High school counselors fill many roles in the lives of their students. They face difficult, stressful issues everyday. When the time comes, high school counselors are called on to provide grief counseling to students, to help cope with violence, death and grief, weapons at school, abuse, accidents, suicide threats, natural disasters and a number of other life-altering disasters.
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Over the past three decades, the percentage of overweight school-age children has nearly quadrupled, jumping to 15 percent, according to a National Health and Nutrition Examination survey. Is child obesity a problem in your school. If so, what can you do about it?

The U.S. Surgeon General declared obesity a “public health issue that is among the most burdensome faced by the Nation.” While urban and suburban areas have dealt with child obesity for a number of years, rural areas are just starting to feel the effects.
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For years now, the public has been educated on the realities of bullying in American schools. Everything from real-life situations such as the Columbine shootings to movies like Mean Girls, have illustrated a growing trend toward mental, verbal and physical intimidation on the playground, in the classroom and around school campuses across the nation. Now, we can add cyberbullying to the list.

Although the term might be unfamiliar to most adults, cyberbullying has been a growing threat for students aged nine to 14 for some time. According to i-SAFE America, a non-profit group that educates parents and kids about using the internet responsibly, more than 40 percent of kids have been bullied online.
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CNN.com recently reported on another hurdle for college hopefuls in the next few years. In addition to covering the cost of tuition, room and board, books, travel and living expenses, students might now be forced to carry health insurance as well.

A growing number of public universities are requiring that students have health insurance before they step into the classroom, a move aimed at saving the uninsured from huge bills and college hospitals from getting stuck with the cost.

News headlines have been flooded in recent years with tales of wild college parties, underage drinking and alcohol poisoning resulting in death. As a high school guidance counselor, how do you successfully prepare students for college by helping them make responsible choices about alcohol and drugs?

It’s a question that parents often ask themselves. Christine Noble, a mother of two Colorado high school students struggles trying to find a balance. “I consider myself moderate,” she said. “But, what’s okay to get your kids prepared for the experiences they are going to have in college?”
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The unidentified 16-year-old boy had no history of violent behavior. Even so, the horror story he wrote about blowing up a school was enough to land him behind bars.

The Canadian teen celebrated Christmas, New Year’s, and his own birthday in a juvenile detention facility, much to the outrage of both civil libertarians and celebrated authors. Although he has since been released, the boy’s incarceration has once again stirred debate over a student’s right to free speech, versus a school’s right to take precautions against possible violence. Read the rest of this entry »