Double Churches Elementary
School Counseling Program
Welcome to the Wildcat Counseling Corner!
An online resource to help learners increase academic and social emotional skills in order to achieve success in their future careers
About
DCES wildcats will feel known and valued as they gain academic and social emotional skills to help them achieve success in their careers.
DCE school counseling program MISSION STATEMENT:
To implement a comprehensive counseling program for PK – 5th grade learners that is designed to help all develop educational and social emotional strengths, as well as career knowledge, in order to become responsible and productive citizens
As an employee of the Muscogee County School District, my school counseling work is guided by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Mindsets and Behaviors for Student Success and Georgia School Counselor Association (GSCA) guidelines, as well as the Georgia Department of Education's elementary curriculum standards. For more Information regarding MCSD School Counseling Services, ASCA, and GSCA can be found at the following links:
MCSD
https://muscogee.k12.ga.us/
https://muscogee.k12.ga.us/c/Divisions/StudentServices/SchoolCounselingServices
ASCA
www.schoolcounselor.org
GSCA
www.gaschoolcounselor.org
CONTACT INFORMATION
- Columbus, Georgia, United States
- 1213 Double Churches Road
- +1-706-748-2660 - Double Churches Elementary
- 706-748-2663
- Hall.Lauren.P@muscogee.k12.ga.us
- Official school hours are 7:45 am - 2:15 pm, M - F School counseling service office hours are 7:45 am - 2:15 pm, M - F Copy and paste the link below into a new browser in order to schedule individual sessions for students and/or parent conferences: https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/WildcatSchoolCounselingSessions@muscogee1.onmicrosoft.com/bookings/
INFORMED CONSENT FOR SCHOOL COUNSELING SERVICES
Confidentiality
In order to build trust with the child, the school counselor will keep information confidential with some possible exceptions. The school counselor is required by law to share information with others in certain circumstances:
*Presenting a serious danger to self or another person
*Evidence or disclosure of abuse or neglect
*Threats to school security
*Legal subpoena
The school counselor will make the child aware of these limits of confidentiality and will inform the child if/when it is necessary to share information with others. If you would like the counselor to share information with a third party, such as a community counselor, psychiatrist, social services worker, or pediatrician, you will need to sign an additional release of information form.
SCHEDULE A CONFERENCE
At DCE, we teach these character traits each month and also recognize learners who demonstrate them. Each "Wildcat of the Month" is a learner who is selected because they exude the qualities of these character traits.
MCSD 2026-2027 School Calendar
IMPORTANT DATES
College Colors Day is held annually nationwide. Sport your favorite college's colors on this day.
No school for staff and students.
Check your email and ConnectEd messages for details about the verification process based on your student(s)' grade level(s).
Help us celebrate healthy choices as we recognize Red Ribbon Week!
No school for staff and students.
Thanksgiving break Nov. 25th - 29th. No school for staff and students.
Winter break is Dec. 23rd - Jan. 6th.
No school for staff and students.
Celebrate literacy all week during Read Across America Week!
Spring break is April 3rd - 7th.
GMAS online assessments will be administered to 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade learners during these 2 weeks.
August 8, 2024 is the first official day of school for students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades.
https://www.youtube.com/@DoubleChurchesNewsCrew
DCE Pawcast
The DCE Pawcast
Check out the DCE Pawcast produced by Rickeya Ware and hosted by Lauren Hall. Episodes will feature helpful information from the school counselor about events, coping skills, and insight into elementary school happenings.
Read MoreResources
Just For 5th graders
Fifth graders, this is your year! It's time to start thinking about middle school and beyond. I'll post information about middle school programs, including magnet testing dates, athletic and club opportunities here. Be sure to check back here regularly for any updates. Let your teacher or I know if you have any questions. Sad to see you go, but grateful to see you grow! Love, Mrs. Hall Go here for MCSD middle school magnet applications: https://apps.muscogee.k12.ga.us/Magnet/Programs
East Columbus Magnet Academy
ECMA is a magnet school for students in 6th through 8th grades.
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Fort Middle School
Fort Middle School has students in grades 6th through 8th. It is a service learning academy.
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Rainey-McCullers School of the Arts
Rainey-McCullers School of the Arts hosts students in 6th through 12th grades.
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Richards Middle School
Richards Middle School is an Internation Baccalaureate School for students in 6th through 8th grades.
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Rothschild Leadership Academy
Rothschild Leadership Academy has students in 6th through 8th grades.
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Veterans Memorial Middle School
Veterans Memorial Middle School hosts students in 6th through 8th grades.
Learn MoreCounseling Lessons
Back to School
Welcome back Wildcats! Check out the video links below with some back to school fun!
