Signal Hill Elementary School - PWC Guidance Curriculum

Signal Hill Elementary School Counseling Department

Josephine Selepak, M.Ed. and Melanie Walck, M.S.

SKILL DEVELOPMENT FOCUS AND OBJECTIVES BY GRADE LEVEL

The following objectives are taught through classroom guidance:

PRE-K/K:
· KA.1: Recognize responsibilities of being a student worker in school.

· KC.1: Identify areas of interest.

· KC.2: Develop awareness of careers in the community.

· KP.1: Recognize and appreciate one s unique abilities.

· KP.2: Identify and understand the meaning of various feeling words.

· KP.3: Develop awareness of empathy.

· KP.4: Distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate behavior in school.

· KP.5: Use appropriate communication skills to ask for help when needed.

GRADE 1:
· 1A.1: Develop skills and positive work habits (including task completion) to successfully meet school requirements.

· 1A.2: Understand that mistakes are essential to the learning process.

· 1A.3: Understand the importance of goal setting.

· 1C.1: Develop an understanding of roles and contributions of workers in school, home, and community.

· 1C.2: Identify personal skills, abilities, and interests in the areas of academic, career, and personal/social development.

· 1P.1: Describe how to express feelings in constructive ways (i.e. I statements. ).

· 1P.2: Develop an awareness of the importance of personal safety (i.e. Know telephone number, home address, emergency contact information, Stranger Danger).

· 1P.3: Identify situations requiring adult professional help.

GRADE 2:
· 2A.1: Develop awareness of goal-setting steps.

· 2A.2: Recognize the relationship between goal setting and accomplishing work.

· 2A.3: Work independently to achieve academic success.

· 2A.4: Identify and utilize test-taking skills.

· 2C.1: Learn about the variety of traditional and non-traditional occupations in a changing work place.

· 2C.2: Identify resource people in the school and community and understand how to seek their help.

· 2P.1: Identify forms of communication (e.g., listening, speaking, body language, etc.).

· 2P.2: Develop awareness of individual differences.

· 2P.3: Define friend and describe what is meant by friendship.

· 2P.4: Recognize how personal behavior affects group dynamics.

· 2P.5: Recognize peer pressure and bullying situations.

· 2P.6: Recognize different coping strategies to deal with situations.

GRADE 3:
· 3A.1: Set realistic short-term goals.

· 3A.2: Recognize the relationship between learning/achievement and personal effort.

· 3A.3: Identify and utilize study, organizational, and test-taking skills.

· 3A.4: Display a positive work ethic (persistence, self-motivation, punctuality, etc.).

· 3A.5: Identify how group participation contributes to learning.

· 3C.1: Demonstrate how a positive outlook regarding self, education and work enhances potential and increases productivity.

· 3C.2: Recognize that skills, abilities, and interests are considerations in the choice of careers.

· 3C.3: Understand that jobs with similar characteristics may be grouped as job families or career clusters.

· 3P.1: Identify different modes of interpersonal communication (verbal, non-verbal).

· 3P.2: Positively communicate thoughts, feelings, and needs to others in a variety of situations.

· 3P.3: Demonstrate and accept responsibility for individual behavior and how it affects others.

· 3P.4: Demonstrate self-control.

· 3P.5: Demonstrate how to communicate positively in a conflict situation.

· 3P.6: Explain the skills needed to function effectively in groups.

GRADE 4:
· 4A.1: Identify and describe how decision-making, problem-solving, and coping skills support or interfere with academic achievement.

· 4A.2: Identify and utilize effective test-taking skills.

· 4A.3: Demonstrate time management and organizational skills.

· 4A.4: Understand how personal learning styles can impact school achievement.

· 4A.5: Explain the importance of lifelong learning.

· 4C.1: Identify hobbies and interests.

· 4C.2: Relate each step of the decision-making/problem-solving process to career development (awareness, exploration, and preparation).

· 4P.1: Evaluate methods of expressing feelings.

· 4P.2: Identify and describe the steps in a decision-making/problem-solving process.

· 4P.3: Identify factors that influence personal decisions.

· 4P.4: Generate alternative solutions to problems and consider/evaluate consequences.

· 4P.5: Demonstrate the decision-making process.

· 4P.6: Recognize that different group members may have different opinions.

· 4P.7: Demonstrate different coping strategies for various situations and life changes.

· 4P.8: Identify factors that impact personal safety and well-being (i.e. substance abuse, etc.).

· 4P.9: Demonstrate self-reliance.

GRADE 5:
· 5A.1: Set realistic long-term goals.

· 5A.2: Apply personal learning style.

