Our elementary school counseling program is a developmental and preventative program that supports positive personal, social and emotional growth for all students, with the ultimate purpose of enhancing academic progress. Tesago's school counselor works with students, parents and staff on an ongoing basis to accomplish the program's goals. Classroom presentations on topics such as naming and understanding feelings, getting along with peers and making good choices provide students with the tools that make their school day experience academically productive.

The school counselor also moderates small group programs in the area of social skills, study habits and school adjustment. School-based counseling of individual students focuses on issues that are interfering with academic progress while at school.

Among the programs provided by our counseling center are:

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B.E.S.T.

(Building Esteem in Students Today)

In conjunction with Clifton Park's community effort to incorporate the national Character Counts Program, Tesago has formed a team of staff representatives from all grade levels and special subject areas to enhance our efforts. The B.E.S.T. Program is part of the National Character Counts Coalition. There are "six pillars of character": trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship.

Each of these pillars is incorporated into the B.E.S.T. Program themes. The goals of the B.E.S.T. Program are:

• to enhance the school climate
• to build on each student's character strengths
• to make every student feel valuable, competent, and worthy
• to provide a systematic approach for building student esteem and character within the present curriculum
• to provide ways for the total school community to participate

 

This year's monthly themes on which the entire school focuses are:

• September - Courtesy
• October - Feelings/Conflict Resolution
• November - Responsibility
• December - Caring and Sharing
• January - Goal Setting
• February - Honesty/Friendship
• March - Belonging (Esteem)
• April - Health/Prevention
• May - Citizenship (Responsibility)

Conflict Resolution
	A developmental conflict resolution program reaches children from kindergarten to fifth grade. Developed in conjunction with classroom teachers and school psychologist, this program teaches students strategies to solve problems in positive, nonviolent ways - skills very necessary in today's complex society.