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Health and safety tips for kids
Check out these videos with information about how to keep yourself healthy and safe this school year.
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What is a School Counselor?
Meet your school counselor, Lauren Hall, and learn a little about what a school counselor does.
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PBIS standard: KINDNESS
Kindness is one of DCE's PBIS expectations. Check out these lessons focusing on kindness offered by CBS reporter Steve Hartman on the CBS evening news.
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PBIS standard RESPECT
Respect is giving attention and showing care to others. We show respect to our classmates by taking turns talking. We show respect to our teachers and parents by listening as they speak, and using manners to show that we care about them.
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PBIS standard PERSEVERANCE
Persevere is one of DCE's PBIS 3 standards. It means that you have the power to keep trying to do something in spite of difficulties. Listen as "After the Fall" by Dan Santat is read aloud. This story is a re-imagining of Humpty Dumpty's nursery rhyme and a lesson on perseverance.
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TOLERANCE
Tolerance is the ability to be patient with others. Listen to Cole as he explains how important it is to accept others differences, and even possible to be proud of and celebrate our "quirks".
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Tolerance
Listen as "The Ugly Dumpling" and "The Ugly Duckling" are read aloud. Then compare and contrast the two stories. How are they alike? How are they different? What does it mean to show tolerance to others?
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Tolerance
Tolerance is the consideration and respect for the individual differences, views, and beliefs of other people.
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Patience
Learning new things can be challenging for a lot of people. Patience is a character trait that can help us manage frustrations around us.
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Feeling words
We all have feelings. Sometimes, it's hard to put our feelings into words though. Listen to this song and story that tell us more about feeling words.
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Communication
Communication with others needs good listening skills and good expressive skills. Check out this quick lesson on identifying feelings and using an I message to talk to express how you feel to other people.
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Grow Happy
Feelings may come and go, but they can also be grown! Listen as "Grow Happy" by John Lasser is read aloud.
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Persevere with Piper
Perseverance is one of our school's PBIS standards. We've read about how Humpty Dumpty got back up again in our last lesson on perseverance. Let's take another look at how trying again is the only way to succeed while watching "Piper".
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Got worries?
Sometimes worries get in the way when we need to persevere. Check out this quick lesson for some ideas on how to handle worries:
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Worries I can and cannot control
We learned more about worries in yesterday's focused lesson. Today, we'll talk more about which worries to focus on and which ones to say goodbye to! Check out this video on worries you can and cannot control.
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Grief
Here we focus on one feeling - grief. With so much changing around us and school looking very different than we imagined, we may experience some grief and sadness. Here's a quick lesson for students in grades 3 - 5 on grief and some ways to cope with it.
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Diligence
The character word for the month of September is DILIGENCE, which means working hard in a steady and continuing manner and sticking with a project or plan. This is where it is helpful to learn problem solving skills. Some problems can be challenging. But they don't have to be the end of our story. With a problem solving/persevering attitude, we can turn our problems into new opportunities. Listen as turkey runs away from a problem, but learns some new skills along the way.
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Emotions
Let's talk about emotions, or feelings. We all have them and they change a lot. Knowing what they feel like, look like, and sound like can help us deal with them as we grow.
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Focus on feeling GRUMPY
We're focusing on different emotions, or feelings, all week. Today we're learning about feeling grumpy.
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Focus on feeling SAD
We're focusing on emotions this week. Today's let's talk about what it means to feel sad and what we can do to help ourselves until we feel better.
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Focus on feeling JEALOUS
This week we're learning about different emotions. Today let's learn more about what it means to feel jealous.
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Focus on feeling ANXIOUS
This week we are learning about different emotions. Today let's learn more about what it means to feel anxious or worried, and what we can do when we feel this way.
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Focus on feeling MAD
We're continuing to learn about emotions and today we will focus on anger. What does it mean to be angry? What does it feel like? What can you do about it?
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Focus on feeling SCARED
We've been learning about different emotions and today, we will focus on fear, or feeling scared. What makes you feel scared?
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Focus on feeling CONFIDENT
We've been learning about different emotions. Today let's focus on the feeling of confidence. What does it mean to feel confident? What makes you feel confident? Is too much confidence a bad thing?
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Focus on feeling COURAGE
Let's talk about courage. What is it? What does it look and feel like to you?
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Focus on feeling LOVE
Today let's talk about the feeling of love. What is love? What does it feel like? How do you show love to others?
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Mindfulness
Being mindful can be tricky. It is the ability to focus only on what is happening right NOW. Mindfulness helps us worry less, focus more, and enjoy what's happening around us as it happens. Let's practice together.
