Guidance Curriculum The guidance curriculum provides engaging, interactive, and developmentally appropriate lessons that enhance the social, emotional, and academic learning of all students. Examples of topics are emotional regulation, conflict resolution, healthy friendships, bullying prevention, and career guidance. Lessons are evaluated each year based on the needs of a particular class and/or grade level. Guidance lessons are integrated into each grade level's Unit of Inquiry, and focus on cultivating Approaches to Learning skills and Learner Profile Attributes. You can track the scope and sequence of the SWES Counseling Guidance curriculum here.
Small Groups aka "Panther Packs" Small group counseling may be general for students to develop friendship and social skills, or they may be more specific for students grieving a loss, experiencing family change, showing signs of anxiety, or needing help with anger management. Other groups will be formed by further assessing student need as the year progresses. Play therapy groups may be utilized for our youngest groups in order to meet their developmental needs. Small group counseling is available for students through teacher, parent, or self referral. I will contact you to discuss potential placement, at which point you can decide whether or not you would like your child to participate. Please contact me if you wish to discuss referring your child. Short Term Individual Counseling I am available to see students individually who need help through moments of crisis and conflict. Unfortunately, I am not able to offer long-term counseling support, but I am happy to give you a list of community providers that offer long-term therapeutic care (also found under the resources tab of this website).
Consultation and Referrals I am available for consult with teachers, parents, and staff regarding child behavior, ongoing academic concerns, and various social and emotional issues. If needed, I can make referrals to organizations in the community. I also have a wealth of resources available to share! Please contact me beforehand, and I can prepare any materials and resources I feel might be helpful to the issue at hand. I have listed a variety of community resources under the resources section of this website as well. Peer Mediation Using the principles of restorative justice, I will train 5th graders who apply and are accepted to become Peer Mediators. Teachers, parents, and students can refer students for mediation, and depending on the nature of the conflict, I will bring in the a Peer Mediator to run (with my supervision) a restorative dialogue that helps students to solve their own problems through questioning and reflection. I will begin applications in September, but please contact me at any time if you wish to discuss this program further.
Mentors and PROS I coordinate the involvement of Westwood PROS (Peers Reaching Out and Sharing) as well as STARS Mentors from the surrounding community to come in and mentor students on a weekly basis. Mentors Students are referred by parents and teachers and will be assigned a mentor as soon as a match can be made. Click here for more information on the STARS Mentor program and curriculum, and click here for more information on Westwood PROS. Please contact me if you feel that your child would benefit from having a PROS or STARS Mentor.
College and Career Readiness It is important, even at an early age, that children be exposed to a variety of career options and possibilities, presented in a manner that is engaging and developmentally appropriate. We will offer various events throughout the year designed to peak children's curiosity and excitement about life after high school, and to empower them to develop their strengths and interests while connecting that to future educational and career choices. Middle School Transition Transitioning to Middle School can sometimes be a time of stress and uncertainty for students and their family, but we are here to make the transition as easy and comfortable as possible. I will be coordinating efforts with Canyon Vista to communicate all upcoming transition events (typically starting in January) and processes. I will also be in contact with students not attending Canyon Vista to ensure families receive the correct choice sheets and transition information. Please reach out to me with any questions or concerns about your child's transition. Here is just one of many helpful articles available on supporting your child through this transition, please contact me for more resources: "Smoothing Your Child's Transition to Middle School".