Student Support Services

School counselors help students improve their academic achievement and develop their personal skills.

Parents often wonder what the school counselor does on a daily basis. The more important question is not what 'What do school counselors do?' but 'How are your children different because of what school counselors do?' Here is some information that can help you understand what the school counselor can do to help your child.

School counselors are specially trained professionals who understand and respond to the challenges presented by today's diverse populations. They don't work in isolation; instead they are integral to the educational process. School counselors help prepare students for success in the ever-changing world of the 21st century.

School counselors help students:

• Improve academic achievement.
• Plan and prepare for productive and fulfilling careers.
• Develop the personal and social skills they'll need as contributing and responsible members of society.

School counselors develop and implement comprehensive school counseling programs designed to meet the needs of every student. Through these programs, school counselors provide classroom guidance lessons, individual student planning, responsive services and system support.

Classroom guidance lessons help students understand themselves and others. Through classroom guidance, school counselors help students develop peer relations, effective social skills, decision-making and study skills, effective communications, conflict resolution and coping strategies and more.

Individual student planning helps students set goals, establish academic and career plans, understand their own strengths and weaknesses and prepare for the transition to the next stage of life.

Responsive services assist students with particular needs, such as adjusting to a new school, coping with grief following a crisis, dealing with substance abuse or other risky behaviors. Responsive services are provided through individual and small group counseling, peer facilitation, and consultation and referrals to professionals trained in mental health, welfare and other specialties.

System support enhances school climate and relationships among members of the school community. School counselors coordinate parent outreach services, community support services and consultations with other faculty and staff to facilitate collaboration and a greater understanding of students' development needs. Professional school counselors help students at each level meet particular challenges.

Early Childhood: The Learning Support program is designed to support all students, teachers, and families in the division. At its core, the Learning Support program aims to identify students who are experiencing challenges as it relates to learning effectively in school so that students can receive early intervention. To that end, CIS follows the SEN Pathways graduated approach of supporting students, which requires clear and consistent engagement with teachers and families. 

Elementary: Elementary is marked by the formation of attitudes about school, self, peers, social groups and family. School counselors help students develop decision making, communication and life training skills; character values; as well as feelings of dignity and self worth.

Middle School: Early adolescence is exciting, yet a challenging time for students. Transition is the key word. Through the middle school years, children experience rapid physical and psychological changes, characterized by a search for their own unique identity, need to explore a variety of interests, heavy reliance on friends and peers for comfort, understanding and approval, less reliance on parents and family, extreme sensitivity to comments from others, and high levels of activity coupled with frequent fatigue. School counselors help students make these important transitions.

High School: Adolescence is the final transition into adult hood and the world of work. Students decide who they are, what they do well and what they will do when they graduate from high school. They are searching for a place to belong and need guidance in making concrete decisions. During these crucial years school counselors help adolescents evaluate their strengths, skills and abilities, define their independence and plan for their future.

School counselors are trained to acknowledge and address the developmental needs of adolescents in a proactive fashion by providing prevention and intervention activities, and to assist students and parents with appropriate resources and services. A strong partnership between parents and school counselors is critical to be successful in meeting the challenges of bringing up well-balanced children.

 

Cayman International School offers limited services to meet the needs of Elementary and Secondary students who need support, assistance, or further instruction in order to be successful in the regular academic program. Trained and experienced instructors provide educational intervention to students identified as needing support in their academic course work. Some of these students may have a diagnosed learning difference that calls for an Individual Education Program (IEP). The goal of our student support program is to allow students with special needs to achieve meaningful success at CIS within the regular classroom.

Cayman International School recognizes that children have learning styles that differ from one another. For some children individual needs may be addressed with the help of a teacher trained in the field of special education.

A child may qualify for support services at CIS if he or she:

• has significantly greater difficulty achieving learning outcomes than the majority of children in his or her age group or grade level.

• has a mild learning disability which either prevents or hinders access to lessons, activities, or facilities.

A child must not be regarded as having a learning difficulty solely because the language or dialect spoken within their family is different from the language taught within class.

Cayman International School recognizes that there is a continuum of special educational needs which should be reflected in a continuum of services. Only in a small minority of cases will a child have special educational needs of a severity or complexity that require an I.E.P. Instruction is centered on providing students with small group assistance with their course work, strengthening of students’ organizational skills and the development of learning strategies.

The student support program at CIS is committed to helping students acquire the skills necessary for success in the regular academic program. Students who demonstrate aptitudes and abilities that are further developed than those of his or her classmates will receive extension and enrichment activities within the regular classroom.

The counselors at CIS provide support for applications to universities throughout the world, with a focus on universities in North America and the United Kingdom. One of our top priorities is to assist each CIS student in finding the best match for them as they enter higher education. Our hope is that each graduate is comfortable in his or her academic and social environment in university.

The counselors at CIS will assist families and students throughout the entire process. We will offer guidance in areas such as the college search, writing personal statements, standardized testing, application timelines, and interviews.

Throughout the year we will also host admissions representatives from universities who travel to meet prospective students. These information sessions give students the opportunity to learn more about that particular university, the opportunities available in university, and potentially interview with the representative.