Student Services

School Counselors Sun Prairie middle school counselors are committed to maximizing the success of all students through: Academic Development Social/Emotional Development Career Development School counselors promote and support: Equity and access to rigorous educational experiences for all students A safe learning environment A culturally relevant prevention and intervention programs  What does a School Counselor Do? School counselors work with students by providing classroom lessons, meeting in small groups, and interacting individually with students. Topics include social and emotional awareness and growth, peer interaction skills, harassment and discrimination awareness, career exploration. Small groups are formed as needed and might include topics such as social skills, anxiety, depression, family change, grief, anger management, study skills, etc. School counselors help to provide prevention and intervention activities, assist with restorative justice measures, and help track student's academic growth by monitoring behavior and attendance. School counselors help students establish personal goals and develop future plans. School counselors communicate with parents, teachers, administrators, and community members, and provide referrals to community organizations for additional assistance. The Role of the School Counselor (as established by the American School Counselor Association) School Counselor Performance Standards (as determined by the American School Counselor Association) How do I talk to the School Counselor? If you would like to make an appointment with your counselor, please stop by the Student Services office and schedule a time before or after school or during study hall.  Lunch hour appointments are also available if necessary.  If a student need is more urgent, please request a pass from your teacher to the Student Services office. Students are assigned to counselors based on their grade: Students in 6th grade are assigned to Email Students in 7th grade are assigned to Email Students in 8th grade are assigned to Email Si un estudiante, padre ó guardian prefiere tener esta información traducida en Español, por favor contactenos en el 834-6620. Yog tus me nyuam lub xiv los yog niam thiab txiv/tus neeg muaj cai saib xyuas tus me nyuam xav tau qhov ntawv ntawm no ua lus Hmoob, thov hais rau peb paub rau ntawm 834-6630.

Who Are School Psychologists?

• School psychologists help children and youth succeed academically, socially, and emotionally.  They collaborate with educators, parents, and other professionals to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments for all students that strengthen connections between home and school.
• School psychologists are highly trained in both psychology and education.
• School psychologists must be certified and/or licensed by the state in which they work.  They also may be nationally certified by the National School Psychology Certification Board (NSPCB). 

---

What Do School Psychologists Do?

• School psychologists work to find the best solution for each student and situation; they use different strategies to address student needs and to improve school and district-wide support systems.
• School psychologists work with students individually and in groups.  They also develop programs to train teachers and parents about effective teaching and learning strategies, techniques to manage behavior at home and in the classroom, working with students with disabilities or with special talents, addressing abuse of drugs and other substances, and preventing and managing crises.

In addition, most school psychologists provide the following services:

Consultation

• Collaborate with teachers, parents, and administrators to find effective solutions to learning and behavior problems
• Help others understand child development and how it affects learning and behavior
• Strengthen working relationships between teachers, parents, and service providers in the community

Evaluation

• Evaluate eligibility for special services
• Assess academic skills and aptitude for learning
• Determine social-emotional development and mental health status
• Evaluate learning environments.

Intervention

• Provide psychological counseling to help resolve interpersonal or family problems that interfere with school performance
• Work directly with children and their families to help resolve problems in adjustment and learning
• Provide training in social skills and anger management
• Help families and schools manage crises such as death, illness, or community trauma

Prevention

• Design programs for children at risk of failing at school
• Promote tolerance,understanding, and appreciation of diversity within the school community
• Develop programs to make schools safer and more effective learning environments
• Collaborate with school staff and community agencies to provide services directed at improving psychological and physical health
• Develop partnerships with parents and teachers to promote healthy school environments

Research and Planning

• Evaluate the effectiveness of academic and behavior management programs
• Identify and implements programs and strategies to improve schools
• Use evidence-based research to develop and/or recommend effective interventions

Growing Up Is Not Easy

All children and adolescents face problems from time to time.  They may:

• Feel afraid to go to school
• Have difficulty organizing their time efficiently
• Lack effective study skills
• Fall behind in their school work
• Lack self-discipline
• Worry about family matters such as divorce and death
• Feel depressed or anxious
• Experiment with drugs and alcohol
• Think about suicide
• Worry about their sexuality
• Face difficult situations, such as applying to college, getting a job, or quitting school
• Question their aptitudes and abilities

School psychologists help children, parents, teachers, and members of the community understand and resolve these concerns.

School Social Workers Are employed by the school district to enhance the academic mission by providing services which strengthen home/school/community partnerships Actively address barriers within the child, home, school, and community that interfere with student achievement Serve as catalysts to bring people together and to create an environment that is conducive to effective problem solving and learning Practice includes: assessment, crisis intervention, home visits, conflict resolution, individual and group counseling, consultation, program development, and coordination of school and community services School Social Work Services Helping students to:                                                       cope in times of crisis  access mental health services become resilient, successful learners gain personal and social competencies Working with administrators to: 1. Implement effective prevention programs and policies which address:  school attendance alcohol and other drug abuse teen pregnancy violence suicide and sudden death child abuse and neglect school safety 2. Ensure compliance with special education laws Supporting parents to: effectively participate in their child's education understand their child's developmental and educational needs access school and community resources understand special education services strengthen parenting skills Linking schools and communities to: coordinate the delivery of educational and mental health services develop resources to adequately meet the needs of students and families Assisting educators to: work effectively with parents discover new resources participate in the special education process understand family, cultural, and community factors affecting students meet education outcomes for students of diverse backgrounds

The Sun Prairie Area School District is committed to providing a safe positive learning environment for all students. The expectation is that everyone will treat each other with respect and consideration. Actions such as bulling, cyber-bulling, or hazing create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation, detract from the safe environment necessary for students learning, and may lead to more serious violence. Therefore, all types of bullying and hazing are prohibited.

The Sun Prairie Area School District takes allegations of bullying seriously and will respond promptly to complaints and allegations of bullying.

• Policy JBA - Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Hazing
• Procedure JBA-R - Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Hazing Complaint Procedures
• Policy JB - Student Discrimination and Harassment
• Policy JB (Spanish) - Discriminacion y Acoso de Estudiantes
• Procedure JB-R - Student Discrimination and Harassment Complaint Procedures
• Procedure JB-R (Spanish) - Procedimiento Para La Denuncia De Acoso O Discriminacion De Estudiantes

If you believe your child has either been bullied or witnessed bullying you can do the following:

• Fill out the Bullying Report Form

• Request a Bullying Report Form from your school.  They can be found with every principal, student services staff member and teacher.

• Contact school personnel who can provide and/or assist with completion of the Bullying Report Form.  Best people to contact are your school principals or your school counselor.  

What is Bullying?

“Bullying” is defined as systematically or persistently inflicting physical hurt or psychological distress on one or more students. It is intentional written, spoken, nonverbal, or physical behavior, including but not limited to any threatening, insulting, or dehumanizing gesture or communication that has the effect of doing any of the following:

• Substantially interfering with any student’s education.

• Creating a threatening or fearful environment in a school setting for any student or group of students.

• Substantially disrupting the orderly operation of the school.

Successful enforcement of anti-bullying policy and bullying prevention requires a collaborative effort among the school, students, and parents.

Bullying and Harassment Presentation

• Growth Mindset
• Zones of Regulation