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Counseling

counseling-stethem

School counselors are available in every Charles County public elementary, middle and high school. Counselors work with students, parents and school staff to ensure that all students become effective learners, achieve success in school and become contributing members of society.

School counseling programs are guided by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and follow standards set by the American School Counseling Association. The school counseling program integrates academic achievement, college and career readiness and personal responsibility.

Office Hours
Monday - Friday 7:15 AM - 2:45 PM

Karen L. Attick, M.Ed., LPC, NCC 
Professional School Counselor 
Virtual Academy High School  
kattick@ccboe.com 

Office Hours: 
Monday-Thursday 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 
301-753-1757 

Sheena Royster
School Counselor
srroyster@ccboe.com

Homework Requests

It is important that students keep up with their studies and make up all missed assignments when they are absent from school. The counseling office is able to provide assistance with obtaining work from teachers when students are out of school on a prolonged absence (5 days or more). Students who are absent for a short period of time should return to school with a note verifying the reason for their absence and obtain the work they missed from their classroom teachers upon their return.

Requesting Homework for Long-Term Absences (5+ Days)

  • Parents should contact the school counselor to request work.
  • Teachers will be notified of the request and will have 24 hours to submit the assignments to the counseling office.

Parents may pick up assignments from the counseling office in the afternoon on the day following their request. Parents are encouraged to call ahead to see if work is ready for pickup.

MVA Learner's Permit

Students applying for a learners permit under the age of 16 must have a Learner's Permit School Attendance Certification form (DL-300). These forms are available in the counseling office.

  • Review the guidelines on the MVA Website for complete information:

MVA website 

  • Download the form from the link above or pick up in the counseling office.
  • After completing your part of the form submit it to the Ms. Silk in the main office.
  • Submit the completed form in the sealed, unopened envelope, to the MVA when you apply for your Learner's permit.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Our counselor is available to facilitate conferences involving parents and classroom teachers. Prior to requesting a conference, parents should:

Check Edline and communicate directly with the classroom teacher(s) via phone or email. In many cases questions or concerns can be satisfactorily addressed in this way.

If direct contact with the teacher does not alleviate the concern, parents should contact their child's counselor directly (by phone or email) to request a parent/teacher conference. Your student should plan to attend the conference.

Work Permits

Youth workers (14-17 years of age) can receive your Work Permit online. For more information, visit the:


State of Maryland DLLR website