Moffat School counselor Mollie Benton, left, Moffat School District superintendent Charlie Warren and Moffat School principal Michelle Hashbarger celebrate National School Counseling Week.

MOFFAT — National School Counseling Week, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), is celebrated at Moffat School from Feb. 2 through 6. National School Counseling Week highlights the tremendous impact counselors can have in helping students achieve school success.

This special week honoring school counselors provides recognition for school counselors who “implement comprehensive school counseling programs, a vital part of the educational process for all students as they meet the challenges of the 21st century,” according to Moffat School District superintendent Charlie Warren.

In a proclamation, Michelle Hashbarger, Moffat School principal, cited school counselors for being actively engaged in helping students examine their abilities, strengths, interests and talents; for working in a partnership with parents as they encounter the challenges of raising children in today’s world; for focusing on positive ways to enhance students’ social/personal, education and career developments; and for working with teachers and other educators to provide an educational system where students can realize their potential and set healthy, realistic and optimistic aspirations for themselves. Professional school counselors are certified, experienced educators with a master’s degree in guidance and counseling. The combination of their training and experience makes them an integral part of the total educational program.

“Every day, school counselors work with school counseling programs that address the personal/social, academic and career needs of all students,” said Jim Bierma, ASCA 2008-2009 president. “Their ultimate goal is to enable all students to achieve success in school and to become responsible and productive members of our society.”