Guidance

Ligonier Valley School District Elementary School Counselors are specifically credentialed professional school advocates who implement a comprehensive, developmentally appropriate, counseling program to all learners aged 3 to 12.  Counselors work in partnership with district administration, educators, families, and community stakeholders to provide all learners 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 learners 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, learners 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 learner social/emotional support initiatives through their leadership of building elementary student assistance programs.

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 learners.  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 learners to their community through numerous project-based, service learning projects, planned and implemented by learners and facilitated by faculty.