Leonia Public Schools

Our Mission

The mission of the Counseling Program of the Leonia School District is to assist every student in acquiring the knowledge, skills and attitudes to become well-rounded individuals, responsible and contributing citizens, lifelong learners, and productive workers. School Counselors, in partnership with other educators, parents/guardians and the community, provide a support system to foster an environment in which all students are prepared with the knowledge and skills to contribute at the highest level as productive members of society.

Our Philosophy

The Leonia School District adheres to the philosophy that the school counseling program is an essential and integral part of the overall educational process. The counselors are actively committed to this purpose and strive to help our students understand that the choices made today will affect the choices they make in the future.  

Leonia School District offers a comprehensive developmental school counseling program, which addresses the academic, post-secondary, personal/social needs of the student body. The purpose of any school counseling program as defined by the American School Counselors Association is to impart specific skills and learning opportunities in a proactive and preventive manner, which ensures that students can achieve school success. The program is developmental, sequential and addresses the student’s need in three domains: academic career and personal/social throughout their Pre-K-12 schooling. In the academic domain, students will develop skills and attitudes necessary to achieve success in school, understand the relationship of learning to the world of work and “learn how to learn.” In the personal/social domain, students will develop respect for self and others and effective interpersonal skills to become responsible, contributing members of society. Our warm and caring environment invites all students to take advantage of the counseling resources available.

The comprehensive school counseling program is an integral component of the total educational experience of all students. A comprehensive school counseling program aims to serve every student, incorporates the National Standards for School Counseling Programs as its foundation, is data driven, proactive, prevention based, developmentally appropriate and supports school improvement.

Though a comprehensive program is available to all students, we recognize the need for some students to have other growth opportunities. While some may find it easy to adjust to change, others struggle with self-identity, family issues, social/emotional and academic difficulties. The program provides support to students in need as well as in crisis and offers services to meet those needs. Students may participate in a variety of small groups or see the counselors individually if needed. Parents, too, can receive support in similar ways through individual conferences and/or post-secondary evening presentations such as “financial aid night.” The students of Leonia School System have access to a wide variety of responsive services.
 
In order that students and families shall receive the most professional services possible, school counselors shall abide by the code of ethics in their delivery of services as is advocated by the American School Counselor Association. Additionally, school counselors shall participate in ongoing professional development activities designed to increase and enhance both their skills and credibility in the performance of their duties within the school community.

The professional school counselors believe every child can learn and all students have an equal right to access a certified school counselor and to participate in a comprehensive school counseling program designed to promote and encourage student success. The following principles are the foundation for the school counseling program.

The School Counselors believe:

• All students have the right to be served by the school counseling program
• All students have a capacity to learn and to be supported academically
• All students will be provided with a school counseling program that will be consistent with expected developmental stages of learning and differences in learning styles
• Collaboration between student, teacher, administration and others in the school community is an essential component of a school counseling program
• All students have dignity and worth and have a right to a safe, mutually respectful environment conducive to learning
• Learning involves the education of the whole person and is a continuous lifelong process
• Learning requires the active participation, mutual respect and individual accountability of students, teachers, staff, parents and community members
• Diversity is to be respected and appreciated as we foster unity among our students, faculty, staff and community
• The relationship between counselor and counselee helps students learn, practice and internalize self-advocacy

 
In addition, the Leonia School District’s comprehensive school counseling program should

• Be planned, coordinated and implemented by state-certified school counselors
• Engage students in classroom, group and/or individual activities to enhance student learning
• Provide academic, career, personal and social development opportunities for every student
• Teach students to take responsibility and ownership for personal behavior through group and/or individual counseling when appropriate
• Impact student social and academic growth
• Encourage all students to achieve their highest potential
• Reach the many facets of our diverse community 
• Utilize all resources in the school and community that are available to students and families in order to provide effective support and intervention programs 
• Provide the school community with prevention resources
• Use data to drive the program development and evaluation, and to actively monitor student results
• Include education that extends beyond the classroom environment and allows students to develop lifelong skills that can assist them in the pursuit of their goals

And that all counselors in the Leonia School District:

• Abide by the professional ethics of guidance and counseling as advocated by the American School Counselor Association 
• Participate in professional development activities essential to maintaining a quality school counseling program