Guidance

Ligonier Valley School District Elementary School Counselors are specifically credentialed professional school advocates who implement a comprehensive, developmentally appropriate, counseling program to all students aged 3 to 12.  Counselors work in partnership with district administration, educators, families, and community stakeholders to provide all students with appropriate customized academic instruction, career awareness, social and emotional support, and interpersonal skill development necessary for their success as productive, responsible citizens.

The counseling program includes daily interaction with students through classroom lessons, targeted social skill small groups and individual sessions as warranted.  Elementary Counselors align lessons and projects to PA Career/Education/Work, Common Core, and ASCA standards. Through our curriculum, students are encouraged to develop adaptability, interact effectively with others, work on diverse teams, problem-solve, make decisions, develop, plan and implement projects, identify personal interests, and become career aware.  Counselors supplement SEL (social and emotional learning), through utilization of the Sean Covey, “7 Habits of Happy Kids”, curriculum.  Additionally, counselors facilitate student social/emotional support initiatives through their leadership of building elementary student assistance programs (E-SAP).

LVSD Elementary Counselors are actively engaged in the Ligonier Valley community through their involvement on the S.T.A.R.S committee, which supports district families by identifying home and family barriers to the educational success of our students.  Specifically, counselors help facilitate the district “Food 2 Go” program, “Getting Ahead” work/education classes for parents, and a new “Mobile Therapy” county initiative as well as a Stephen Covey “7 Habits of Successful Parents” education series.  Counselors also connect elementary students to their community through numerous project-based, service learning projects, planned and implemented by students and facilitated by faculty.