· 5A.3: Recognize the benefits of individual initiative and teamwork.

· 5C.1: Compile a list of personal abilities.

· 5C.2: Describe how personal strengths in school work affect future goals and career options.

· 5C.3: Understand that the changing workplace requires lifelong learning and acquiring new skills.

· 5C.4: Acquire employability skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, and organization.

· 5C.5: Identify career choices through various means of exploration.

· 5C.6: Describe changes as inevitable and necessary to adapt to new situations, (e.g., middle school).

· 5P.1: Describe how verbal and non-verbal behavior influence interpersonal relationships.

· 5P.2: Demonstrate how to communicate with others.

· 5P.3: Demonstrate appreciation and respect for similarities and differences in opinions.

· 5P.4: Describe strategies for getting along with others.

· 5P.5: Demonstrate how to disagree with others without provoking them.

· 5P.6: Demonstrate appropriate responses to ease a conflict situation.

· 5P.7: Demonstrate effective responses to peer pressure and bullying situations.

· 5P.8: Identify and analyze group dynamics in a variety of situations.

In addition to the above guidance curricula, counselors also teach the following standards as stated in the Virginia Professional School Counseling Program Manual by Carol Kaffenberger, Tammy Davis, Sylinda Gilcrist-Banks, & Tim Grothaus, in the domains of academic, social, and career skills:

Academic Domain
Goal: Students will acquire the academic preparation essential to choose from a variety of educational, training, and employment options upon completion of secondary school.
Grade	Standards
K-3	EA1 - Understand the expectations of the educational environment
K-3	EA2 - Understand the importance of individual effort, hard work, and persistence
K-3	EA3 – Understand the relationship of academic achievement to current and future success in school
K-3	EA4 – Understand that mistakes are essential to the learning process
K-3	EA5 – Demonstrate individual initiative and a positive interest in learning
K-3	EA6 – Use appropriate communication skills to ask for help when needed.
K-3	EA7 – Work independently to achieve academic success
K-3	EA8 – Work cooperatively in small and large groups towards a common goal
K-3	EA9 – Use study skills and test taking strategies
4-5	EA10 – Recognize personal strengths and weaknesses related to learning
4-5	EA11 – Demonstrate time management and organizational skills
4-5	EA12 – Apply study skills necessary for academic achievement
4-5	EA13 – Use critical thinking skills and test-taking strategies
4-5	EA14 – Understand the choices, options, and requirements of the middle school environment

Career Domain
Goal: Students will investigate the world of work in order to make informed career decisions.
Grade	Standards
K-3	EC1 - Understand the concepts of job and career
K-3	EC2 – Understand that behaviors such as punctuality, courtesy, proper dress and proper language are essential to current and future success
K-3	EC3 – Understand the relationship of individual effort, hard work and persistence to achievement
K-3	EC4 – Understand the importance of teamwork in working towards a common goal
K-3	EC5 – Demonstrate the decision-making process
K-3	EC6 – Demonstrate goal setting
4-5	EC7 - Recognize the benefits of both individual initiative and teamwork
4-5	EC8 – Recognize that the changing workplace requires lifelong learning
4-5	EC9 – Identify hobbies and interests
4-5	EC10 – Identify career choices through exploration

Personal/Social Domains
Goal: Students will acquire an understanding of, and respect for, self and others, and the skills to be responsible citizens.
Grade	Standards
K-3	EP1 – Exhibit the principals of character, including honesty, trustworthiness, respect for the rights and property of others, respect for rules and laws, taking responsibility for one’s own actions, fairness, caring and citizenship
K-3	EP2 – Understand how to make and keep friends and work cooperative with others
K-3	EP3 – Understand that Americans are one people of many diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds and national origins who are united as Americans by common customs and traditions
K-3	EP4 – Demonstrate good manners and respectful behavior towards others
K-3	EP5 – Demonstrate self-discipline and self-reliance
K-3	EO6 – Identify resource people in the school and community and understand how to seek their help
K-3	EP7 - Understand the importance of short and long term goals
4-5	EP8 – Understand change is part of growth
4-5	EP9 – Understand decision-making and problem-solving strategies
4-5	EP10 – Identify the emotional and physical dangers of substance use and abuse
4-5	EP11 – Use strategies for managing peer pressure
4-5	EP12 – Use strategies for handling conflict in a peaceful way

Warning! This Web page may contain links to one or more Web sites outside the PWCS network, which are not PWCS venues and may not reflect the views or opinions of PWCS. PWCS does not control the content of such Web sites and does not sponsor or endorse any messages, products, or services contained on such Web sites.