional Development
    • Express feelings appropriately and recognize the connections between thoughts, feelings, and actions (ex. learning anger management skills).
    • Develop positive attitudes towards self as a unique and worthy person.
    • Identify and respect similarities and differences of others.
    • Explore the difference between appropriate and inappropriate touches.
    • Identify strategies for stopping inappropriate touches.

First Grade Competencies

  • Academic Development
    • Acquire skills to improve learning (ex. on-task behaviors, positive attitude, perseverance).
    • Use listening skills to follow oral and written directions.
    • Accept mistakes as essential to the learning process.
    • Learn when and how to ask for help with schoolwork.
    • Demonstrate personal responsibility in following rules.
  • Career Development
    • Explore personal likes and dislikes as they relate to various careers and occupations.
  • Social/Emotional Development
    • Demonstrate respect for oneself as well as others.
    • Learn about ways to handle disagreements without fighting (conflict resolutions).
    • Learn how to make and keep friends.
    • Recognize the difference between the feelings associated with appropriate and inappropriate physical contact.
    • Identify strategies for stopping inappropriate touches including sexual abuse.

Second Grade Competencies

  • Academic Development
    • Demonstrate the ability to work independently and cooperatively with other students.
    • Practice effective listening skills in order to follow directions.
    • Follow multi-step directions.
    • Identify attitudes and behaviors that lead to successful learning (i.e. test-taking skills, work habits).
  • Career Development
    • Learn connections between education and possible careers and occupations.
  • Social/Emotional Development
    • Learn appropriate decision-making skills.
    • Understand the relationship between behaviors and consequences.
    • Learn conflict resolution skills.
    • Demonstrate ways to show respect for self, others, and property.
    • Recognize the difference between the feelings associated with appropriate and inappropriate physical contact.
    • Examine and practice safety skills including preventing/stopping sexual abuse.

Third Grade Competencies

  • Academic Development
    • Develop skills to work independently.
    • Explore effective test-taking strategies and stress management techniques.
    • Follow both written and spoken directions.
    • Practice goal setting, time management, and organizational skills.
  • Career Development
    • Understand the differences among various careers and occupations.
    • Work cooperatively in small groups to solve problems.
  • Social/Emotional Development
    • Apply effective problem-solving skills to make safe and healthy choices.
    • Learn appropriate responses to bullying/harassment.
    • Identify sources of positive and negative influences (peers, family, community, media).
    • Use effective communication skills.
    • Develop a healthy self-concept by making positive choices.
    • Examine and practice safety skills including preventing/stopping sexual abuse.

Fourth Grade Competencies

  • Academic Development
    • Identify personal strengths and weaknesses to positively influence school performance.
    • Learn and apply test-taking strategies.
    • Utilize organizational and time management skills to complete school assignments.
    • Learn and apply goal-setting strategies.
  • Career Development
    • Explore how hobbies and personal interests relate to careers.
    • Use conflict resolution skills to solve problems effectively.
    • Learn how to prioritize time between work and leisure activities.
  • Social/Emotional Development
    • Accept responsibility and understand consequences for personal choices.
    • Learn effective strategies related to peer pressure.
    • Identify strategies to cope effectively with personal and classroom difficulties (conflict resolution skills).
    • Recognize and appreciate differences in others (culture, ethnicity, students with disabilities).
    • Summarize and practice safety skills including preventing and stopping sexual abuse.

Fifth Grade Competencies

  • Academic Development
    • Apply time management and organizational skills to enhance personal and academic success.
    • Utilize study skills to help achieve goals and reduce test-taking anxiety.
    • Learn strategies to successfully transition to middle school.
  • Career Development
    • Identify how hobbies and personal interests influence possible careers and occupations.
    • Develop skills to locate information about possible careers and occupations.
  • Social/Emotional Development
    • Demonstrate skills needed to cope with challenges in daily life.
    • Demonstrate behaviors needed to interact with peers effectively (friendship skills, avoiding peer pressure, and bullying).
    • Demonstrate respect for and acceptance of differences in others (culture, ethnic, SWD).
    • Demonstrate the use of effective communication skills (verbal and nonverbal) in a variety of settings.
    • Distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate school behaviors.
    • Identify neglectful, physical, and sexually abusive situations and strategies for getting help.
    • Understand the relationship between effective work habits (responsibility, punctuality, and effort) and the world of work.