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Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the ability to give all of our attention to something. It means we slow down in order to really pay attention to what is happening around us and what we are doing. Let's practice some mindfulness together today.
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Grounding
Grounding is a calming tool that helps when you're feeling anxious by bringing your mind's focus on the present. But you can use it anytime your mind being too full of thoughts, to help you feel more mindful and present.
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Grounding and Shielding for Mindfulness
Try some other strategies to help you focus on the present, or practice mindfulness.
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Personal Space Camp
Personal space is the area around your body that is needed to help you feel safe and comfortable around others. Let's practice giving ourselves and others personal space.
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More Empathy
Listen as our next story in the series discussion on empathy is read aloud. See below.
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Too Much
Have you ever loved something so much that you spent too much time doing it? Have you ever like a food so much that you ate too much? Listen as we learn about how too much is not always a good thing.
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The Present
This award winning short film is called "The Present". It reminds us how important it is to focus on the gifts we have and enjoy the people (and animals) around us in the present. Check it out!
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Arnie the Doughnut
Have you ever felt like you were "just" something? Arnie felt like he was "just" a doughnut until he met a friend who taught him that the possibilities are endless! Check out "Arnie the Doughnut", by Laurie Keller.
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Different
Different is good. But we don't always treat people and things that are different as though we value them. As kids, eating different foods can be scary. In the cafeteria, different foods can be the subject of teasing. Check out "Carla's Sandwich" and brainstorm your own ways that you can be different.
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Election Day is coming!
Listen as "The Night Before Election Day" by Natasha Wing is read aloud.
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Election Day and Voting
It's time for people who are 18 years and older to vote. What does voting mean? Check out this video to learn more about voting.
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Gratitude
Gratitude is an attitude of appreciation. Let's practice gratitude during the month of Thanksgiving and list the people, things, and opportunities we are most grateful for.
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My Gratitude Jar
Gratitude is an attitude, but it's also a practice. Practice gratitude today by making a list of all that you are thankful for. Listen as "My Gratitude Jar" by Kristin Wiens is read aloud. Try making your own gratitude jar.
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Mindful Minute
Take a moment to practice your mindfulness, while also thinking about what you are grateful for.
Learn MoreGMAS Test Practice - Georgia Experience Online
MCSD Educational Supports
Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and Student Support Team (SST)
MTSS is a tiered approach to providing interventions for all students based on their individual language, learning, and behavior needs. Research based interventions are provided and progress monitoring data is collected to determine their efficacy along the way. SST is the team of teachers, staff, and parents that gather to discuss and develop a personalized learning plan (PLP) that supports student growth. For more information about MTSS/SST at DCE, contact Angeanette Snell, Academic Dean & SST Chair. Snell.Angeanette.C@muscogee.k12.ga.us
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Section 504
Section 504 is a portion of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that affords accommodations for students with a documented disability. For more information about Section 504, contact Tallian Pugh, 504 Chair. Pugh.Tallian.M@muscogee.k12.ga.us
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Special Education and IEP
Students who qualify for special education services will have an individualized education plan, or IEP. For more information about special education services at DCE, contact Tallian Pugh. Pugh.Tallian.M@muscogee.k12.ga.us
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Hospital Homebound Services
Hospital Homebound services are offered to eligible students who are unable to attend school regularly due to a medical condition. For more information about MCSD Hospital Homebound Services, contact Lauren Hall, counselor. Hall.Lauren.P@muscogee.k12.ga.us
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Gifted Education Program
The gifted education program for elementary schools is housed at St. Elmo School. For more information about gifted services for students at DCE, contact Lauren Hall or Bethany Montgomery. Hall.Lauren.P@muscogee.k12.ga.us Montgomery.Bethany.P@muscogee.k12.ga.us
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English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
English Language Learning is designed for students whose first and primary language is not English. The goal of the program is to provide language instruction that supports overall student learning and academic growth within the classroom setting. For more information about MCSD's ESOL program, contact Lauren Loughman. Loughman.Lauren.L@muscogee.k12.ga.us
Learn MoreDouble Churches Elementary Wildcat Song
Wildcat Picture Gallery
DONORS CHOOSE PROJECTS
Check out my current Donors Choose project which aims to provide social emotional resources for students that promote coping skills and character development.
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Check out this link to my current Donors Choose project which aims to provide female students access to literacy materials that show women in STEM careers.
Read More1. Listen to "A Little Spot of Teamwork" written by Diane Alber. Click on the link you see here to hear the story.
https://youtu.be/1LlV6HulH-I?si=86Odj8YEcUKHSjd2
2. Click on this link to access the Google form assignment.
https://forms.gle/e1WW1ekgjMoTHPDm9
3. Answer each question in the Google form with at least 3 sentences.
