Counseling

Welcome to Counseling at River School

Mission Statement

The Mission of the school counseling program in the Carmel Unified School District Community is to ensure that all students develop the academic, career and personal/social knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to become lifelong learners who are prepared for the challenges of continuing education, the workplace, and their role as self-actualizing citizens in an ever-changing global community.

River School is a warm, wonderful, and welcoming place! The Welcome Buddy program began in 1992 as a way to ease the transition for new students coming to River School. Every fall returning students are identified from each classroom (1-5), these Welcome Buddies are trained throughout the year by the school counselor to be that year's active team.  The job of a "Buddy" is to be a friend to new students when they arrive at school. 

CHARACTER COUNTS! is our character education program with which we teach six concepts of good character: Respect, Responsibility, Trustworthiness, Caring, Fairness and Citizenship.  We have a school wide classroom guidance curriculum at every grade level as well as assemblies to create common understanding and language around the concepts or as we call them, the "Pillars" of good character. 

In addition to character development, our school wide social emotional learning curriculum is Second Step.  Second Step lessons expressly teach skills and the development of empathy, compassion, positive peer relationships. emotional management, and problem solving.  

If you have any concerns related to your child’s social or emotional development, our School Counselor, Verónica Craft, and School Based Mental Health Clinician Daniele Wells, are happy to talk with you about your child.