Gallman Elementary School Guidance

Katina Capers-Washington  is the school counselor at Gallman Elementary School. 

Frequently Asked Questions

1.  How can I arrange for my child to talk with the counselor?

Contact Katina Capers-Washington at (803) 321-2655 and request that she talk with your child.  Or, you may also express your request to your child's teacher.

2.  What does an elementary school counselor do?

Elementary school counselors focus their time and energy in three core areas.  First, counselors work with children on an individual basis.  Individual counseling is for children who face challenges or personal obstacles that may interfere with their academic, personal, social, or emotional development.  Individual counseling sessions typically occur once a week or as needed and last for 20-25 minutes.

Second, counselors work with children in small groups.  Small group counseling is appropriate for children who have similar problems and can support each other.  Small groups do not meet with the counselor as often as individual students.

Third, counselors teach lessons to whole classes of students.  This is usually referred to as classroom guidance.  At Gallman Elementary School, classroom guidance is considered to be a related arts class, much like P.E., music, art, library, or computer lab.  During classroom guidance select topics are covered along with character education lessons, career awareness lessons, conflict resolution, and other needed topics.

Counselors in Newberry County also lead the Student Intervention Planning Team and Section 504 committee for their school along with many other duties and responsibilities.

3.  How can I find out about other counseling services in the community?

There are several options for you to consider.  Private counselors are available, usually at a premium cost.  Behavioral health centers and mental health agencies are also excellent options to consider.  Katina Capers-Washington can tell you more about the services and resources available to you in Newberry County and surrounding areas.

Character Counts

The Josephson’s Institute of Ethics states that “A person’s “character” is the summation of his or her habits, attitudes and attributes. Because those qualities are learned, they can also be purposefully taught. And they should be — because good character doesn’t happen automatically, and it’s too important to be left to chance. The effectiveness and well-being of individuals, their organizations and their society depend on it.”  This statement represents the belief that character education is important.  Therefore at Gallman Elementary, Character Education is embedded within the guidance and classroom curriculum to help students learn and develop the six pillars of character within their lives.  The six pillars of character taught are Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship.  These six pillars are covered throughout the year in a variety of ways and students are given several opportunities to show off their great character!

Career Awareness Education

Children may do better in school if they can see and learn to appreciate how education is connected to a successful future.  Therefore, it is never too early to begin helping children to discover the various occupations available and discuss the connection of what they are learning in school to real world situations.  At Gallman, career awareness lessons and activities are taught at all grade-levels from Pre K to fifth grade.  Students are busy learning about careers within their community, traditional and non-traditional jobs, the importance of professional behavior, and how careers impact the community.      

Character and Career Cluster Presentation Schedule

Character and career lessons are presented to each class monthly.  During this time, the counselor leads students in group discussions about what the character word is, how it feels, and how it can be displayed both at school and within community careers.  Students also focus on a career cluster that highlights the character word presented.

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