Counseling and Wellness

Counseling services are part of a comprehensive education and personal growth program at St. George’s for all students. The Director of Counseling and Wellness is a licensed professional counselor and oversees all areas of counseling and wellness services. In all divisions, students may be referred by administration, faculty, parents or by the student themselves to meet with one of the counselors, Director of Counseling and Wellness and Early Childhood School Counselor. The school counselors are available to assist students who may be experiencing emotional, social, developmental or situational difficulties. Students in need of ongoing therapy are referred to an outside professional by the counseling department. Counseling may include consultation with peers, teachers, administrators, and with consent, outside mental health professionals. The counselors are available as a resource for students, families, faculty and administrators through individual meetings, group meetings, staffings and orientations.

Programs

Life Skills Program

Life Skills classes are built into the schedule for students in K-8th grades. The classes practice mindfulness, foster the development of empathy and promote proactive social/emotional skill building through discussions, at age appropriate levels.

The objectives of Life Skills are as follows:

To further encourage the development of self-esteem and self-confidence.
To promote an inclusive, respectful and positive school atmosphere.
To reduce the likelihood of negative risk-taking behaviors and develop the courage and confidence to take positive risks.
To promote the social and emotional growth of students, thereby helping develop healthy, contributing St. George’s Citizens and members of society.

St. George’s program is created by integrating a variety of social skills programs and drug abuse prevention programs to create our own. Life Skills includes information that is important and relevant to our students’ lives in each grade level. The overall objectives are considered within each specific unit. The following are general grade specific units covered.

Kindergarten Life Skills

Character Development Unit focused on St. George’s citizenship and the four core values: Perseverance, Integrity, Respect & Compassion.
Social Skills Development Unit focused on feelings recognition and expression, friendship and conflict resolution.
Encouraging a Respectful School Environment
Appreciation of Differences

1st Grade Life Skills

Encouraging a Respectful School Environment
Social Thinking
Feelings
Friendship
Similarities and Differences
Telling or Reporting Versus "Tattling" (knowing when to ask for help)
Anger Management and Positive Problem Solving
Self-Esteem

2nd Grade Life Skills

Citizenship: Integrity, Perseverance, Compassion & Respect and how this contributes to a respectful school environment.
Feelings
Empathy
Getting Along
Problem Solving
Telling or Reporting Versus Tattling (knowing when to ask for help)
Overall Health
Friendship
Self-Esteem

3rd Grade Life Skills

Encouraging a Respectful School Environment
Teasing, Bullying & Speaking Up
Social Thinking
Challenges for Life Program*
Problem Solving
Empathy
Appreciating and Accepting Differences
Introduction to Setting Goals and Future Career Interests

* Challenges for Life is a confidence-building program designed by Dr. Andy Burka, a clinical psychologist at Ochsner Clinic who specializes in working with children and adolescents. The curriculum is a sequence of challenging, but fun activities in which students develop skills such as goal setting, resiliency, positive self talk and positive risk taking.

4th Grade Life Skills

Encouraging a Respectful School Environment
Citizenship and Character Development
Mendez 4th Grade Too Good for Drugs Program (presented by CADA – the Council on Alcohol Drug Abuse)
Empathy
Self-Esteem and Making Healthy Decisions
Coping Skills (Challenges for Life Program Review)

5th Grade Life Skills

Encouraging a Respectful School Environment
Adjustment to Middle School
Stress
Time Management
Communication
Friendship and Conflict Resolution
Internet use and CyberSafety

6th Grade Life Skills

Encouraging a Respectful School Environment
Overall Health and Wellness
Nutrition
Changes of Adolescence & Puberty
Self-Esteem
Developing Social Awareness and Decision Making

7th Grade Life Skills

Encouraging a Respectful School Environment
Drug Prevention Education (presented by CADA – the Council on Alcohol & Drug Abuse)
Body Image and Eating Disorders
Media Literacy, Advertising, and the Impact of Gender Stereotypes
Understanding and Managing Feelings
Peer Pressure, Popularity and Friendship
Human Sexuality, Healthy Relationships and Responsibility

8th grade Life Skills

Setting a Positive Example and Encouraging St. George’s Citizenship and a Bully-Free School
Peer Aggression and Harassment, including Sexual Harassment
Communication
Depression and Suicide
Self-Esteem
Responsible Behaviors

It is our hope that the skills and knowledge learned in the program are carried into the daily lives of our students during their time at St. George's and beyond.

Kindness Program

Preschool through Pre-K4 students participate in Kindness Class with Mrs. Molly Sanders, our Early Childhood Counselor. The class focuses on the Kindness Curriculum, a mindfulness-based set of lessons and practices in which students will learn a new kind of ABC's: Attention, Breath and Body, and Caring. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Center for Healthy Minds created the Kindness Curriculum in an effort to explicitly teach mindfulness, empathy and compassion to students in early childhood and early elementary school. The curriculum includes children's books, music, movement and other activities to teach and instill concepts related to kindness and compassion.

Buddy Program

Students in Pre-K4 - 8th grade participate in the Buddy Program. The 7th and 8th graders buddy up with the Pre-K4 and Kindergarten students for activities, outings and art projects throughout the year. First and 4th graders, 2nd and 5th graders, and 3rd and 6th graders will be buddies and remain buddies until the 1st graders are then 4th graders themselves. Activities are planned for all buddy pairs periodically throughout the year, further enhancing St. George's sense of community.

Advisory Program

The Middle School advisory program is designed to enhance the culture and community in the middle school as well as provide opportunities for further character development and appreciation of St. George’s core values. Faculty members are appointed as advisors to one group of 5th - 8th grade students, whom they meet with daily throughout the year. Advisory groups are small, same grade level groups to provide a safe and inclusive environment for students. A discussion topic is provided for one meeting per week by the Director of Counseling and Wellness to promote healthy and meaningful discussions, to continually develop integrity, perseverance, compassion and respect.

Advisory leaders are an additional support for their advisees with discipline challenges. Leaders will check in and check out daily with their advisee student as needed based on the Middle School Tier discipline system.

Peace Pledge

As St. George's citizens, our students demonstrate integrity, perseverance, compassion and respect. To keep our school safe, friendly and peaceful, all students pledge to:

Speak up. Tell the bully to stop and ask for help when needed.
Reach out. Be a buddy, not a bully or bystander.
Be KIND, RESPECTFUL and FRIENDLY to everyone!

Download the Student Code of Conduct

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