Mrs. Amanda Miller, M.S., N.C.C., N.C.S.C.

Elementary School Counselor

School Counselors: Changing Lives and Building Futures

Why are Elementary School Counselors Important?

K-12 Comprehensive School Counseling Plan

What is Counseling?

Counseling is a helping process where a child and a counselor develop a trusting relationship in which goals can be set and skills can be learned. Counseling can help a child learn to cope with stressors that impact them academically, socially, and emotionally. Mastering these coping skills are vital to a child's developmental success!

Common Stressors Children Face:

Anxiety/Fear

Depression

Making Friends

Bullying

Low Self-Esteem

Loss/Divorce

Academic Performance

Learning Difficulties

Peer Pressure

Body Image

Fitting Into A Group

Abuse/Neglect

Family Issues

Services

Services Provided by the
Elementary School Counselor

Individual Counseling
Group Counseling
Discussion Groups
Classroom Guidance lessons
Push-In Services
Student Observations
Parent Meetings/Consultation
Crisis Intervention

How Does a Child
Get to See the Counselor?

Self-Referral
Teacher Referral
Parent Referral
CSE Recommendation
Administrative Referral
Crisis Intervention

Referral Procedures: If you feel your child would benefit from counseling, please contact me at (716) 988-3291, 3240 to discuss your questions and concerns. A parent/guardian consent form needs to be signed in order for counseling services to begin with your child. Regular communication with parents is a vital component of the counseling process. Parents are viewed as partners and can assist by practicing learned skills with their child and reinforcing positive behaviors taught through the counseling process.

Counseling Groups Offered Throughout the School Year

Kindergarten Social Skills Group

This group is for Kindergarten students who need to build social skills and learn to interact more positively with their peers. Students are taught how to make and keep friends, use appropriate behavior, make positive choices, understand their feelings, and play in a respectful manner (share, take turns, respect boundaries, offer and accept help).

1st Grade Skill Building Group

This group is for 1st grade students who need to build on a variety of skills including social skills, choice making, problem-solving, following directions, and feeling expression. The group dynamic is important for these children as they learn how to make friends and appropriately interact through the group process. These children learn and practice skills through bibliotherapy (use of books and stories), play therapy (use of toys and games), and role play.

Empowering Girls Against Aggression

This is a group for 3rd and 4th grade girls and focuses on relational aggression (gossip, rumor spreading, dirty looks, name calling, note passing, and excluding). All girls resort to relational aggression at some point in their lives. It is the means by which girls react to jealousy and anger. It is also a means for girls to gain power among their peer group and become popular. The problem with relational aggression is that is can hurt friendships and lower self-esteem. This group empowers girls who have been bullied and those who do the bullying. They begin to understand the negative impact of relational aggression and how to avoid it in their lives. They learn how to be assertive and how to stand up for themselves without using put downs, sarcasm, or hurtful comments. These skills are vital for young girls, especially as they move on through middle and high school.

CASS

Creating A Safe School

Creating a Safe School program (CASS) is a multifaceted change process that brings together a community of caring adults (administrators, teachers, staff, parents) with students to work together to change the social culture in a school or school district. Its primary goal is to positively impact the social norms in a school community by recognizing and addressing the hurtful, covert behaviors of peer aggression and identifying, teaching and modeling a more positive set of normative behaviors for educators, students and parents. is an anti-bully, anti-violence program that serves students K-6. With the help of sixth grade student mentors and dedicated adult facilitators, violence prevention and intervention skills are taught to younger students K-5. This is done through lessons taught during classroom interventions, role modeling, and carrying forth a school-wide campaign against violence and peer aggression. The main goal of the CASS program is to educate ALL students in the dangers of bullying and to improve social climate within our school. We strive to create a welcoming school environment where every student can feel a sense of belonging within the larger school community. Through the CASS program students learn valuable skills on how to manage bully behavior, cope with anger, and stand up against victimization within their classrooms.

Pine Valley CASS Core Beliefs

1. We, adults and children alike, can make a difference in our school and our community.

2. Value every person in our school and treat them with dignity and respect.

3. Everyone is different and unique.

4. What is right is not always popular. What is popular is not always right.

5. Don't be afraid to be yourself.

6. We can all be agents of change.

7. Prevention is our ultimate goal. We work toward the time when students can come into school with the skills needed to assert themselves, manage emotion, interact positively, and resolve conflict.

