Counseling

Central Elementary Counseling Program

Vision

Develop all students into well rounded individuals who can establish and maintain healthy relationships with peers and adults. Advocate for their needs and the needs of others appropriately. Solve problems with empathy and kindness. Have emotional awareness and knowledge of developmentally appropriate social skills and coping skills to help regulate emotions. Students will learn to set goals and plan for the future with knowledge of academic and career options.

Mission

The counselor will provide all students with a safe, supportive and nurturing environment where they feel listened to, valued, and respected. All students will have access to a multi-tiered counseling program that is data driven and grounded in narrative and restorative practice within the domains of Academic, Career, and Social Emotional Learning (SEL). The program includes crisis response, individualized/group short term counseling, guidance lessons, check-in/check-out, and other interventions as seen fit to support the needs of each individual student or groups of students. Teacher and/or parent consultations are available upon request to best support individual students growth and development. All students will have access to a SEL curriculum that teaches with a purposeful effort to develop: social skills, altruism, emotional competencies, gratitude, and positive relationships.

Beliefs

All students have dignity and worth and deserve to be respected.
All students have the right to access a school counselor.
The school counselor is an advocate for all students.
All students are individuals that learn at their own pace.
All students can learn to be resilient in the face of challenges.
All students can become productive members of society.
All students can achieve academic, career, and social/emotional success when given appropriate and timely support and interventions.
All students deserve to be members of a school community that is culturally compassionate and responsive.
Data should be used to design, implement, evaluate, and continuously improve the school counseling program.
School counselors serve as leaders and collaborators in assessing barriers to academic success.
School counselors collaborate with families, stakeholders, and community resources to meet the students’ needs.
School counselors abide by the ASCA’s Ethical Standards for School Counselors.

About Me

My name is Ms. Cardenas I am the elementary school counselor for Central Elementary School in Banning, CA. I completed my undergraduate degree in Liberal Studies (teaching) at Long Beach State University in 2011. I moved back to the Inland Empire, where I grew up, to attend Cal State University San Bernardino to complete a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. While doing so I began and completed a Masters Degree in Counseling and Guidance with PPS credential. I was blessed to have the opportunity to work at Central through an internship in 2014-2015 school year. However, in 2015 I moved to Arizona and gained experience working in Mental & Behavioral Health Services as a Children's Clinician II, serving clients ages 0-17. I was welcomed back to Central in 2016. Since then I have taken on various leadership positions such as PBIS Tier I & II Coordinator, and SST Coordinator. I go to work happy everyday and look forward to working with all Central students.

Contact info:

Email: dcardenas@banning.k12.ca.us

Goggle Voice: (951) 381-0938 (parent use only)

OFFICE HOURS

Monday-Friday 8:30am-3:40pm.

*Reminder: There is only one me and 700+ students please keep this in mind. I will do my best to respond within 2-3 business days.

RESOURCES

If you are in need of immediate assistance do not hesitate to call 911 or other resources listed above.

Daily Acts of Kindness!

Mannerly Monday - Weekly PBIS Social Skill.

Thoughtful Tuesday - Developing altruism through meaningful contributions.

Wellness Wednesday - Purposeful effort to develop Emotional Awareness.