Guidance Resources

Books About Puberty
Parent-Teacher Conference Tips
Peer Mediation

The Saint Thomas More School Guidance and Counseling program is structured around four goals:

Our counselor believes that as children grow they face and solve certain problems universal in human life. Therefore, the Life Skills curriculum is proactive and directed at all students by teaching topics that are developmental and preventative. The program is age appropriate and provides experiences and discussion that allow students the opportunity to learn about themselves and others.

The counselor is responsible for coordinating services for psychological or educational testing, teaching the Life Skills curriculum, meeting with small groups or individuals on an as-needed basis, and works as the school’s liaison with others in the community who work with our families.

The counselor is also responsible for training Peer Mediators. Peer mediator teams provide a service to the school community by helping others solve problems. These students model that conflict is a normal part of life with a set of skills to be used when working through our problems.

The Counselor is committed to all Saint Thomas More families and is available for at-home discussions. A small resource library of videos and printed materials on parenting issues is available in the Counselor’s office. Please feel free to call Mrs. Fleming at 404-377-4520 or email her at nfleming@stmga.org for more information.

Birds and Bees

Parents have been looking for books about puberty to read with their child. Mrs. Fleming called on some experts for help in this area. Those ‘experts’ are Mrs. Ayala, mother of a son William, and Mrs. Tirella, mother of a daughter, Talia. They came up with these selections. You can check these books out for your use at home. The books are in Mrs. Fleming’s office. Don’t worry, we can send them to you in a brown paper wrapper! Or better yet, come by and look them over before you decide.

For Boys

What’s Going on Down There? by Karen Gravelle

The What’s Happening to My Body by Lynda Madaras

For Girls

Girl Stuff a Survival Guide to Growing Up by Margaret Blackstone and Elissa Haden Guest

The Care & Keeping of You by Valorie Lee Schefer from the American Girl Library

For Preteens and Teens

It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie H. Harris

Growing and Changing by Kathy McCoy and Charles Wibbelsman

Peer Mediators

Peer Mediators are now ready to help responsible students solve their getting along problems. Peer Mediators are middle school students who have gone through a Peer Helpers training course with Mrs. Fleming.

Mediation is available to students on Thursday and Friday afternoons. The sign- up forms are in the table outside Mrs. Msezane’s office.

Please encourage your children to use the Peer Mediators when they having getting along problems with their friends. The Peer Mediators model that conflict is a normal part of life, and there is a set of skills to be used to solve problems with others.

If you have any questions about how Peer Mediation works please call Mrs. Fleming at 404-377-4520.

Guidance News