Natasha Coffelt

Locust Grove Middle School Counselor

The goal of the Locust Grove Middle School counselor is to promote academic success by working cooperatively with students, parents, teachers, staff, and the community, and to embrace the diversity of our students and advocate for equity, access, and success for all students.

Counseling Services Available:

The LGMS counselor provides individual and group counseling, and classroom presentations to students regarding academic and personal/ social issues.  Some counseling activities include:

• Early College Planning

• Parent/ student conferences regarding academic & personal issues

• Individual registration of every student into a rigorous course of study

• Incoming 6th grade orientation

• Academic counseling

• Crisis counseling

• Conflict resolution and conflict mediation

• Orientation for newly enrolled students and their families

• Referrals to community-based agencies for ongoing counseling & support

Parents- Tips for Success

• Attend Back-to-School Night: Each teacher will review their class expectations and will explain their grading policy.  In addition, they will share the best way to get in contact with them and how parents can monitor their student’s progress.

• Check your student’s agenda: Each student is provided a school agenda free-of-charge.  Review the agenda on a daily basis to monitor that assignments are being written and completed.

• Access the school website on a regular basis: All students have access to Powerschool, where they can check grades and missing assignments.  In addition, the school website has up-to-date bulletin announcements.

• Write down parent-teacher conference dates in your calendar:  Each Semester in October and March, Locust Grove Middle School hosts parent-teacher conferences to afford parents an opportunity to have face to face time with each of their student’s teachers.

What should I do if my child is not achieving to his/her ability level?

• Talk to your student.  Find out what they are struggling with and what steps they have taken to get help.

• Talk with the teacher.  Is the student struggling with tests, quizzes, homework, and/ or behavior?  Ask about what interventions are necessary to improve the student’s achievement level in the class.  Ask about tutoring that may be available.

• Talk with the counselor about other available interventions, such as weekly progress reports, school tutoring, counseling, etc.

• Powerschool:   Students and parents can monitor weekly progress by utilizing access to Powerschool.

• Provide rewards and consequences for achievement.

Transitioning to Middle School

The transition to middle school can be a scary, exciting, fun and/ or challenging time for many students.  It is normal for students and parents to feel nervous, excited, anxious or scared. Students are not only making a change to a new school but they are also going through many physical and emotional changes that accompany adolescence.

Middle school serves as a three-year transition between elementary school and high school.  During this time we assist your student in learning the academic and independent skills needed to be successful in high school and in life.

How to help your child make a smooth transition:

• Reassure your child that it is okay to feel nervous.

• Highlight the positive

  • More independence

  • New opportunities: more clubs, new friends, dances, etc

  • Opportunity to learn new subjects

  • Take a tour of campus during pre-enrollment night

  • Attend 6th Grade Orientation

  • Attend “Back-to-School” night

  • Reassure your child that middle school is a safe place with many caring adults to help

  • If your child is still having difficulty after several weeks, please make an appointment to see your child’s counselor.

Registration & Class Scheduling

The school counselors individually register every student into a rigorous course of study.  We utilize placement guidelines provided by Locust Grove Public School District. We utilize test data (OSTP, NWEA), academic grades, GATE, English Proficiency, IEP’s, and 504 plans to make appropriate class placements.  In addition, we utilize student, teacher, and parent recommendation for placement into accelerated and support classes.

Counselors make the majority of academic placements in the Spring semester (February-May) before summer vacation. If you have any questions, recommendations, or concerns regarding your student’s academic placement, please feel free to contact your student’s counselor.  You can also indicate any requests on the students course selection form.

6th Grade Registration

Incoming 6th Grade students will be registered through their elementary school in mid March.  The counselor will visit the upper elementary school and provide an orientation presentation.  In addition, we will provide an orientation presentation for incoming 6th grade parents.  During the student presentation we will provide a “Student Course Selection” form.  This form is collected from the elementary school in March. Registration dates and information will generally be provided in mid-February/ early-March.

7th - 8th Grade Registration

Students going into the 7th & 8th grade are registered during Social Studies class in early March.  We will provide a presentation to all 7th & 8th grade students. The presentation reviews academic expectations, and class placement/ scheduling.  In addition, we provide a “Student Course Selection form” to all students to take home and share with their parents.  We provide approximately one week for student to complete their form. During Social Studies class, students will meet with their counselor to select their classes for 7th or 8th grade.   

College Information

Middle school is the perfect time to begin setting goals to attend college.  At LGMS we provide a number of opportunities for students and parents to begin early planning and awareness.  Here are some ideas to begin preparing for college in middle school:

• Attend the 7th & 8th Grade field trip to Gear Up provided College.

• Attend the 8th Grade field trip to Northeast Technology Center.

• Complete the Oklahoma Promise Application during 8th Grade Pre-enrollment.

• Earn A’s & B’s in your classes and maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average.

• Consider taking Algebra and foreign language.

• Consider taking at least one accelerated class.

• Talk to your counselor about achieving your college goals

How to be competitive for college and scholarships

• Enroll in rigorous college-prep classes

• Maintain a strong grade point average GPA

• Develop your leadership skills

• Contribute to your school and/ or community

• Develop your unique skills, abilities and talents

• Be a well-rounded individual

• Start planning in middle school.

Helpful college websites

• Oklahoma College Start - https://www.okcollegestart.org/

• Oklahoma Career Guide - https://okcareerguide.kuder.com/landing-page

Community Resources & Referrals

At times parents may need referrals to outside agencies for additional assistance.  The counselor is knowledgeable of social services in the community that may be available to assist families in need.  Many of the resource centers offer group counseling for youth and parents in the areas of anger management, substance abuse, building healthy relationships, divorce, grief, and parenting teens.  In addition, the resources may be able to assist with referrals for medical and dental care, food banks, and other social services. A few of these resource centers include:

• Grand Lake Mental Health Center

• Locust Grove Ministerial Alliance Food Pantry

• Boys and Girls Club of Locust Grove

• Mayes County Health Department

• Cherokee Rainbow House

Classroom Mission Statement

Our mission in class is to develop a desire to learn as much about the world and how it works as possible, and to grow as thinking, aware, concerned individuals so that we transform into well-rounded adults!