 

Attendance

 

School attendance is important because it underscores the significance of learning and the importance of obtaining an education. In addition, a focus on regular attendance helps students develop good work habits that will carry over in life. Good attendance also correlates strongly with improved grades. The responsibility of school attendance is that of both parents and students. By state law, attendance in a public school, private school, or home school program is required for children between sixth and sixteenth birthdays.

Learn more about Gwinnett County Public Schools’ attendance protocol 

For more on attendance, review the district’s Student-Parent Handbook 

 

 

Career Awareness

Georgia’s Career Clusters allow students to be exposed to a variety of career pathways in elementary school. Students will choose one pathway and follow it as an area of interest in high school. Students will take classes tailored to their cluster, which helps them navigate their way to greater success – no matter what they choose to do after high school graduation! The aim of the program is to show students the relevance of what they’re learning in the classroom, whether they want to attend a two-year college, a four-year university, or go straight into the world of work.

Grade 1

  • Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources
  • Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security
  • Transportation, Distributions, and Logistics

Grade 2

  • Arts, A/V Technology, and Communications
  • Education and Training
  • Health Science

Grade 3

  • Energy
  • Hospitality and Tourism
  • Human Services

Grade 4

  • Architecture and Construction
  • Business Management and Administration
  • Manufacturing
  • Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics

Grade 5

  • Finance
  • Government and Public Administration
  • Information Technology
  • Marketing

 

Mandated Reporting

 

In compliance with HB 1176, ALL (to include every staff and faculty member) school personnel and volunteers are REQUIRED to report suspected acts of child abuse to the person in charge of the facility.

This report cannot be modified by any person(s) and will be reported immediately, or within 24 hours, by the person in charge of the facility to the appropriate agency.

More information on mandated reporting

 

Parent Resources - Community Mental Health

Community Mental Health Resources

Social Empowerment Center

Pathways Counseling

  • 404-378-2300

Affinity Counseling

Angels Recovery

Angel Lopez Clinic

CETPA

  • 6020 Dawson Boulevard, Suite I, Norcross, 30093
  • Spanish-speaking
  • Monday, Wednesday, Friday - 8:00-6:00 pm
  • Tuesday and Thursday - 10:00-8:30 pm
  • 770-662-0249
  • https://www.cetpa.org/inicio/

Counseling Institute of Atlanta, Inc.

Ser Familia, Inc.

Families First

  • 5360 Old Norcross Road, Norcross, 30071
  • 404-853-2862

New Beginnings Counseling Center

  • 1585 Old Norcross Road, Suite 203, Lawrenceville, 30046
  • Main Client Number: 770-831-1799

Love and Liberty Community Church

  • 377 W. Pike Street, #D6, Lawrenceville, 30046
  • Main Client Number: 404-563-5410

 

Parent Resources - Housing Assistance

Housing Assistance

Buford Housing Authority

Division of Family and Children Services

Faith Project

  • 770-609-7226

Georgia Affordable Housing Search

Georgia Department of Community Affairs

Home of Hope (Gwinnett Children's Shelter)

HomeSafe Georgia

Hope Atlanta/The Programs of Travelers Aid

Lawrenceville Housing Authority

Partnership Against Domestic Violence

The Quinn House

Rainbow Village, Inc.

Salvation Army

St. Vincent de Paul Society of Georgia

 

Parent Resource - Food Assistance

 

Food Assistance

CarePointe Food Pantry

City of Hope and Community Outreach Ministry, Inc.

  • 770-441-2948
  • 182 Hunter Street, Norcross, 30071

Duluth Cooperative Ministry - Hands of Christ (must live in 30096 or 30097)

Exodus Outreach, Inc.

Food Finder GA

Hope and Life Compassion Ministry Food Bank

Lawrenceville Cooperative Ministry (Drive Thru Only)

Life Tools Community Development Corporation

Lilburn Cooperative Ministry

Midtown Assistance Center

Norcross Cooperative Ministry

North Fulton Community Charities

North Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry

The Quinn House

Southeast Cooperative Ministry

St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church

St. Vincent de Paul Society of Georgia

Streetwise Georgia Mobile Food Pantry

Warehouse of Hope

The Salvation Army

  • 770-724-1661