Mr. Castagno

Hello,

 My name is Ken Castagno and I look forward to helping students with issues that may be affecting their academic, career, and personal/social interaction. I will work with students through individual, group, and classroom guidance lessons.

 I am able to help students with:

* Promoting positive attitudes among students towards self, family, peers and community.

* Assisting students in learning how school performance relates to future opportunities.

*Developing and delivering classroom guidance lessons that teach skills such as decision making, resolving conflict and respecting others.

* Working with students, parents and school staff to identify learning needs and to design interventions to enhance student success.

* Helping students to recognize and make the best of their abilities.

* Providing support during a personal crisis. 

* Working with students on attendance issues.

* Coordinating referrals to outside agencies.

* Developing student career awareness.

* Helping to create a safe and positive learning experience.

GROWING UP ISN'T EASY! HERE ARE SOME OF THE TOPICS THAT CAN BE DISCUSSED DURING COUNSELING:

*Career options

*Selecting college/universities

* Making friends

* Liking myself

* Getting along with others

* Parents' divorce

* Being a "new kid"

* Studying

* Bullying

* Learning and responsibility

* Death and dying

* Sexual abuse

* Moving away

* Being honest

* Organization

* Drug and alcohol abuse

* College/Career Readiness

Counseling Groups

Lunch groups are small groups of children (typically 4-5) from the same grade level.  These children are chosen to be part of a group depending on the topic.  Students may sign up for a specific group, teachers or parents may refer, or students could be chosen by the counselor.  Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

* Divorce

* Changing families

* Study skills

* New students

* Bullying

* Social skills

* Friendship

* Anger management

* Respect

* Academic Excellence

Typically, groups meet over the lunch/recess hour, once a week, for a period of 6 weeks.  Students will not miss any instructional time during our meetings.  Parents will be informed when their child is being asked to participate in a group via a parent permission letter and/or a phone call from the counselor.

***Confidentiality is stressed at our first meeting.

Individual Counseling

Individual counseling with students is based upon teacher, parent, or self-referrals.  Students may self refer by signing up at the counselor's office.

Classroom Guidance

Classroom guidance is an integral part of the School Counseling program at Anna Smith Elementary.  Classroom visits focus on topics dealing with personal/social, career, and academic matters.  Lessons support and encourage positive core values and traits including, but not limited to, fairness, responsibility, citizenship, trustworthiness, caring, and respectfulness.

Please stop by this page regularly to see what each lesson topic will be!  You can view the Classroom Guidance Calendar Schedule to see when Mr. Castagno will be in your child's class.