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The North Pocono School District has a Student Assistance Team (SAP) at every level.
At the elementary level, the SAP program is referred to as
Elementary Student Assistance Program (ESAP).
What is ESAP?
In Pennsylvania, every school district is required to have a plan for identifying and assisting students who experience “barriers to learning.” The Secretary of Education established the SAP as a Pre-K through 12th Grade system for assisting parents and school personnel in removing these barriers. An ESAP team, made up of school and agency staff, is available to help parents access school and community services for their child.
The school’s ESAP team will help the parent find services and assistance within the school and, if needed, in the community. We do not diagnose, treat or refer the child for treatment. Rather, we will provide the parent with information; the parent makes the choices. Remember, the parent is a part of our team. Our goal is to help the student succeed in school.
Reasons to refer:
Withdrawing from family, friends and/or school
Changing friends; no longer spends time with old friends
Unexplained physical injuries
Talking about suicide
Depressed
Defying authority, both at home and at school
Acting aggressively
Lying
Sudden drop in grades
What happens after a referral?
The ESAP team will request that the parent sign a permission form for the child to become involved in the program. Once the parent signs, the ESAP team will begin to work with the parent and the child. If the parent feels they need more information before making a decision, they should let the ESAP team know. If the parent does not sign the permission form, the ESAP team will not become involved. Participation is voluntary.
What happens after I give my permission?
There are several steps that the team will take after a parent signs the permission form:
Together, the parent and the ESAP team will develop a plan of action to help the child achieve success in school. The plan might include services and activities in school and/or services from a community agency. If necessary, the ESAP team will talk with the parent about services in the community and provide information on how to contact others who may be able to help.
The ESAP team will continue to work with and support the child. They will stay in touch with the parent to talk about the child's progress and success in school. Continued parental involvement is very important.
Please contact any of our ESAP team members if you wish to make a referral.
Students come to the ESAP team in different ways. Anyone can refer a student. Some students are referred by teachers and other school personnel. Any school staff member, a student’s friend, or a family member can let the ESAP team know that they are worried about a student.
The students themselves can even go directly to the ESAP team to ask for help. However, the ESAP team will not become involved unless we receive parental permission.
If your child has been referred, it is because someone is concerned about observable changes they are seeing in your child. Perhaps a teacher or a friend has noticed changes in behavior and habits that you may not have noticed at home.
Team Members and Contact Information
Mrs. Castrogiovanni
Principal
jacastrogiovanni@npsd.org
Mrs. Di Pietro
School Counselor
srosar@npsd.org
Mrs. McIntosh
School Nurse
cmcintosh@npsd.org
Mrs. Boos
1st Grade Teacher
tboos@npsd.org
Mrs. Byrne
Math Intervention Specialist
kbyrne@npsd.org
Ms. O’Donnell
School Social Worker
modonnell@npsd.org
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