Student Support
Support for Our Students At All Levels
From resources like learning specialists to focusing on interpersonal relationships and life skills, we aim to develop well-rounded, thoughtful, and conscientious students.
Interpersonal Relationships
Advisory – In middle school, students start the day in small advisory groups led by faculty members where they develop close, trusting student-adult relationships and a strong bond between students in their advisory through community-building activities. Specific activities are designed for topics such as identity, organizational skills, peer and family relationships, decision-making with regard to teenage issues, and more.
Buddies – Our cross-campus buddy program allows students to connect with students from another grade. Partner classes spend time together throughout the year by engaging in fun activities and getting to know each other. Older buddies will serve as mentors to their young friends. Buddies celebrate together at the end of the year Field Day, run by our 8th grade class.
Student Support Team
Prospect Sierra Student Support, a team of classroom teachers, four learning specialists, two counselors, a middle school dean of students, and the division heads, monitors the development of academic, social, emotional, and behavioral skills. We recognize that students have different learning profiles and learn at different rates and our Student Support team works with many students and their teachers to help them grow and develop as learners. In order to facilitate progress, the Student Support team communicates and collaborates with the student’s family and, when necessary, appropriate outside professionals.
TK-4th Grade Student Support
Our elementary Learning Specialists collaborate to be proactive in their effort to identify needs, make an effective plan, and monitor progress. Our services for students and families may include the following:
- Collaborating with teachers, other specialists, and administrators
- Screening for skills progress
- Consulting with parents about their student in the learning environment
- Making appropriate referrals to outside specialists
- Supporting and educating parents/caregivers on an as-needed basis
- Inviting professionals to engage parents and faculty by informing our understanding of an individual student’s needs
- Providing direct instruction in small groups, targeting specific academic skills (in or outside of classrooms)
- Providing limited one-to-one support
- Consulting with teachers about classroom accommodations and/or curricular modifications that are recommended for students
- Assisting teachers with curriculum development
- Co-facilitating meetings between parents, teachers, and outside providers
- Interpreting assessments performed by outside service providers
- Supporting students in whole groups and small groups within and outside of the classroom
5th-8th Grade Student Support
Our middle school Learning Specialists work with all teachers and classrooms to support students in a variety of ways.
- Consulting with teachers about classroom accommodations and/or curricular modifications that are recommended for students
- Assisting teachers with curriculum development
- Serving as a resource to parents/caregivers
- Co-facilitating meetings between parents, teachers, and outside providers
- Interpreting assessments performed by outside service providers
- Supporting classes in whole groups, small groups, or 1:1 in the classrooms
Library
The Prospect Sierra libraries provide a rich environment for fostering a love of books and reading. At the elementary school, weekly library classes include book talks, read-aloud stories, learning activities, and introductions to various authors and genres. Students learn to navigate the library’s electronic catalog, access online resources, and find books that suit both their interests and research needs.
The middle school’s 3,850 sq. ft. library facilities include computer access, a quiet reading room, and a large central library. The library serves as a gathering place during recess also, offering games and social time. The library’s mission is to enrich the school’s educational programs, provide for the needs of students, and nurture a love of reading.
Life Skills
Life Skills is designed to help students explore their identity and their relationships with others in the Prospect Sierra community and beyond. Students build self-advocacy, communication, compassion, and decision-making skills related to topics like study habits, sexuality and interpersonal relationships, digital citizenship, mental health, and substance use. The curriculum is emergent, often growing from student interest and student questions.
Social-Emotional Support
Our two school counselors, along with our Dean of Students in the middle school, collaborate with faculty and provide guidance to administration and parents on appropriate social-emotional support for students TK-8. Counselors facilitate student personal growth through in-class support, short-term counseling, friendship groups, classroom observations, creative art projects, and more. Conflict resolution and other restorative practices are integrated into our curriculum at all levels. Guidance is provided around personal wellness, self-regulation, social interactions, confidence, executive functioning, and behavior. Our team consults with families and provides appropriate resources and referrals for outside support as needed.
Study Hall
Study Hall in middle school provides students with a consistent, controlled environment to do their homework while having access to their classroom teachers and peers for assistance. Advisors and homeroom teachers help students manage their work and teach students how to prioritize their efforts. The study hall time is the companion time to our morning advisory time.