Our mission: Dawson School is dedicated to excellence of mind, body, and character. We prepare students, through challenging and relevant learning, to become creative, resilient problem solvers who bring their best to the world.
COUNSELING AT DAWSON
Dawson's school counselors help meet the psychological needs of students in grades K-12. Our counselors provide developmentally appropriate support and consultation for students, parents and faculty including:
Short-term counseling
Crisis intervention and assessment
Referrals for mental health providers and services including providers who offer a sliding scale fee
Coordination with outside mental health providers
Management of student mental health support plans with accommodations as needed
Community Education
Lower School Counseling
In the Lower School, each student receives one social emotional/wellness class per week taught by the lower school counselor on important topics including communicating and understanding emotions, self-esteem, bullying prevention, family relationships, mental health and more. The lower school curriculum is guided by the PATHS program, the Pollyanna Diversity curriculum, the Our Whole Lives curriculum and the Blue Sky Bridge body safety program. Students are offered opportunities for friendship lunches, conflict resolution sessions, as well as individual sessions with the school counselor. Each year there are also parent programming opportunities including an annual 5th grade puberty and sex education parent event as well as other social emotional parent coffees.
Middle/Upper School Counseling
The Middle and Upper School years are a time for exciting developmental changes that impact every sphere of a student’s life. Adolescents begin the process of separating and creating their own identities. As partners alongside parents and guardians, the school counselors are available for parent consultation and short-term individual counseling sessions to support a student’s and family’s internal strengths and assist in developing new skills to help navigate new challenges and responsibilities. We provide community and parent education around topics such as mental health, substance use, bullying, relationships and online safety in order to help students build the tools needed to be safe and well. Our goal is that students leave Dawson with stronger self-awareness, self-advocacy, compassion and empathy.
Dawson Counseling Team
List of 3 members.
Mrs. Brittany Weibel
Lower School Counselor
University of Denver - Masters of Arts in School Counseling
Bryna Cunningham
MS Counselor
University of Maryland - B.S. National Catholic School of Social Service - M.S.W.
Erin Romano
Upper School Counselor
Columbia University - Master's in Social Work Santa Clara University - BS of Psychology