Dear Families of Our Lady of Grace School,

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Welcome to another exciting school year. I wanted to take a moment to introduce
myself. My name is Ben Fishburne, and I am the School Counselor at OLG School. I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MFC 42328) and have been working with children and families for over thirty years. I have been working as a school counselor in Catholic schools for about twenty years. This is my sixth year at OLG.

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Referrals generally come to me by one of three avenues: children request to meet with me, parents request that I meet with their child or the faculty requests that I meet with a child. In all cases, parental consent is obtained prior to meeting with the child. While most of the counseling done at the school site is individual, I have met with groups and families.

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There are two important forms to use. The parental consent form, which allows me to work with the child, and the referral form, which lets me know why the child is to be seen. If an email is sent relaying the concerns, or we discuss them, the referral form is not necessary.

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If a parent would like for their child to meet with me, it is particularly important that the consent form be completed. The forms are available in the school office and can also be turned in there. The forms can also be accessed through the school website, and I am happy to email copies as well.

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Occasionally, Mrs. Mares asks me to assist in disciplinary issues. In these cases,
parental consent is not pursued, though I often discuss the outcomes of those
conversations with parents.

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If I met with a child last year, I will not automatically meet with them again this year, although I do plan on reaching out to the parents of students with whom I met last year.  Consent and referral forms need to be completed for the new school year.

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I am thrilled to be a part of the team here at Our Lady of Grace. I look forward to a great year. If there are any questions, please feel free to call me, e-mail me, or meet with me at school. I am here every Friday. My e-mail at the school is bfishburne@olg.org.  I can also be reached through the school office. Please note that as I work at other locations during the week, I am only able to respond to phone messages on the days that I am here, but I check my e-mail throughout the week.

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May God bless you and your family, and best wishes for a wonderful school year.

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Sincerely,
Ben Fishburne, MFT
School Counselor, Our Lady of Grace School