Counseling
Mrs. Braga's Counseling Corner
School Counseling Services
Comprehensive school counseling services will be offered to all students throughout the year. These services include academic support, college and career planning, as well as individual and small group counseling to address social and emotional concerns that cause students to experience troubles at school. Additional resources and suggestions for referrals to outside agencies are also available through the assistant principals, the school counselor or the school psychologist.
School Counseling Mission Statement
The mission of Quimby Oak Middle School’s counseling program is to ensure an equitable learning environment for all students that supports and nurtures student achievement, resilience, and development. Through this enrichment, all students will acquire the necessary skills to achieve academic excellence, social/emotional development, and career and college exploration to become valuable, competent, and collaborative members of the 21stcentury.
Our Work
The school counseling program upholds the ethical and professional standards of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). With ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors for School Success in mind, the program uses data to help focus on academic, career, and social/emotional development for all students. The team works to build data driven decisions that directly support student success.
Academic Achievement
Parent Resources
Stay in the Loop! Make sure to keep up to date with PowerSchool. You can view your child’s grades and assignments on the site.
Helping your child with homework
10 Ways to help your child succeed in middle school
Academic resources to support your child with his/her school work
Tips for parents on a successful transition to middle school
Tips to help your child manage stress
Tips on how to help your child cope with stress
Student Resources
Stay in the Loop! Make sure to keep up to date with PowerSchool to see your grades and assignments.
Learning Styles Quiz Complete this quiz to find out what your learning style is and how you can use that to help you in school.
Create your personal stress management plan
funbrain.com This site has games, books, and comics to help you improve math and reading skills.
Career Exploration and College Planning
Career Exploration Resources for Parents and Students
California Career Zone This website has a survey to help you match your interests with careers. It also helps you make money choices and compare your preferred style of living with the amount of money you make each year with different careers.
STEM Career Websites for Students This website shows different STEM career resources for students.
The Occupational Outlook Handbook can help you find career information, how much careers pay, how much education you need, and more.
Career Videos This website lets you watch videos that give information about different careers, education needed, and more.
College Planning Resources for Parents and Students
Prepare for college This website explains the importance of preparing for college.
My Future, My Way: First Steps Toward College Here is a worksheet for middle school and high school students about their first steps toward college.
FASFA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) This website can help parents find out how much federal aid your child may receive.
Here are booklets to help you and your child “Make College Happen.”
Make College Happen- English (PDF)
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention
Resources for Parents:
These sites have information to help you talk to your kids about alcohol and drug use and where to go for help.
Parents: Facts on Teen Drug Use
Resources for Students:
Teens: Drug Use and the Brain This site shows how drugs affect your brain and body. It also has videos, games, and blog posts!
Drugs and Alcohol Find out facts about drugs and alcohol, how they affect your body, how you can avoid drugs and alcohol, and how you can help someone you are concerned about.
Anti Bullying and Cyber Safety
Cyber Safety Resources for Parents:
Common Sense Media Here you’ll find parent and teen reviews on video games, apps, books, and movies to help you stay savvy on what’s trending and how it may affect your child.
Here’s an article from the site that may be worthy of taking a peak at: 17 Apps and Websites Kids are Heading to After Facebook
Connect Safely This website displays news and advice on the safe use of social media and technology.
Here are “Parents’ Guides” to Social Networking Sites:
Parents Guide to Cyber Bullying (PDF)
Parents Guide to Facebook (PDF)
Family Online Safety Guide (PDF)
Cyber Safety Resources for Students:
NSTeens.org This website can help you make safer choices online. It has videos and comics and can even help you take a stand against cyberbullying!
Safe Web Surfing (YouTube) This video shows you the top four tips for internet safety.
Anti-bullying Resources for Parents
These sites can help you understand what bullying is, recognize the warning signs that your child is involved in bullying, gives you tips on how to talk with your child about bullying, and more.
Stop Bullying: What You Can Do
Center for Parent Information & Resources: Bullying
Anti-bullying Resources for Students
Bullying is never okay! Talk to any staff members at school if you are concerned about bullying. These adults are good resources at Quimby Oak Middle School:
Ms. George, Principal
Mrs. Hammond, Assitant Principal
Mr. Stolan, Assistant Principal
Mrs. Braga, School Counselor
All of your teachers
Any staff member at Quimby Oak
Additional Resources
These sites help you recognize bullying and talk about what to do and not to do if you are being bullied. They include information on cyberbullying and how to prevent bullying. They also have some videos and games!
