School Counselor

SCHOOL COUNSELOR

SUPPORTING OUR STUDENT'S FULL POTENTIAL
Westmark’s Counseling Office guides and supports our students to elevate their self-esteem, help build friendships, enrich their social experiences, and guide them through challenges in conflict resolution, academics, stress and anxiety. When our Lower School students are exposed to this guidance and support starting in their elementary years, they can develop important character traits that will help lead to future success both in and out of the classroom.

In our Lower School program, we teach our students valuable life skills in areas of social and emotional learning. We utilize and implement the social-emotional curriculum WINGS to help students identify their feelings and use tools to navigate their social and academic world. Students learn to recognize when they are stuck, anxious, fearful, and to use tools to address these issues or to advocate for themselves by seeking support when needed. In addition to WINGS, students participate in other social-emotional projects, team-building activities, lunches and assemblies to ensure their social-emotional trajectory is on target.

Just as an artist uses different brushes, colors or tools to create a painting or sculpture, so do we parents and educators shape, color and form our students through our choice of techniques and the way in which these are used. Everything said or not said, every action or non-action, and every experience crafts the life of our students. It is our responsibility to encourage, guide and nurture our students to their full potential by growing their capacities in creativity, intelligence, collaboration, compassion, adventure, love, authenticity, communication, imagination and so much more.