8. Knowledge is power. The more children know about bullying, the more able they are to help themselves and help others.

Regular CASS activities, school-wide events, and announcements will be posted on this website.

Students involved in CASS posing with school mascot.

CASS Monthly Themes

Each month students are introduced to a character theme. This theme will be announced on morning announcments everyday. The school counselor will also reinforce the theme by pushing into all gym classes once a month to do an interactive lesson around the character theme.

September: Living the PAWS expectations

October: Attitude is Everything

November: Be Resilient

December: Giving Back

January: Positive Communication

February: Self-Control

March: Creativity Counts

April: Celebrate Your Uniqueness

May: Career and College Readiness

June: Goal Setting

PBIS

PBIS and Bucket Filling at Pine Valley Elementary School

Working Together as a school community to teach, support, and reinforce appropriate behavior throughout our school building!!!!

Pine Valley Elementary school continues to base their PBIS model on the Bucket Filler philosohpy. We fill buckets when we adhere to PAWS Behavior!!!

P – Positive Attitude

A – Act Responsibly

W – We respect Everyone

S – Safety First

Students earn PAWS tickets when they are caught engaging in positive behavior throughout the school. Their tickets are placed in a bucket and names are randomly selected every Friday. The student whose name is drawn on Friday becomes our PAWS Bucket Filler of the Week. Students who earn multiple tickets are recognized and rewarded at the end of each quarter.

THE GOLDEN SPECIALS AWARDS

To encourage and reinforce positive behavior in the special areas of art, music, gym, and library classes, PreK-6 can earn the Golden Specials Awards every week.

Art – The Golden Paint Brush

Gym – The Golden Whistle

Library – The Golden Book

Music – The Golden Emmy

These awards are hung outside of the winning classrooms for the week, and a certificate of recognition is provided. Once a class has earned all four Golden Awards, that class is given a party (Pajama party, movie party, pizza party, ice cream party)to celebrate a job well done!

Photo of PAWS bucket for voting

A classroom wall displays a colorful 'We Fill Buckets With Paws Behavior' poster.

A classroom wall displays a colorful 'Paws-itively Great Kids' theme.

Photo of Golden Awards

Resources for Parents

Bullying: Information for Parents & Teachers

Helping Kids Deal with Bullies

Child Development Institute

Communicating with Children

Helping your Child with Organization & Study Skills

Communication Tips

Parent Resources

Bullying

Bullying continues to be a source of concern in school across America. Constant bullying can lead to anxiety, depression, anger, and low self-esteem in children who are victimized. It is important to talk to your children about bullying and the appropriate means by which to handle the harassment and protect themselves socially, emotionally, and physically. Open communication with your child is the key to understanding your child's perspective and providing them with the guidance and insight they need to cope and be resilient. Be proactive. Look for the signs that your child may be getting bullied (withdrawal, fear of going to school, increased concern over appearance, angry outbursts, and crying spells). Sit down and talk to your child about their thoughts and feelings. Engage your child in active communication about all topics, especially bullying.

Improving Communication With Your Child

Communication is vital to creating and maintaining a strong relationship with your child. As a parent, you need to ask who, what, where, and when. Engage your child in talking about their day, the events that happened, and how they felt about it. Children need to learn how to express their thoughts and feelings to others, especially to their parents. Practice these skills with your child everyday. Devote time alone with your child, away from distractions, to talk about how they are and what is going on in their lives. The proactive parent is involved and is concerned. Be proactive. Learn to hold family meetings every week. This will encourage open communication between all family members and will strengthen the bond within your family.

Discipline

Children want and need to understand the rules of their world. They want to know what is expected of them, what is appropriate behavior, how far they can go, and what the consequences will be if they go too far. Setting limits and providing clear and consistent consequences not only increases the harmony of your home but provides children with vital moral development and contributes to a child setting their own personal limits and boundaries. Limits define a path of acceptable behavior and define the roles that exist within the family dynamic.

Study Skills

Teaching children strong study skills is vital to their success in school and their overall commitment to education. Children need to learn the value and importance of completing homework, reading books, researching a topic of interest, and studying for tests. These skills set the stage for future success in high school, college, and beyond.