Highland Park Public Schools

Counseling, Health, and Wellness

10/28/2024

Irving

Bartle

HPMS

HPHS

School Counseling Staff

Rob Maruca

Tara Young

Mark LoBianco

Jada Gore

Melissa Hayes

Dana O’Sullivan

Kimberly Cohen, Intern

Irving

Bartle

HPMS

HPHS

Teen/Tween Center Staff

Samantha Castro

Melanie Farfan

Nicole Feranil

Irina Yablonovskaya

Maya Dalack

Angela Candrilli

Chloe Rosenkranz

Dr. Scott Roth (SCP)

Ms. Kim Holman (FSCM)

Ms. Karen Lane (SAC)

Jazz Moore

Lauren Zoneraich

Shane Hughes

Scott Kliff

​

Program Alignment with District Strategic Goals 2024-2029

​

Goal #1 - Culture & Climate

Provide a safe, inclusive, identity-affirming, equitable, and supportive educational environment that uses its diversity as a strength.

​

​

Counseling, Health, & Wellness Updates

• 1.3 Ensure that the character development assemblies and small group lessons are designed with an equity lens, providing all students with access to inclusive and culturally responsive content. Programs should celebrate diverse identities, including LGBTQ+.
• 1.7 Research ways to elevate students' voices.
• 1.8 Provide district wide PD on working with refugee/asylum seeking families
• 1.9 Conduct universal screening to assist in identifying high-risk groups and individuals that need mental health support and intervention efforts.
• 1.10 Ensure that bullying prevention and conflict resolution presentations are inclusive and culturally responsive, addressing the diverse needs and experiences of all students.
• 1.12 Research evidence-based interventions for students that struggle with school refusal/attendance issues.
• 1.13 Develop a district-wide substance abuse prevention program.

​

​

​

​

#1.3 Character Development, Inclusive and Culturally Responsive Programming

• Counseling, Health and Wellness Calendar

​

• Tier 2 Support

​

• Individual and Family Counseling

​

• Grades 3, 4 and 5 Classroom SEL lessons on Empathy, Kindness, Self-Care, Coping Skills, Acknowledge Your Strength and Gratitude.
• Boundary setting and Sex Ed lessons for the HS GLOW program.

​

​

​

ACTION #1.7 Elevation of Student Voices

Minute Meetings

Purpose: The minute meeting is a very short meeting with every student

in the building.

• Part of Tier I programming support
• Meetings last between 1-5 minutes, depending on student response
• Completed with every student on a counselor’s caseload
• Frequency : September/October (pre), January (post) and April (Future planning)
• Allows brief check-ins, face-to-face with the school counselor, and can help determine what, if any follow up is needed

CASEL Student Survey

• Primary schools (Irving and Bartle) will administer a version of the CASEL student survey during their minute meetings
• Secondary schools (HPMS & HPHS) will have students complete the survey, prior to meeting
• Student responses used to determine programming needs
• Questions reflect the student’s sense of safety, belonging, and self-efficacy with core Social Emotional Learning (SEL) skills

#1.7 Elevation of Student Voices

Minute Meeting Highlights

​

• High School : Counselors met with all the students on their caseloads through Scheduling, College Planning, and Edifii support, check-ins, general questions, 504 meetings, NJGPA, PSAT.

​

• Middle School

​

• Bartle : Has met with 98% of students

​

• Irving

#1.7 Elevation of Student Voices

Edifii Pilot Program Collaboration

• The goal of the program is to test digital tools that can enhance students’ high school experience by enabling them to receive personalized guidance from their school counselors.
• Time Frame: October to December 2024
• Implementation: 120 student participants will respond to questionnaires such as “Which celebrity would you sit next to on an airplane?”
• Admin: Individual/group for 5-10 minutes during PE classes

ACTION #1.7 Elevation of Student Voices

• Students’ responses will provide insights into their interests and personalities. These inferences will be used to suggest opportunities (such as electives, public lectures, internships) that may be of interest to them and will also facilitate more effective and personalized interactions with school counselors.
• Part of Tier I programming support
• Allows brief check-ins, face-to-face with the school counselor, and can help determine what, if any follow up is needed
• Parent Consent (opt-out) and student assent required

#1.7 Elevation of Student Voices

• ~120 students created accounts, 90% of which completed the first quiz!
• Engagement scores averaged 3.7 out of 5
• 19 requested a meeting with a counselor, mostly for college/career but also academic and personal reasons
• 7 suggested prompts for Edifii AI playground such as “How do I keep track with homework?” and “what should I do over the summer?”
• 2 students were flagged for wellness check-ins based on open-ended responses, and 4 based on stress levels (8 or higher)

• “I'm a procrastinator, not that good at taking notes, Like to talk with my friends a lot, and I'm not that good at studying”

​

• “even though I don't always show it I really care about my grades”

​

• “I actually do read in my free time”

​

• “I love to learn, but I have a hard time learning if it's not taught in an interesting way”

​

• "I'm mentally present most of the time I'm not visibly present”

​

​

• Themes: showing vulnerable, authentic selves

​

• “I wish they understood that we have other classes to worry about and validate our feelings”

​

• “1. Patience, I am trying my best 2. Consideration of time, there are a lot of classes here and I may have a big project in another class and do not have time 3. Make sure everyone is having a good time; it makes every class more fun”

​

• “to believe in me, to have a smile on their face, and to have fun in what they do”

​

• “To be caught up with the lessons I was not in school for. To teach slower. Assign a little hw every day instead of a lot all at once”

​

• Themes: less homework, more projects, and engaging lessons

​

Minute Meeting Highlight:

92% of student population captured

• Design and implement tier I or II interventions to increase agreement in student responses.
• Majority of students, regardless or grade level or ability, need “conflict” explained to them.
• Only 26% of students knew how to make an appointment with their counselor.
• Will create awareness campaign to address gaps in knowledge.

