Elementary Guidance

  • Elementary Guidance

    A good education includes not only academic learning, but also developing effective social skills.

    We want to help our students learn how to get along with other individuals, make good decisions, control anger, accept responsibility, and learn healthy coping skills. I am here to help students struggling in any of these areas through individual and small group counseling, as well as guidance curriculum.

    Family disruptions such as an illness, death, or divorce may also affect children at school. If your family is experiencing anything out of the ordinary, please let me know. If I am aware of any special problems your child might be facing, we can work as a team to help your child with difficulties that might arise.

    If I can be of help to you, please feel free to contact me. Together, we can work towards the common goal of student success.

    Lory’s Place Grief Group

    To better meet the needs of our students, our school is pleased to offer a support group for students who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling, grandparent, other family member, friend or other significant person in their lives.  The loss does not have to be recent for a student to benefit from the group; the death might have occurred long ago but the student hasn’t yet worked through all of the feelings about the death.  The group provides grief support and education.  Fun, age-appropriate activities provide students with a safe environment in which to explore the many feelings and experiences of grief.

    Grief support can help all of us better understand the feelings and changes brought about by a death.  Studies suggest that extra support following a loss can help students function better at home and school, and gives them a special place for healing.  The grief support group at our school will be facilitated by staff from Lory’s Place, a Grief Healing and Education Center for Children and Families, located in St. Joseph.  Lory’s Place is committed to children, teens and adults who are grieving and provides support which offers hope so the healing process can begin.  The group will meet for one class period, once a month at various times in the day.  All students attending will be expected to keep up with their school work.  We will work around any test dates so as not to interfere with your child’s academic schedule.

    If you feel your child will benefit from this group, please click on the link below and return the attached permission slip to Mrs. Monica Denney, School Counselor. Please feel free to call Mrs. Denney at 269-466-0329, or contact Lisa Bartoszek, Director of Lory’s Place, at 269-983-2707, for more information.