Student Wellness
Welcome to Highland Park Elementary's Student Wellness Program!
Our dedicated team of counselors and social worker are committed to supporting your child's academic, social, and emotional growth. We believe that a strong wellness program is essential for nurturing well-rounded, confident, and successful students.
Our services align seamlessly with the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) framework, emphasizing the development of the whole child. We focus on helping students interact effectively with others, maximize their potential, and acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to thrive in today's world. Our goals include assisting students in coping with personal challenges, supporting career development, and fostering personal and social growth. We work closely with parents, teachers, and school staff to identify and address students' needs, ensuring that all children, including those with exceptional requirements, have access to appropriate support and services.
Elementary School Students’ Developmental Needs. The elementary years are a time when students begin to develop their academic self-concept and their feelings of competence and confidence as learners. They are beginning to develop decision-making, communication and life skills, as well as character values. It is also a time when students develop and acquire attitudes toward school self, peers, social groups and family. Comprehensive developmental school counseling programs provide education, prevention and intervention services, which are integrated into all aspects of children’s lives. Early identification and intervention of children’s academic and personal/social needs is essential in removing barriers to learning and in promoting academic achievement. The knowledge, attitudes and skills that students acquire in the areas of academic, career and personal/social development during these elementary years serve as the foundation for future success.
The Comprehensive School Counseling Program is for every student at HPE and happens in a variety of ways.
Classroom Guidance - As part of the Counseling Program, we teach a series of classroom Social Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons to every student. The goal is to help empower students with the self-knowledge, coping, and life skills that will enable them to become motivated learners, effective communicators, good team members, creative problem solvers, and responsible citizens. We will meet the district Counselor Curriculum standards with learning targets in the areas of social emotional learning, self awareness, academic readiness, career exploration, post-secondary education options and financial literacy.
Small Group Counseling - We facilitate small student groups throughout the school year. Small groups usually meet weekly for about 8 weeks. Small student groups are an excellent way for your child to meet others, gain self-confidence, and to develop positive coping skills in a safe and enriching setting. Teachers or parents may refer students to be part of a group.
Individual Counseling - We also work with students individually for problems a student might present, such as struggles with peers, difficulty coming to school, anger management, or difficulties in the classroom, on the playground, or on the bus. Referrals for students to meet with a school counselor can be made by classroom teachers, parents, or through student self-referrals.
Family Support - Parents might call to talk about things like:
- "My child doesn't want to go to school in the morning.
- "I'm concerned because my child keeps telling me that he doesn't have any friends.”
- "We recently had a death in the family, and I'm not sure how my child is coping."
- "My child is very sad because her mother doesn’t live with us anymore."
- "My child gets really frustrated doing homework, and nothing I say seems to help."