Guidance & Counseling
The school counselor works with school faculty and staff, students, parents and the community to provide developmental assistance to all students. Services are delivered through the following program components:
- A GUIDANCE CURRICULUM taught to classroom size groups of students in the areas including, but not limited to the following: motivation to achieve, decision-making, interpersonal skills, cross-cultural effectiveness, and responsible behavior.
- RESPONSIVE SERVICES provided through individual and group counseling for students whose personal concerns or problems put their personal, social, career and/or educational development at risk.
- An INDIVIDUAL PLANNING system implemented to assist students in planning, monitoring, and understanding their own educational and personal development. Activities are conducted in classroom or individual sessions. Examples are: career exploration, educational/college planning, and transition from one level to the next and academic options.
- SYSTEM SUPPORT provided through services and management activities that indirectly benefit students. Examples of the program support activities include consultation with teachers and administrators, parent education, community relations’ efforts, and program development and evaluation.
Parent involvement is essential to student successful development and implementation of educational and career plans.
Scholarships
There are a number of scholarships available to students in Garland ISD that are intended for local youth. Some are sponsored by local civic organizations, some are for youth with specific interests or career goals, and more.
The Garland Independent School District via the Office of Guidance and Counseling has developed a generic scholarship application. This application may be used for most of the scholarships available in the guidance office at your school. Check with your guidance counselor for additional information about the scholarship application.
scholarship application
There are also a number of tips that parents and students may find useful while organizing scholarship application information.
Tips for Organizing Your Scholarship Application
LIGHT Program
The LIGHT Program was initiated as a direct result of the goal of the Board of Trustees to fight drug and alcohol abuse in our schools. The acronym "LIGHT" stands for "Living Intervention and Guidance for Healthier Teens." Symbolically, it is an appropriate name for the program. Just as a candle will provide light in the darkness, LIGHT provides its own kind of illumination in the times of personal need.
Education Programs
In addition to the LIGHT prevention efforts, GISD incorporates other complementary programs.
Grandparents Support Group
This group is comprised of grandparents who are the primary caregivers to their grandchildren. Monthly meetings are held to discuss issues such as finance, legal concerns, and social services. The support group is a forum where grandparents can share common experiences, support each other through the challenges that “parenting” presents and learn about available resources.
Character Education
The Guidance and Counseling department utilizes character education as an avenue for providing the guidance curriculum taught to students in the areas including, but not limited to the following: motivation to achieve, decision-making, interpersonal skills, cross-culture effectiveness, and responsible behavior. The Character Education program is centered on the Six Pillars of Character: Trustworthiness; Respect; Responsibility; Fairness; Caring; and Citizenship. Character Education plays a vital role not only in developing better students, but also in developing better people.