For the Students
We strive to meet our students' individual needs by providing three direct modes of services at North Elementary. These services are described below.
Individual Counseling:
Students have opportunities to discuss problems they encounter in a caring and confidential setting. When children have the opportunity to discuss their sad, angry, scared, or frustrated feelings, their minds will be better able to learn while in the classroom. Teachers, administrators, parents, and students in 3rd - 5th grades are able to make referrals for individual sessions.
Small Groups:
Students have opportunities to meet in small groups with peers who are experiencing similar difficulties. Groups focus on topics such as: anger, anxiety, behavior, divorce, friendship, and grief. Groups help students realize they are not the only person dealing with a challenging situation, and they create an atmosphere for practicing newly learned coping strategies in an empathetic environment. Groups typically meet weekly for 20 - 30 minutes and continue for 6 - 8 weeks.
Classroom Lessons:
Classroom lessons last for 30 minutes and are completed school-wide on a bimonthly rotation. We utilize the Second Step program, which focuses on social-emotional skills. The following topics are addressed:
Skills for Learning (Focus Attention, Listen, Be Assertive, Use Self-talk)
Empathy
Emotion Management
Problem-Solving
Additional classroom lessons are also completed on: Erin's Law, personal safety, and careers. Bonus lessons are completed upon teacher request, which address concerns specific to individual classes that teachers have observed to be problematic.