We have professionally trained counselors for each division on campus who are available to meet with students individually or in groups for short-term counseling. The counselors also conduct classroom lessons and observations, as well as collaborate with other student support professionals.

The role of our counselors as part of the Student Support Team:

• The counselor works closely with administrators, Learning Specialists, teachers, outside professionals and families. We believe that the collaborative team approach is appropriate to the developmental needs of our students.
• Conduct student check-ins and conflict resolution facilitation when there are specific emotional needs.
• Consult with classroom and specialist teachers regarding socio-emotional support for all students.
• Coordinate the Upper School health curriculum, teach Middle School Life Skills,
• In Lower School, partner with classroom teachers to integrate social emotional learning throughout the formal academic curriculum and facilitate pull out support groups.
• Classroom observation of students at the request of teachers, administrators and/or parents when questions arise about social/emotional challenges or learning differences.
• One-on-one parent consultation when students are experiencing social and emotional challenges related to school and/or familial strain (i.e. illness, family transitions, loss, conflict).
• Support the implementation and integration of social-emotional learning, self-regulation and conflict resolution curriculum.
• Provide appropriate resources and referrals when outside support is needed.

Health and Life Skills Curriculum

Student wellness is supplemented by life skills and health class in the Middle School and Upper School. These classes aim to create a supportive environment for social-emotional learning. In middle school students begin by exploring concepts of identity, mindfulness, and empathy. In Upper School, Health class allows students to go deeper into discussions around privilege and power, gender, sexuality, consent, and healthy relationships.

The mission of Health Services is to protect, support, and improve the health and well-being of students within the school setting. Parents can help by communicating to the school nurse any health related barriers which may affect their children's ability to learn Often, this is accomplished by working together with the student, their family, healthcare provider/s, teachers, school nurse, and the school support staff.

Some of the services provided by the Health Clinic include medication administration, first aid and emergency procedures, ensuring immunization compliance, coordinating scoliosis screenings and flu vaccine clinics on site, providing care and management for specialized health care procedures, coordinating care with physicians and families for special medical needs at School, and updating health policies and protocols as needed.

Our school community is enriched by the diversity of thinkers and learners who add their talents to so many activities each day. Our goal is that students experience academic success and build confidence as active and engaged learners. Teachers and administrators work with families in an effort to foster a positive academic experience for all students from kindergarten through senior year. We recognize that students with diagnosed learning disabilities may need extra support in designated areas. While we expect all students to meet the School's academic standards, we strive to support students with learning differences so that they have a fair and reasonable opportunity to develop a lifelong love for learning. Our Learning Specialists in each division work closely with classroom teachers to implement strategies or specific accommodations for students with learning differences. Head-Royce provides some support for students with learning differences by each of our part-time Learning Specialists but does not specialize in accommodating learning differences and is not equipped to handle the full range of learners. Our support services change slightly in each division as developmentally and cognitively appropriate within our School mission.

We have found that students with learning differences do well at Head-Royce if their experience is based on the following four pillars:

• With reasonable and school-approved accommodations, the student is mastering the curriculum.
• The relationship between the school and the family is collaborative and effective.
• The student's self-esteem is healthy and intact.
• The student is using all the resources available to them on campus.

Examples of reasonable accommodations (based on appropriate documentation) may include:

• 50% extra time on tests
• preferential seating
• keyboarding
• access to recorded books
• note-taking assistance
• calculator use

Click here for more information and to review the criteria for documentation of a learning difference.

We look forward to working together to provide a successful academic experience for your child.