Whole Child Success Team
Supporting students takes a Whole Child Success Team!
A focus on the whole child promotes the development of students who are socially, emotionally, and physically healthy.
Teachers, Administrators, School Social Workers, School Counselors, School Psychologists, School Nurses and School Specialists and Support Staff can, at any point in time, come together in varied team structures to support students.
Their shared roles include:
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Facilitating Social-Emotional and Physical Well Being |
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Behavioral, psychological, health, crisis and environmental problems can prevent students from being ready and able to learn. |
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Strengthening Family, School and Community Partnerships |
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Effective services are coordinated across a continuum of care that integrates schools, families and community providers. |
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Increasing Access to Instruction |
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Students with specialized needs require thoughtful and effective assessment, accommodations and programs. |
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Promoting a Positive School Climate |
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Every child has the right to attend school in a safe, considerate, welcoming, and caring environment. |
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Collaborating and Consulting |
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Teachers, administrators, parents, paraprofessionals and professionals collaborate and focus their efforts on behalf of students. |
Our Mission, Vision, and Values
We, the Whole Child Success Team, promote the social, emotional, physical and academic well-being of individual students through the identification and implementation of programs, services and supports, collaboration with the greater school community, and the creation of a supportive and engaging learning environment to ensure student success in current and future endeavors.
A strong, collaborative Whole Child Success Team ensures that the value and contribution of each student is recognized. A comprehensive, personalized approach includes a skillfully development success plan, careful monitoring of student progress, adjustments to ensure success and clear and consistent communication with all who touch the life of the student.
Our Whole Child Success Team values…
- A safe, healthy and caring environment.
- A collaborative approach to problem solving.
- Continuous professional learning to provide the very best approach to supporting students.
- Honesty, integrity and confidentiality throughout the process of support and guidance.
- Use of data to ensure best practice.
- The individualized approach and flexibility needed to ensure each child’s success.
- The student’s role in achieving social, emotional and physical well-being.
All who work with children can be members of the Whole Child Success Team
The focus of individual team members depends upon their role as well as the relationship established with the student and family. The team approach includes strong collaboration and communication among all who come to support the whole child. Different team structures are formed depending on the particular needs of the student.
Teachers ensure that all students find success in learning. They maintain a focus on the whole child, attending to each student’s learning as well as social, emotional and physical needs. Teachers may be the first to recognize a student’s learning or behavioral challenge. They collaborate with colleagues to develop the initial response to a student’s learning needs and reach out to the parent/guardian to gather or share information. Teacher teams develop plans for student success and monitor student progress. They are an integral part of all WCST meetings, continuing as part of the team even as the circle of support is widened.
Administrators support the WCST in its problem solving approach, enabling the team to meet in a timely fashion in pursuit of student success. They work to open lines of communication and provide training and support to ensure that the team is ready and able to work effectively. They build school systems that allow for flexible models of response in ensuring that all students find success.
School Social Workers are licensed mental health professionals who are experts in assessment, individual and group counseling, and crisis intervention. They work to strengthen the social, and emotional well-being of all students in order to enhance academic and personal goals. Their systems approach provides a pivotal link between school, home, and community-based supports.
School Counselors are certified professionals who provide a combination of preventive and supportive services for all students in the academic, social emotional, and college/career domains by working collaboratively with administrators, teachers, staff, parents and community members. Through individual, group and classroom instruction, school counselors monitor the social and emotional wellness of each student by developing personalized educational and career plans to ensure current and future success.
School Psychologists are certified in both psychology and education. They use varied models and methods of assessment to identify students’ needs and develop data-driven services and programs. School psychologists are key members of committees that design appropriate interventions and identify the needs for special services. They also play an essential role in optimizing learning by creating a school environment that considers the social, emotional, and psychological needs, as well as a range of learning styles of all students
School Nurses are registered professional nurses who utilize a wealth of specialized educational and practice skills that greatly influence the social, emotional, physical wellness and educational development of all school children.
Specialists and Support Staff are the varied dedicated staff members who work closely with students and help carry out success plans or monitor progress. They connect with students in unique ways and often provide new insights that lead to student success.