Welcome to our Blog!

We hope you will find useful information on our blog outlining key skills that your children are learning.

• There are many reasons why a student, parent or faculty member may want to make an appointment to see a counselor. We have listed reasons below.
  • fear or worry about something
  • problems with friends
  • problems with family

  Our role is to support all learners in the school. A teacher may refer a student to the  counselor when any one or more of the issues below may be impacting their learning in the classroom or their overall sense of well-being:

  • Loss of a loved one
  • Parents divorcing
  • New siblings being born
  • Rear or anxiety of test
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Difficulty making friends
  • Anger/impulse control

  We are also here to support parents. A parent may wish to speak to the counselor for any of the possible reasons below:

  • Transitioning to a new country 
  • Behavioural problems with child (temper tantrums, not sleeping)
  • Parenting (discipline, parenting skills, communicating with your child) 
  • Change in family structure (divorce, death in the family)

  We are here to support you in any way that we can!!!
• 
  
• How do Elementary School Counselors support ISKL?
• Member of the Learning Resource Team
• Counselors work closely with the Student Resource Team (SRT) to discuss students and develop appropriate plans of action. The team continually reviews data to plan appropriate interventions.

• Classroom Counseling Lesson
• Classroom counseling lessons aim to prevent problems by providing knowledge and equipping students with skills so that they can make informed decisions and cope with common, developmental issues or challenges. Topics include empathy, problem solving, emotion management and safety.

• Individual Counseling 
• Counselors provide individual or small group counseling to support students to develop effective interpersonal skills and resolve various relationship issues as needed. Also, counselors support students to address a range of emotional concerns, including developing a repertoire of coping skills to manage the stressors they encounter.

• Small Group Counseling 
• Provide opportunities in small groups tailored to meet the needs of a small group of students based on social emotional needs. 

• Transitional Counseling 
• As a school with a highly mobile and transient population of students, counselors support students and their families as they enter and exit the school to address the challenges typical of transition. Counselors also organize transitional programs as students progress from elementary to middle school.

• Consultation with Faculty, Parents and Administators
• Counselors work closely with teachers, parents and administrators to advocate for students and ensure that their issues are understood and their needs are met. Through regular communication and collaboration, a network of support is created for students.

• Crisis Intervention
• School counselors are integral members of ISKL’s crisis intervention team, and assist in the development and implementation of the school’s response plan to child-specific, division-specific, and school-wide crises. Counselors and administrators in each division work closely to coordinate and manage the response plan, including sharing the plan with necessary stakeholders (i.e., teachers, staff, parents), supporting responders, etc. Crisis counseling -- including direct intervention and follow-up -- is provided to the relevant students, families, staff, and community members. Such counseling is typically short-term and temporary in nature. When necessary, referrals are made to appropriate community services, as available. 

• Case Management and Referral Services
• In collaboration with the divisional SRTs, counselors and psychologists provide students and their families with appropriate referrals to external services.  Such services could include, but are not limited to, tutoring, longer-term therapy, family counseling, psychiatric services, psycho-educational / cognitive assessment, speech and language assessment and services, and occupational therapy.