My role is to serve as a resource to all 4th, 5th, and 6th graders, along with supporting CDIS parents, and our staff.

There are many ways for a student to see the school counselor. It can be by self-referral, parent referral, teacher referral, or principal referral. I teach classroom guidance lessons, conduct small group sessions, and meet with students individually throughout the year (see descriptions below). Some students may need a higher level of counseling support than I can provide in the school setting. In those situations, I can assist parents by referring them to a qualified therapist.

I am here to help with a wide range of issues, including but not limited to; classroom performance, family changes, home or school stress, behavior, peer relations, etc. Please feel free to call (563) 659-4780 or mollie.bates@cd-csd.org with any questions or concerns you may have.

Whole Group Classroom Counseling allows the counselor to teach guidance lessons to a whole class. CDIS has adopted the Second Step social/emotional curriculum. Most lessons revolve around being assertive, how to calm down when having strong feelings, skills for learning and problem solving. Whole Group Guidance happens the first half of the year.

Small group counseling is in a smaller setting with 5-8 students. This gives the counselor an opportunity to give more direct instruction to students and to build positive relationships with them. Small groups happen the second half of the year. There may also be other small groups happening throughout the year based on the needs of our current students. Therefore, your child may be a part of more than one small group. Topics can include, but not limited to: bullying, friendships, listening, divorce, social skills, etc.

Individual counseling is an opportunity for the counselor and the student to work through issues they may be facing (home, school, friends, study skills, self-esteem, etc.) in a more intensive format. After assessing the student I will put together a plan to work with the student to get through their issues by instilling skills they can use. Activities that I will be doing with students, but not limited are: play, identifying feelings, relaxation techniques, and bibliotherapy (books). A student is usually referred by their parent/guardian, teacher or principal. Students can also request to see me. My office is a place for them to feel that they can be safe, be heard, and be themselves. I honor each one of my students and will keep what they share confidential unless I feel that they are going to harm themselves or others or if I feel that it is in the benefit of the child to alert their teachers to help them be a better student in the classroom. The amount of time that I spend with each child depends on why they were referred or would like to be seen. Sometimes students have a weekly scheduled time and some are only on an “as needed” basis.