In these pages, you will find information related to the counseling services that ECA offers! Important information for each grade will be communicated directly from Miss Bredeman to parents through email, but this is a landing page for anyone wanting to familiarize themselves more with ECA’s guidance counseling services or to look ahead at upcoming information related to students’ next school year.
Angela Bredeman – Guidance Counselor
Contact – [email protected]
These webpages are meant to be useful tools to help families and staff understand the services and framework of the Guidance Counseling Department with the ECA mission and vision in mind. These services will follow students from their entry, throughout their transitions to the secondary school, and will culminate with graduation and transition to college.
Mindful of the developmental process of children and adolescents, our Guidance Counseling Department has created a comprehensive program to support the personal growth and development of students as they move through their school experience. This program intentionally addresses developmentally appropriate topics at each grade level.
From our perspective, we want each student to understand that school “success” cannot be measured solely on grades and university acceptance. Our goal is for the education process to focus on mature, realistic decision-making with an emphasis on considering the ‘whole person’ as they journey through self-discovery, navigating relationships, determining personal strengths and weaknesses, goal setting, overcoming personal challenges and finally, honing decision-making skills. These all contribute to the successful completion of their educational experience from elementary through secondary school and signify an important step toward a successful future transition into adulthood.
In addition to our work with each student, we partner with the ECA staff, families, and community stakeholders to address the needs of our students and help them achieve success both in and outside the classroom.
Guidance Counselors are not clinical counselors and cannot diagnose or prescribe medication. We work with external resources to provide appropriate referrals when determined that additional counseling services are needed outside what the Guidance Counseling Department can provide within our educational setting.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to facilitate each student’s academic, social/emotional, and career development through the delivery of counseling services and activities as well as through a collaborative effort between the home, school and community. The ultimate objective is to help students identify their interests and abilities, and enhance their productivity, dependability, self expression and control. It is also to help students develop thoughtful decision-making and conflict-resolution skills along with other competencies that will remediate student deficits, strengthen their unique capabilities and enable them to participate in a global society as responsible citizens.
Philosophy and Beliefs
Guidance Counselors believe that every child can learn and that all students have an equal right to access a certified school counselor. They believe that each student has a right to participate in a comprehensive school counseling program designed to ensure student success. The following principles are the foundation for the school’s counseling program:
- All students’ ethnic, cultural, racial differences and special needs are considered in planning and implementing the school-wide program.
- There is a collaborative effort among the guidance counselors, administration and teachers to coordinate with parents and the community.
- Various assessments are used to develop and continually evaluate the effectiveness of the program.
- Guidance counselors adhere to ethical standards and regularly participate in professional development activities.