K -8 Developmental School Counseling Programs

The Wyckoff School counseling Program recognizes that since students develop emotionally, socially and educationally, the Program must address the issue of total growth and learning for each child. Activities to foster this growth and learning must therefore occur in a developmental comprehensive sequence through the grades.

Program goals include:

• To gain an understanding of self and others
• To develop decision making and problem solving skills
• To develop interpersonal skills and sense of community
• To develop communication skills
• To develop an understanding of personal safety and to acquire survival skills
• To understand the school environment
• To develop skills for school success
• To apply academic skills to real life situations
• To develop career awareness and educational plans
• To gain an understanding of the relationship between personal qualities, education, training and the world of work

These goals are addressed through an organized scope and sequence of activities implemented by the school counselors and teachers, working together and/or independently. These curriculum activities include:

• Feelings Like Yours, grades k - 5
• Classroom lessons on selected topics (death of a classmate/parent etc, accepting individual differences (tolerance), bullying, teasing etc. grades pre k - 8
• Conflict resolution skills, grades 4 - 8
• Peer mediation skills, grades 7 - 8
• Mental health component of Health curriculum grades, k - 8
• Alcohol and substance abuse component of the Health curriculum, grades k -8
• DARE program, grade 6
• Student Facilitators/E.C.H.O. Program, grades 5 -8
• Frost Valley experience (group dynamics, Project Adventure), grade 6
• Orientation to Eisenhower, grade 5
• Orientation to Ramapo-Indian Hills High Schools, grade 8
• Career Day, grades 6 - 8
• Affective domain themes through reading and writing activities in language arts, grades k - 8
• Community helper/responsibility/good citizenship components of social studies curriculum, grades k - 8
• Career awareness infused within all subject ares, grades k - 8
• New student orientation/Buddy program, grades 1 - 8
• Social skills activities, (classroom and small group), grades k - 8
• Stand Up Eisenhower (focusing on social skills, positive behavior, stress relief) grades 6 - 8

While this program is for all students, we recognize that some students have needs that may require special attention/activities. For these students, responsive activities include:

• Personal counseling, (individual and small group), grades k - 8
• Crisis counseling, grades k - 8
• Consultation with parents, teachers, peers and outside practitioners, grades k - 8
• Referral to other school based resources or community based resources, grades k - 8

District parents and teachers are provided with nationally recognized speakers and programs on issues such as communication, self esteem, responsibility and acceptance of individual differences at least once a year. Counselors provide informational and support workshops for parents regularly through the year on topics appropriate to specific grade levels. District in service for teachers on applicable topics such as Attention Deficit Disorder, Cooperative Discipline, diversity/tolerance and acceptance of individual differences are also provided.

Additionally, leadership opportunities are provided, in each of our schools, to build confidence, self esteem and character through participation as student guides, on Student Council, student FLOW exchange and the Eisenhower Service Project (students perform 15 hours of community service to improve and encourage student/community relations).