Willow Elementary
Social Emotional Supports
To provide a comprehensive, developmentally appropriate School Counseling program to ensure all students have the academic, social/emotional, and career skills needed to be caring, confident, critical thinkers and lifelong learners in a diverse community. To deliver intentional, data-driven, individualized, evidence-based interventions to remove barriers for students. To advocate for and ensure a safe, equitable environment to foster student growth as they explore their possibilities, find joy in their lives, and build resilience and adaptability that will help them be successful and contributing members in our diverse society; now and in the future.
School Counselors help all students:
-Apply academic achievement strategies
-Manage emotions and apply interpersonal skills
-Plan for Post-secondary options (Higher Education, Military, Work Force)
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Appropriate duties include providing:
-Individual student academic planning and goal setting
-School Counseling classroom lessons based on student success standards
-Short-term counseling to students
-Referrals for long-term support
-Collaboration with families/teachers/administrators/community for student success
-Advocacy for students at individual education plan meetings and other student-focused meetings
-Data analysis to identify student issues, needs and challenges
Willow Elementary students will become thoughtful, compassionate, caring individuals who are living fulfilled, purposeful lives—navigating their own passions and paths while working to better their communities and contribute positively to the diverse world around them.
We value exploration, discussion, reflection, diversity, joy for learning, equity, integrity and content of character. We value the whole child and the whole person and strive to help all students grow academically and emotionally while becoming career-ready. We work with all stakeholders to help ensure that every student becomes a productive, contributing, happy member of our ever-changing community and finds their own unique version of success.
The Willow School Counseling Program believes that all students:
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Have dignity and worth.
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Are lifelong learners.
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Thrive when their individuality is recognized and encouraged in the school setting.
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Have the ability to achieve their goals and find success as they define it.
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Deserve purposeful and meaningful supports.
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Deserve to be a part of the school community that is culturally compassionate, celebrates their unique qualities and actively works to eliminate social injustices.
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Deserve a high quality, rigorous, joyful educational experience enhanced by the exploration and developmental opportunities provided by the School Counseling Program.
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Should be empowered to find their passion and choose the path that is a best fit for them.
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Should have equitable access to the comprehensive School Counseling Program.
The School Counselor will:
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Advocate for all students to internal and external stakeholders.
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Actively work to increase equity, eliminate social injustices, and close opportunity and access gaps for students.
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Collaborate with students, families, teachers, staff, community, and other stakeholders to meet student needs and assist student development.
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Abide by ASCA’s Ethical Standards for School Counselors.
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Use data to design, implement, evaluate and improve the School Counseling program that aligns with the ASCA National Model.
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Honor the School’s Mission to focus on every student’s individual needs to ensure that all students succeed and strive to develop critical thinkers who are caring, confident and lifelong learners in a diverse community.
Individual Academic and Career Plans (ICAPs) are the basic foundation for students in learning and planning their career passions and opportunities. ICAPs are also a part of The Denver Plan, meet state legislation requirements and are a graduation requirement for students graduating in 2011 and beyond. For students to truly graduate career and college ready students must have a plan that includes career exploration and exposure, knowledge of opportunities and self, and a plan for life after high school!
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Starting in sixth grade and continuing throughout high school, students create and update an ongoing plan which includes counselor-led activities on career interests, goal setting, college opportunities, financial aid, and non-cognitive skills which increase academic success.
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In Elementary School, the ICAP is full of exploration. Students explore their own interests and skills, career options and possibilities. Students learn academic and social skills and strategies and how they relate to their future in Middle School, High School, and beyond.
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Early intervention is imperative for our students. Elementary school counselors provide classroom guidance on topics such as relational aggression, resiliency, character building, mediation, emotions, and empathy as well as academic skills and career exploration. Research supports this career exploration at the younger ages. (National Office for School Counselor Advocacy, 2012). In fact, career development can start as young as Preschool! (Colorado Department of Education, 2015).
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