Academics

Social Emotional Counseling

Your Partner in Well-Being

At Dawson, we prioritize social-emotional well-being. Each division has a dedicated counselor to help meet the psychological needs of students. Our counselors provide developmentally appropriate support and consultation for students, parents, and faculty.

Age-Appropriate Student Education
Short-Term Counseling
Crisis Intervention and Assessment
Parent Consultation
Mental Health Provider and Services Referral
Coordination with Outside Mental Health Providers
Collaboration on Student Support Plans and Accommodations
Education for Parents and Faculty

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Lower School

In the Lower School, each student receives one social-emotional/wellness class per week taught by the lower school counselor on essential topics including communicating and understanding emotions, coping skills for unexpected emotions, social skills, empathy, digital citizenship, and bully prevention.

All social-emotional classes are rooted in character development, which research strongly supports as the number one indicator of long-term happiness, social connection and overall success.

The Lower School curriculum is needs-based, data-driven, and guided by CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) and ASCA (American School Counseling Association) curriculum frameworks and standards. Blue Sky Bridge provides yearly body safety programs for kindergarten and grades three and five. Students are also offered opportunities for Lunch Fun Bunches, small groups and individual, short-term counseling sessions.

Middle and Upper School

The middle and upper school years are a time for big developmental changes that impact every sphere of a student’s life. As partners alongside parents and guardians, the school counselors are available for parent consultation and short-term individual counseling sessions for students. We work closely with families, finding your internal strengths and assisting in developing new skills to help navigate new challenges and changing responsibilities.

We also provide education to the entire school community on topics such as mental health, substance use, bullying, healthy relationships, and online safety.

These educational series help students build the tools needed to be safe and well. Our goal is that students leave Dawson with stronger self-awareness, self-advocacy, compassion, and empathy.