Stop Bullying: What Kids Can Do
LGBTQ+
Resources for Parents
Family Acceptance Project This website offers resources and information to families to help support their LGBT children.
My Kid is Gay This site offers videos, advice, and resources to help parents understand their Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual children.
Resources for Students
The Trevor Project This site gives ways to get into contact with counselors if you need a space to talk.
The LGBTQ Youth Space This site is for LGBTQ and ally youth and young adults ages 13-25 living in Santa Clara County
Community Resources
Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI)
AACI provides services to abused Asian women and children. Emergency shelter in
Santa Clara County is also available. Individual, group, and family counseling is available in over two dozen languages.
2400 Moorpark Avenue, Suite 300 San Jose, CA 95128
Phone: (408) 975-2730
Email: infor@aaci.org
Website: dv.aaci.org
Bill Wilson Center
Bill Wilson Center is committed to working with the community to ensure that every youth has access to the range of services needed to grow to be healthy and self-sufficient adults.
Programs include:
Youth and family mental health services
Transitional age youth mental health services
School outreach counseling
Runaway and homeless youth shelter
Parent-child interaction therapy
Juvenile justice diversion services
Family and individual counseling
3490 The Alameda, Santa Clara, CA 95050
Phone: (408) 243-0222 Fax: (408) 246-5752 Crisis Line: (408) 850-6125
Drop-In Center: 693 South 2nd Street, San Jose, CA 95112
24/7 Line for Youth: (888) 247-7717
A hotline for youth ages 7-24, providing supportive listening, crisis intervention, information, and referrals. Youth may call anytime and for any reason.
Crisis Line: (408) 850-6125
For anyone experiencing depression, anxiety, grief, loneliness, parental stress, or hard times.
Anti-Hate Hotline: (408) 279-0111
A service for listening, reporting, and follow-up of incidences of discrimination and hate crimes.
Family and Children Services
Services offered to children, adults, and families:
Family violence and abuse prevention
Foster youth services
Mental health and family counseling
Services for LGBTQ
Adults in the criminal justice system with a dual diagnosis of mental illness and substance abuse
Veteran, active service members, and their families
Adults monolingual in Vietnamese or Cambodian
Children and adults who are deaf or hard of hearing
Child center-based services
School-based programs
Substance abuse treatment
Workplace services
950 W. Julian Street, San Jose, CA 95126
Phone: (408) 292-9353 Fax: (408) 287-3104
Hours of Operation: Monday-Thursday 9am-9pm and Friday 9am-5pm
LGBTQ Youth Space
A drop-in center and mental health program for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and ally youth and young adults ages 13-25 who live in Santa Clara County. Counseling services are offered as well as additional support in areas of self care, trans support, and LGBT support.
452 South 1st Street, San Jose, CA 95113
Phone: (408) 343-7940
Email: youthspace@fcservices.org
Website: www.youthspace.org
Monday-Friday 3pm-9pm
Next Door Solutions
Free-of-charge and designed to empower victims and their families.
Services include victim advocacy, shelter and housing, support groups, and children and youth programs.
The program has:
Psycho-educational groups for children, ages 5-12, exposed to domestic violence
Individual and group counseling for child and teen witnesses of domestic violence
Teen empowerment support groupsTeen batterers intervention program
Family connections supervised visitation and exchange program
234E. Gish Road, Suite 200, San Jose, CA 95112
For general information: (408) 501-7550 Fax: (408) 441-7562
Email: info@nextdoor.org
24-hour emergency hotline for victims: (408) 279-2962
YMCA of Silicon Valley
Services include crisis intervention, residential shelter, clinical counseling, legal advocacy, and support groups.
375 South third Street, San Jose, CA 95112
Phone: (408) 295-4011 Fax: (408) 295-0608 Monday-Friday 9am-5pm
24 Hour Crisis Line (English and Spanish): (800) 572-2782
Domestic Violence Crisis Line: (800) 572-2782