Counseling Department
Counseling Office Phone: 240-406-1560
Counseling Staff Available: 7:55AM – 3:20PM
Erika Murray* | Resource Counselor and Grades 6, 7, 8 as Assigned |
Aly Allen | Grade 6 |
Melissa Keller | Grade 7 |
Cecil 'Joe' Thompson | Grade 8 |
Suzanne Abu-Sharr | Grades 6, 7, 8 as Assigned (Works Tues, Wed, Thurs) |
Tamara Hardy | Counseling Secretary/Registrar |
*Department Resource Teacher
Tutoring and Mental Health Resources
School Counseling Program Mission Statement
Cabin John Middle School Counselors are advocates for our students and families. We collaborate to provide a comprehensive, developmentally appropriate school counseling program to support the academic, career, social and emotional growth of all students. We value and respond to the diversity and individual differences in our school community, ensuring equitable access to opportunities, and a rigorous curriculum for all students. As professional school counselors, we are dedicated to empowering every student to achieve academic success, personal and social growth, emotional and physical wellness, and career and college exploration.
School Counseling Program Vision Statement
The students at CJMS are equipped academically and emotionally for the challenges of a complex and diverse world. As lifelong learners, they are committed to leadership and stewardship. They make a significant difference in the lives of their communities, both local and global, through digital responsibility, career readiness, and academic achievement. As decision-makers they exhibit compassion, empathy, and an unerring commitment to ethical behavior. Our students have a growth mindset that fosters curiosity, responsible decision-making, problem-solving, and grit.
Cabin John Middle School Counseling Team Resources
View our Mindfulness Activities
Counseling Standards
The Counseling Program at Cabin John Middle School supports student development in three broad domains: academic, career, and social/emotional. These domains promote growth mindsets and positive behaviors that enhance the learning process and create a culture of college and career readiness for all students.
The Cabin John Middle School Counseling Department has an extensive list of presentations and activities scheduled. Our focus this year is three-tiered:
Academic Development: The school counseling program will implement strategies and activities to support and maximize each student's ability to learn.
Career Development: Emphasizes a connection between education and the world of work and a plan for transitioning from school to post-secondary and/or the world of work.
Social/Emotional Development: Through mindfulness, students will learn how to manage their emotions and develop their interpersonal skills. Mindfulness is a way of thinking which focuses awareness on the present. Practicing mindfulness can help students learn to focus, manage stress, regulate emotions and develop a positive outlook. Research has shown a clear link between positive emotional classroom climates and academic achievement.
We want our students to be happy and well while striving for academic success. Adolescents who are mindful tend to experience greater well-being, more positive emotions, and fewer negative emotions, and less anxiety. Our goal is to educate students to achieve calm and reduce stress which will allow for greater learning.
Counseling Services Delivery:
Counselors deliver services in a variety of ways.
Direct services are in-person interactions between school counselors and students to include:
- delivery of structured lessons
- individual student planning to help students meet personal goals and develop future plans
- responsive services where counselors meet the immediate needs and concerns of a student in individual or small-group settings or crisis response.
Indirect services are provided on behalf of students as a result of the school counselors' interactions with others to include:
- referrals for additional assistance
- consultations and collaboration with parents, teachers, other educators, and community organizations
Family Connection Naviance
Cabin John is pleased to introduce Family Connection-a comprehensive website that you and your student can use to make plans about colleges and careers. Family Connection is linked with Naviance™, a service that has been widely used in High Schools, including MCPS to help students plan for college and career opportunities.
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