The aim of the Guilford Central School Counseling Program is to help each student realize his/her individual potential through a comprehensive developmental program involving students, teachers, parents, administrators, counselor and community agencies. Assistance to students will include crisis intervention, individual counseling, small group counseling around issues such as friendship, changing families, loss, alcohol/drug abuse, self-awareness, self-esteem, and decision-making. The counselor will assist parents with individual conferences, resource materials, and referral services. Assistance to teachers will include consultation about students, classroom observation for diagnostic purposes, and assistance with classroom issues and programs.
Guilford Central School has a continuum of support services to provide necessary assistance and accommodations for a wide range of learners. The individuals providing these program work cooperatively with each other and with the classroom teachers to insure the success of all students.
An important goal of our art program is to nurture, guide, and support each.Our program offers a balanced art curriculum by exploring a wide variety of concepts techniques, and media. All students, grade K-8, have art instruction on a weekly basis. The majority of student art work will remain at school until June. Art work is exhibited in public displays throughout the year. Each student will finish the school year with a portfolio of art work to bring home.
The Guilford Central offers a variety of musical experiences for students K-8. Every child in kindergarten through seventh grade is a part of a general music class which meets once a week for 30-45 minutes. General music classes are geared to teach both rhythmic and notational music reading skills, singing, dancing and instrumental playing.
All children are exposed to the Orff instruments which enable students to provide simple accompaniments to songs. Other instrumental experiences include playing the auto harp, recorder and/or a variety percussion instruments. Singing is taught through the use of the Kodaly's solfege singing system.
Students entering fourth grade through eighth grade have the opportunity to join a choral ensemble. These choral groups continue to work on sight singing and are exposed to and sing a variety of choral literature. Likewise, students in fourth through eight grade are able to begin a band instrument and take group instrumental lessons which enables them to become part of the beginning band or advance band ensemble. Both the choral and the band ensembles perform outside the school for community functions or as part of the March is Music In Our School's Month Celebration.
All seventh and eighth grade students involved in any of the performing ensembles have the opportunity to audition for the Connecticut Valley Music Association's district festivals. The Junior High Festival Chorus is held in November and the Junior High Concert Band Festival is held in February. I am hopeful that many of our students will take advantage of these special opportunities as they arise.
Students in grades K-8 will have two physical education classes each week. All students in grades K-8 are required to have a pair of sneakers (no black bottoms) that are to be kept at school to be used in the gym only for Physical Education. Students with the required footwear only will participate in class lesson. Students who are unprepared with the required footwear will participate in the walking program in the gym during class time without footwear so that they may still be an active participant.
Movement Education is the foundation of all the skills taught in Kindergarten through second grade. Children are provided with developmentally appropriate challenges to enhance their understanding of space and body awareness; to acquire basic movement skills such as running, skipping and jumping; to acquire basic manipulative skills such as catching and throwing; to develop gymnastics skills; to combine movement skills with music and rhythms; to improve fitness; and, to cooperatively work on group challenges. Emphasis is placed on participation, effort and positive social relationships.
Third through eighth grade students will use basic movement skills to develop more complex physical skills in Dance, Gymnastics, Physical Fitness, Individual Team Sports, Carry Over Sports and Group Initiative Challenges. Our program is designed to provide each student with a positive Physical Education experience that will influence the student's self-image, personal achievement and knowledge of a healthy lifestyle. Emphasis is placed on participation, effort, self-improvement and positive social interaction.
Through cooperative planning and teaching with classroom teachers and other Guilford Central School staff, the goal of the library program is to foster a love of literature and to help students learn to ethically and effectively access, evaluate, use and communicate ideas and information. As a resource and learning center for the school community, the library maintains a collection of educational materials in a variety of formats, including print, audio-visual and information technology. The center is staffed with a full-time librarian and is open every day during school hours for students and staff to browse, read, do research and discuss ideas. The library welcomes parents and other community members who wish to stop by and visit.