"The most effective way to cope with change is to help create it." - Anonymous

The Role of the Peer Counselor The role of each peer Counselor is determined by the individual to fit the activities and roles of which he/she is most comfortable.  The roles of a Peer counselor are as follows: 1.      Being a friend: knowing how to listen and be friendly to those people that need a friend. 2.      Providing information and referral: helping peers get help from counselors or others for problems they may be experiencing. 3.      Improving school attitudes and spirit: getting involved with the school activities and helping others to get involved.   Peer Counselors should not… 1.      Dominate, preach, or tell people what to do 2.      Judge others and try to change them 3.      Give advice or offer solutions 4.      “Rescue” or do for a person what he/she should do independently 5.      Put people down 6.      Gossip about what was said by another person 7.      Expect all problems to be resolved quickly and easily 8.      Work with seriously disturbed people 9.      Attempt to provide services beyond what he/she is qualified to provide Peer Leader - Ms. Choquette

A Day For Change The Day for Change program is run by Ms. Choquette and the peer advocates of West Boylston High School, in the gym. The day was to help encourage students to listen to and respect each other. This even helped everyone realize that their are other people going through similar situations, and that we can rely on one another for help. For more information and pictures from the Day For Change, please visit the Day For Change page.

Mediations

Mediation is a communication process in which the people with the problem work together with the assistance of a neutral third party, cooperating to resolve their conflict peaceably.

  The mediator is the neutral third party. When students serve as mediators to assist other students, they are called peer mediators.

  Mediation is an approach to resolve conflict in which the disputants—the people who disagree—have a chance to sit face-to-face and talk, uninterrupted, so each point of view is heard. After the problem is identified, the disputants create options for mutual gain and choose a win-win solution. They then finalize an agreement to behave in some way from that point forward.

  Simply, as a peer mediator, we help the disputants to express what they are feeling and come to a resolution of how they can be civil with one another.

Big brother/Big sister

The Big brother/big sister program is a way for a peer counselor to take on a middle school, or high school, student as a brother or sister. As a big brother/sister we are there to give the other students someone to talk to. Whether it be just stress about school or a serious problem, we are here to listen and be a confidant.  Confidentiality is important to peers. To be trusted, we will prove to be confidential unless it is something that an adult needs to know.

*If you are looking for a Big Brother/Big Sister you can contact your guidance counselor, Mrs. Choquette or place a letter in the “Peer Locker”, the painted locker in the middle school hallway.