Vacancy Job Cape Town 2017 / 2018 Counselling and Support

Counselling and Support

The SACS school psychologist addresses any psychological, social and emotional needs that our boys might have. A range of confidential psychological services is offered to the school community, which includes assessment, supportive counselling, play therapy and group work. The younger boys are given the opportunity to work though their difficulties with individual play therapy on a weekly basis with regular consultation and feedback given to the parents.  The older boys are provided with a confidential and safe space for support and reflection.

Group therapy has been offered to boys from Grade 4- 7 and focuses on children from divorced families.  The group work is based on the CHILDREN OF DIVORCE INTERVENTION PROGRAMME (CODIP) which is a school-based, preventively oriented, 12 week group programme designed to help children deal with the special problems that can be precipitated by parental divorce.  Groups for boys from Grade 1-3 following a similar programme is also offered.

The school psychologist works very closely with the teachers who often are the referral agents for the boys.  Interventions are planned together for classroom management and consultation and emotional support is provided when necessary.

Social Emotional Programme

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults develop the ability to manage their emotions, achieve goals, show empathy, build relationships and make responsible decisions. Many educators, researchers and education policy makers have come to believe that positive social and emotional skills are critical to student success.

Social and emotional skills play a role in determining how well-equipped children will be to meet the demands of the classroom. They also help determine whether students are able to engage fully in learning and benefit from instruction.

There is powerful evidence supporting the impact of enhancing learners’ SEL.

Research shows that SEL can have a positive impact on school climate and promote a host of academic, social, and emotional benefits for students. Durlak, Weissberg et al.’s recent meta-analysis of 213 rigorous studies of SEL in schools indicates that students receiving quality SEL instruction demonstrated:

better academic performance: achievement scores an average of 11 percentile points higher than students who did not receive SEL instruction;

improved attitudes and behaviors: greater motivation to learn, deeper commitment to school, increased time devoted to schoolwork, and better classroom behavior;

fewer negative behaviors: decreased disruptive class behavior, noncompliance, aggression, delinquent acts, and disciplinary referrals; and

reduced emotional distress: fewer reports of student depression, anxiety, stress, and social withdrawal.

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Parent Information

Academic Support

The Academic Support Department forms an integral part of the School and assists many boys needing support at various stages of their schooling at SACS. Boys who may need support are identified by class and subject teachers and assessed by a qualified remedial teach-er at the School to ascertain the nature and extent of the problem. We then offer tailored, private individual lessons. Group and individual speech therapy is also offered.

Enrichment

The Enrichment programme at SACS was started in 1982 and is currently split into two sections:

The Extension Programme:

In Grades 1 and 2 the teachers recommend boys whose numeracy and/or literacy skills are well enough established to warrant one hour of extension work each week. The focus is on extending these skills without encroaching on the syllabus in any way, while at the same time fostering a divergent thinking approach.

The Enrichment Programme:

This programme focuses on the boys who display the potential to be creative thinkers. Inclusion in the programme is currently by invitation after a formal assessment, or on the recommendation of a registered Educational Psychologist. This is open to boys from Grade 3 to 7 and varies from 1 to 2 hours per week depending on the grade. The broad aims of the programme are to:

Develop higher level thinking skills (Blooms Taxonomy)

Provide experience in creative thinking and problem solving

Develop convergent abilities, especially in logical deduction and convergent problem solving

Stimulate imagery and imagination

Relate intellectually to other “gifted” children

Develop self awareness and a positive self-concept

Provide learning experiences that are relevant and interesting

Additional points for consideration:

To foster and enhance learning rather than to extend boys academically

Runs for selected boys from Grades 3 – 7

Boys are tested in Grade 3 using the Paul Torrance Test of Creative Testing and selection is made in consultation with the class teacher

Provides creativity, mental stimulation and reasoning skills, outside the normal school curriculum

Tasks and activities are used to develop metacognitive skills and the boys are pushed to extend their divergent  and creative thinking

Reports are generated twice yearly

Extension:

Runs for selected boys in Grades 1 and 2 who show a superior grasp of Literacy and/or Numeracy

Boys are referred for academic extension over and above that given in the classroom

Tasks are chosen to develop both Literacy and Mathematics while encouraging higher order thinking and planning of tasks

Different groups of boys are chosen throughout the year and they may move in and out of the programme



Physical Address:
Dean Street
Newlands
Cape Town
7700
Postal Address:
SACS Junior School
Private Bag X3
Newlands
7725
Email Address:
Click here to email
Secretary:
021 689 4001
021 685 7028 (fax)
Bursar:
021 686 6027
JE De Villiers House:
021 689 8779
SACS Pre-Primary:

021 685 3865