Bartle Next Steps

#1.8 District wide PD on working with refugee/asylum seeking families

​

​

​

• Purpose: to equip educators with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively support students from refugee backgrounds by understanding their unique cultural experiences, potential trauma, language barriers, and family dynamics, thereby creating a welcoming and inclusive learning environment that facilitates their successful integration into the school system.

​

#1.8 District wide PD on working with refugee/asylum seeking families

​

​

​

• School counselors and Teen Center staff received this training in February 2024.
• Teachers/staff training scheduled for January 17, 2025

​

#1.9 Provide Universal Screening to strengthen tiered Intervention

​

​

• Purpose: used to determine a child's risk of developing emotional or behavioral problems that may require intervention or instructional changes. It can also help identify areas for growth in a student's social, emotional, and behavioral well-being.
• BASC-3 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BESS).
• Age Range: 3-18
• Survey : 20 questions
• Admin: Individual or group
• Admin Time:15 minutes

​

​

What Does the BASC-3 Bess Measure?

• Self-Regulation Risk Index – This index consists of items associated with self-control, including behaviors from the hyperactivity and attention problems domains that are most directly associated with ADHD symptomatology.

​

• Internalizing Risk Index – This index consists of a collection of items associated with internalizing behaviors including locus of control, social stress, anxiety, depression, and sense of inadequacy domains.

​

• Personal Adjustment Risk Index – This index consists of items associated with relations with parents, interpersonal relations, self-esteem, and self-reliance domains. These skills assess characteristics that are important for establishing good relationships with others, as well as a healthy view of oneself.

• Pre- Survey October 24 to October 30, 2024
• 3 (109)
• 5 (106)
• 6 (107)
• 8 (128)
• 9 (111)
• Parent letter sent on 10/18/24
• Parents can opt-out their students
• Post- Survey March 2025 (TBD)

2024- 2025 BESS Administration

#1.10 Bullying Prevention and Conflict Resolution Programming

HIGH SCHOOL WEEK OF RESPECT ACTIVITIES

1.10 Bullying Prevention and Conflict Resolution Programming

HIGH SCHOOL VIOLENCE PREVENTION WEEK ACTIVITIES

1.10 Bullying Prevention and Conflict Resolution Programming

MIDDLE SCHOOL WEEK OF RESPECT ACTIVITIES

​

1.10 Bullying Prevention and Conflict Resolution Programming

MIDDLE SCHOOL VIOLENCE PREVENTION WEEK ACTIVITIES

​

• Showed Anti –Violence themed video and facilitated an activity on strategies to reduce school violence.

​

• Created an art banner on anti violence.

​

• Read statistics on school violence during morning announcements.

​

• Collaborated with the Teen Center and the MS Peer Leaders to provide classroom lessons on Psychological Safety.

1.10 Bullying Prevention and Conflict Resolution Programming

BARTLE SCHOOL VIOLENCE PREVENTION WEEK ACTIVITIES

​

Announcements

​

Spirit Wear

​

1.10 Bullying Prevention and Conflict Resolution Programming

IRVING SCHOOL WEEK OF RESPECT

​

ACTIVITIES

​

​

#1.12 Implement Evidence-based Interventions to address school refusal/attendance issues.

• Leader in Me Curriculum was founded on the belief that everyone has the potential to lead, Leader in Me is a comprehensive PK–12 framework that nurtures student leadership, fosters a culture of trust, and boosts academic success. This proven approach empowers students, educators, and families with essential leadership and life skills, preparing them to excel.
• Implementation for 9th Grade Students
• November to April

#1.12 Implement Evidence-based Interventions to address school refusal/attendance issues.

• Leader in Me Curriculum was founded on the belief that everyone has the potential to lead, Leader in Me is a comprehensive PK–12 framework that nurtures student leadership, fosters a culture of trust, and boosts academic success. This proven approach empowers students, educators, and families with essential leadership and life skills, preparing them to excel.
• Implementation for 9th Grade Students
• November to April

High School Peer to Peer Mentoring Program

• Purpose: a) enhance the leadership skills of the mentors and provide an opportunity for them to give back to their school and community and b) support incoming freshmen through the first year of high school to develop their academic,social and emotional growth.
• Meetings – Weekly from October to December. Monthly from January to April
• Participation: 10 seniors and 10 freshman

1.13 District-wide substance abuse prevention program.

​

• Peer Leadership at the HS/MS is a student-led program geared toward empowering students to make a difference in their school community.
• Provides monthly SEL presentation in 6th grade classes to facilitate a smooth transition to middle school.
• Vaping prevention campaign in their schools.
• District wide classroom lessons on making healthy decisions, substance use prevention education and strengthening SEL skills.

1.13 District-wide substance abuse prevention program.

• Collaborating with Health and Science teachers at the high school to facilitate drug prevention Lessons

​

• Collaborating with Irving and Bartle counselors to identify opportunities to facilitate lessons on strengthening social-emotional skills and making healthy decisions (substance use prevention) to students

​

• Collaboration with the Highland Park Municipal Alliance to provide School and community prevention programming.

​

​

​

1.13 District-wide substance abuse prevention program.

• Coordinating with Wellspring to facilitate a cannabis education lesson for 9th grade students during their health classes.

​

• Coordinating with the DEA Community Outreach division to provide a drug awareness program for parents/guardians called Hidden in Plain Sight in March 2025.

​

• Coordinating with Wellspring to provide Distracted Driving program for 12^th grade students in May.

Thank You.

​