Mrs. Amy Veach

Elementary School Counselor

The Guidance Department at the K-5 level employs three counselors. Rebecca Schaeffer-Neitz is the counselor for Kindergarten and First Grade. Holly Morgan is the counselor for Second and Third Grade. I am the counselor for Fourth and Fifth Grade.

Counseling services available from the Guidance Department include individual and group counseling, developmental classroom guidance lessons, parent and teacher consultations, screenings and assessments, and referrals to outside agencies.

Today, more than ever, our students face numerous challenges. In addition to preparing them academically, we also need to provide them with the skills needed to cope with increasing social and personal pressures. The small counseling groups offer sessions to help students cope with divorce separation, deployment, anger management skills, friendship and cooperation skills, loss of a loved one, and behavior management techniques. Parents, if you have concerns about your child(ren) contact me by e-mail aveach@seal-pa.org or by calling the school at (570)374-1144 ext. 3567 at the Intermediate School or ext. 3279 at the Intermediate School.

The INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT TEAM (IST) process is a collaborative effort to address the needs of students who are struggling in school. The Team works together to identify areas of concern, set goals, select strategies to meet those goals, and evaluate the effectiveness of the strategies. If you have concerns about your child's school progress, please contact the child's teacher or me As the school counselor, I am a member of the IST Team along with the classroom teacher, a consulting teacher, the principal, and the parents.

In FOURTH GRADE students will learn the Peer Mediation process to assist in conflict resolution. All students will learn the skills of reflective listening, compromise, and cooperation. We will focus on friendship skills dealing with cliques and being left out. We will also discuss test taking strategies and study skills. Peer pressure and career exploration will also be addressed.

FIFTH GRADE students will continue to use the PEER MEDIATION process learned last year to resolve differences with their peers. Student volunteers were trained to serve as peer mediators for their classmates. Peer mediation will take place during lunch recess on an as needed basis.

Fifth grade students will also participate in a CAREERS DAY . Speakers will be invited to come to the school to share information with students about their careers. Some of the careers represented last year included a chef, carpenter, attorney, singer, jeweler, mechanic and veterinarian.

In guidance class, students will examine topics such as Bullying, Improving Study Skills, Understanding Tolerance and Respecting Differences, and Exploring Careers of Interest.

Students in fourth and fifth grade will take the PSSA Reading and Math Tests which will be between the middle of April and May this year. Fifth grade takes and additional Science PSSA and Fourth Grade takes an additional Writing PSSA. Parents, check the school calendar for specific dates. Please help your children perform at their best by making sure they eat a healthy breakfast, get enough rest at night, come to school on time, and relax! If you or your child have concerns about the testing process, please don't hesitate to contact me.

All students in Kindergarten through Fifth grade will have the opportunity to participate in Red Ribbon Week activities during the week of October 27th through 31st. Red Ribbon week is held annually across the nation. Its purpose is to bring attention to the problems which arise from the use of alcohol and other drugs. The Red Ribbon week activities will promote student awareness of the dangers of using drugs. Assemblies, theme days, a Smarties Contest, a Red Ribbon Memorial, a poster contest, a penny drive to benefit the United Way and raffles are some of the activities planned for this week. More information will be coming home with your children closer to the date.

Finally, all students experience times of stress in their lives, at home and at school, with family and with peers. If your child is struggling at school academically or socially, please feel free to contact me. There are numerous resources available to assist you and your child in a variety of areas. My door is always open!

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