The Instructional Support Team is designed to assist our students who may be struggling with academic and/or behavioral issues.  A student may be referred to the team by staff or parent/guardians.  The team is comprised of professional staff which may include the principal, school counselor, teacher/s, school psychologist, nurse, academic specialist, special education representative, as well as agency representatives if necessary, and the parent/guardian.  The purpose of the team is to look for avenues of intervention in order to support the student and allow the child to function at the top of their ability level. 

So, how does a student get referred to IST?  If you feel your child is struggling, please first contact your student's teacher to discuss your concerns.  Often, opening a dialogue with your child's teacher can alleviate the need to proceed further.  If however, the concerns continue, please contact the school counselor to schedule an IST meeting.  The second way a child may be referred is if a teacher or staff member communicates a concern to the school counselor.   As in the case of parent/guardian referral, the teacher or staff member has also communicated his/her concerns to the parent/guardian and worked to resolve them prior to making the counselor contact.  If however, the concerns continue and the child is referred to IST, you will be contacted by the counselor to schedule a convenient meeting.

Parents/guardians play a significant role on this team.  As experts on their child, they provide invaluable insight into the individual's strengths, weaknesses, motivations, medical needs, culture, backgrounds, and so much more. By working together, hand in hand, we hope to provide each student with the necessary supports to allow them to grow.

Should you have questions about this process or you would like to make a referral, please feel free to contact me.   

Mrs. P  :)