What do school social workers do?

The school social worker serves as a liaison between the home, the school, and the community.  They provide information and referrals to community resources and the following:
• Advocacy for parents
• Home visits
• Counseling with students
• Assistance with crisis situations
• Monitoring of school attendance

The school counseling department at Ponderosa Elementary is pleased to provide your child with services dedicated to promoting academic and personal success. The counseling department looks forward to assisting your child with developmental needs, extra support, family crisis, and other difficulties that your child may face. These issues are addressed through individual counseling, group counseling, and classroom guidance. Feel free to contact your school counselor if you and your child need additional academic and personal support.

School psychologists are highly trained in both psychology and education, completing a minimum of a specialist-level degree program. They provide assessment and testing of students for special services.  Consultation for teachers.  Counseling for students.  In addition, they provide prevention, crisis intervention, conflict resolution, and program modification for special learning and/or behavioral needs.

School nursing is a specialized practice of professional nursing that advances the well-being, academic success and life-long achievement and health of students.  School nurses facilitate health services such as immunizations, communicable disease control, vision and hearing screening and follow-up, health assessments and referrals, and health counseling and information for students and families.  School nurses actively collaborate with school personnel, students and parents to create health plans and to administer medication.

The EC Case Teacher can address concerns for students eligible for special education services. They can verify service implementation and communicate with the student’s team to meet their academic and functional needs. In addition, she can coordinate Child Find. This is a coordinated effort between the Student Services Team and the Exceptional Children Services to locate and identify children and youth suspected of or diagnosed with a disability who might have intellectual, physical, or emotional disabilities and are unable to benefit from the regular school program without special assistance.