School Counseling
The School Counseling Curriculum provides instruction to all students in building skills and knowledge in academic, career, and social/ emotional domains.
The School Counseling Curriculum is provided directly by school counselors at the elementary and middle levels, and by teachers during Home Room/Tutorial/CT at the high school level.
Responsive Services are available to students who are in crisis, ranging anywhere from tragedies encountered by students in or outside school, to supporting their ongoing mental health needs, often in collaboration with outside mental health professionals.
Individual Planning services involve school counselors meeting with students individually or in small groups to plan for their academic, behavioral, and/or career needs in the short- and medium-term.
To adequately plan and retain capacity for these services, school counselors engage in System Support activities, which include regular collaboration with their school counselor colleagues.
All elementary schools have a full-time school counselor with two schools having more than one - Tiffany Ridge with 1.5 and Union Chapel with two (2). Each middle school has two counselors, each high school has six, and LEAD has two school counselors. The school counselors regularly partner with school social workers, school nurses, and other colleagues to support the academic, career, and social/emotional needs of students.
Social Services
The McKinney Vento/Foster Care Social Worker and SBMHT are both new positions for this school year.
Within the social work team, 18 are LCSW’s with four of them serving as clinical supervisors; three are LMSW’s, with one currently under supervision for her clinical license; and four have their MSW. The SBMHT is an LPC and RPT (registered play therapist).
Some of the services the social workers provide (these may not necessarily apply to all schools):
- Attendance monitoring and intervention
- Resources to students (food, clothing, school supplies)
- Complete suicide screenings and assessments
- Facilitate small groups
- Conduct home visits
- Complete child abuse/neglect hotline calls
- Provide emergency assistance to families (housing, gas cards, utilities)
- Conduct one-on-one meeting with students
- Advocate for students and their families
- Assist with crisis team support
- Complete referrals for SBMHT and McKinney Vento
Social Emotional Climate
Teachers teach a lesson to students about what to look for in themselves and their peers to know when they might need additional help with mental health, then they respond to a screening tool. Students whose responses on the screening tool indicate they may need additional help are seen by a district school counselor or social worker, then are offered additional interventions if needed. Parents and guardians are always contacted when a counselor social worker meets with a student to ensure they are aware of possible needs.
More information about the SOS program and how it works can be found here.
Physical Education & Physical Activity
Park Hill provides sequential K-12 curriculum using state standards with a recent focus on inclusivity in elementary schools. Each elementary school has a least one Special Education Cross Category Classroom and professional development includes Adaptive PE Strategies. Elementary PE staff members receive CPR and AED training and continue to meet throughout the year to discuss best practices to meet the needs of all students.
Park Hill offers a range of courses for secondary students that allows for students to learn more than just movement, but also sportsmanship, collaboration, and supporting each other.
Middle school students can take Physical Education and Health courses. High school students can choose from Health, Foundations of Fitness, Sports and Recreation, Weight Training/Conditioning, Advanced Weights, Water Sports/Conditioning (PH only), Hunting/Camping/Fishing, and Walking (PHS and LEAD only.) Adaptive Physical Education is available at all secondary levels, as well.
Health Education
Specific units of study are: Nutrition & Fitness, Body Systems, Sexual Health, Health & Wellbeing, Preventative Care, and Drugs, Alcohol & Tobacco. Also included in the course is the state graduation requirement of instruction in CPR, Heimlich maneuver/ abdominal thrusts, and proper AED use.
Students are exposed to a wealth of information they can apply to their lives both immediately and in the future. As there are so many topics covered during such a short period of time (9 weeks), it is more of an exposure level class.
Employee Wellness
The first Fall Group Exercise Program started in early August with 56 classes and 250 participants in the 8-week session. This was followed up by the Fitness Center Open House on August 30th where over 80 employees learned more about what the fitness center and wellness program offered. Since July 1, Park Hill has gained over 25 new members and things are hopping down in the Fitness Center for our employees, retirees and spouses.
In October, Park Hill offered their Annual Drive-Thru Flu Shot Clinic serving over an estimated 500 flu vaccines to employees, retirees and spouses.
Diagnostic Imaging brought the mobile mammography bus to District Office to complete 26 mammography appointments for employees and their families.
The Employee Assistance Program through BHS served 100 employee/family member cases with in-person, phone or video sessions and over 450 with online resources. The program also provides Mental Health First Aid Certification trainings with 3 class so far this school year, certifying 66 district employees.
Finally, the Park Hill Wellness Program has also rolled out several wellbeing initiatives that are free for employees/educators to participate in to include: Headspace, TeachWell, Kindness Campaign, a staff volleyball league, health coaching through Blue Cross Blue Shield and a wellbeing interest survey.
