The Lower School Guidance Department is dedicated to supporting, empowering and promoting social and emotional development and learning for each child. In the lower school, students are growing and changing every day. The guidance department is available to help students reach their full potential and empower them to make positive social choices. The guidance department facilitates and develops school-wide programming and learning opportunities to foster growth and positive development in all of our students. These programs focus on a wide range of topics that are valuable to our students as they grow, such as social skills, building friendships and managing emotions.
Individual and group counseling services are available at all times to provide support to students who are dealing with challenges, and to provide them with the skills and tools needed to succeed within school. Play therapy methods are utilized to help students feel more comfortable sharing their feelings and concerns. Additionally, the guidance department works very closely with the lower school administration, teachers, parents and individual therapists to ensure that the needs of each student are being met and that there is a consistent plan implemented to support each child. The guidance department communicates with parents constantly to address their concerns, and to offer outside referrals and other resources if necessary. The guidance department also provides classroom observations, and feedback to teachers to help them to support all students within their classroom.
