The purpose of these small groups is to provide a safe environment for sharing, giving and receiving feedback, practicing new skills, and increasing awareness so that students can be successful in school. Often students can learn things from each other that they can't from teachers, parents or counselors. Throughout the group experience, confidentiality is stressed to all members. Students are encouraged to share their experiences with their parents, but are not allowed to talk about them with other students.. 

Small groups will be offered based upon student-need and scheduling availability. We typically meet once a week for 30 minutes for six weeks during the school day at a time that is agreeable with the teacher.If you are interested in having your child participate in an age appropriate group, please see the attached form. 

A number of small groups are available to students at Highland Park Elementary:

Bright Horizons: This is a grief support group. Group members include students who have experienced death in their immediate families. The students discuss the grief process, but also celebrate each other's growth.

Changing Families: This group is for students who have experienced changes in their family through separation, divorce, or remarriage. Sessions include activities that encourage students to discuss feelings/reactions to the changes in their lives, as well as to develop strategies for coping with these changes.

Helping Hands, Smiling Faces: – (grades 1-2) This group is designed to help young children learn about appropriate and inappropriate behaviors. They will learn effective strategies and ideas to better control behaviors so they can be more successful at school.

Marvelous Me!: (grades 1-2) - The focus of this group is on self-concept, and feeling good about who you are. We will work on acknowledging that we are all lovable and capable people, appreciating our strengths and the things we can do well, and developing positive thoughts and skills to handle when things don’t go right.

Circle of Friends: (grades 2-3) - A group for students who could use support with building and maintaining friendships. We will focus on understanding our feelings and the feelings of others, cooperation, manners, sharing, being a good sport, respecting differences, and what to do when we are left out, teased, mad, or don’t get our way.

Worry Busters: (grades 2-3) - This group is designed to help students recognize anxiety and why worries happen, understand how anxiety affects our minds and bodies, and learn effective ways to minimize and cope with worry.

Chill Out: (grades 3-4)- The purpose of this group is to help students understand and manage their strong emotions in a peaceful and positive manner. We will talk about expressing anger, the effect of anger on others, alternatives to aggression and give coping strategies students can use every day.

Friendship Factors: (Grades 3-4) - A group for students to work on advanced social skills. We will focus on learning how to be a leader as well as a follower, how to handle rejection well, how to handle peer pressure, how to be assertive, how to be aware of our own behaviors that can interfere with friendships, and how to handle others’ rude or irritating behaviors.

S.O.A.R. (Students Owning Academic Responsibility): (Grades 4-5) - This group is for the purpose of exploring and strengthening the skills for school success. The focus of the group is on listening and attending skills, organization, study tips, homework tips, test taking tips, and attitude.