Mission Statement:

 The purpose of the Manhattan High School Counseling program is to provide a system designed to assist ALL students with the development and attainment of their educational, career, and personal goals. 

Purpose statement: 

The ever-increasing needs of adolescents and the expectations of today’s society impose growing demands on our educational system and its resources.  Educators are challenged to prepare students with diverse backgrounds at an ever higher level of literacy to meet the demands of an internationally competitive, technological marketplace.  At the same time, societal and environmental factors influence our teens ability. Thus, they attend school ill equipped emotionally, physically, and/or socially to learn.  Manhattan High School must respond by providing support for all students in learning to prepare effectively for the future. 

A comprehensive counseling program is integral to the total educational process.  The main focus is to facilitate and enhance student learning and development.  Students need assistance to proactively develop skills in enhancing their academic, personal/social, and career development to foster post-secondary plans.  A significant role of the comprehensive counseling program is to collaborate with students, parents, teachers, staff, administrators, and the community. 

Community influences and societal changes generate identifiable student needs that may not be met solely by classroom instructional programs.  Meeting these needs is essential to individual growth and can be accomplished through a planned educational program combining instruction and guidance.  Manhattan High School provides a comprehensive and balanced counseling program. 

The overall importance of a comprehensive counseling program is to utilize the power of working as a team with teachers, administrators, community and parents to provide students with necessary skills to fully attain the school district’s outcomes:  effective communicators, quality producers, complex thinkers, collaborative workers, community contributors and self-directed learners.