Welcome to Student Services
Our Approach to Learning and Health
Wilkes County Schools embraces the Whole School, Whole Child, Whole Community (WSCC) model to provide a unified and collaborative approach to learning and health. The WSCC model focuses its attention on the child, emphasizes a school-wide approach, and acknowledges learning, health, and the school are a part and reflection of the local community.
Schools, health agencies, parents, and communities share a common goal of supporting the health and academic achievement of children and youth. Research shows that the health of students is linked to their academic achievement. By working together, we can ensure that every young person in every school in our community is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.
The image below shows the WSCC model.
The central tenets of this model are:
- Each child enters school healthy and learns about and practices a healthy lifestyle.
- Each student learns in an environment that is physically and emotionally safe for students and adults.
- Each student is actively engaged in learning and is connected to the school and the broader community.
- Each student has access to personalized learning and is supported by qualified, caring adults.
- Each student is challenged academically and prepared for success in college or further study and for employment and participation in a global environment.
Specialized Instructional Support Personnel
Our schools are staffed with Specialized Instructional Support Personnel (SISP) who provide school-based physical, social, emotional and mental health prevention, intervention, transition and follow-up services. These staff enhance skills and address barriers related to academic, career, social-emotional, behavioral, and mental and physical health needs so that all students can learn, thrive, and grow. While each of these staff play a specialized role to meet the needs of students, some supports may overlap to cultivate the overall well-being of the whole child.
School counselors support all students to be successful with a focus on academic achievement, career development, social emotional development and mental wellness. provide a broad array of comprehensive services to all students with a focus on academic achievement, career development, social emotional development and mental wellness. School counselors are uniquely trained to provide a broad range of prevention and early intervention educational, counseling, and support services.
School social workers integrate the school, community and family context into comprehensive support services, interventions and resource referrals to remove
barriers to student success. They provide services such as crisis intervention, family counseling and support, parent education, and advocacy.
barriers to student success. They provide services such as crisis intervention, family counseling and support, parent education, and advocacy.
School nurses assess health related needs, develop health care plans, remove health related barriers to learning, and collaborate with school personnel and healthcare providers to promote student wellness.
School psychologists assist in developing effective school wide practices/policies, assess student needs and growth in learning and behavior, intervene with students,
and collaborate with staff to coordinate special education services. In Wilkes County Schools, school psychologists are part of our Exceptional Children's Department, but work closely with all school staff to help our children and youth.
and collaborate with staff to coordinate special education services. In Wilkes County Schools, school psychologists are part of our Exceptional Children's Department, but work closely with all school staff to help our children and youth.
You can find contact information for the Specialized Instructional Support Personnel for your child's school listed on the school webpages.
Questions about these staff and their roles can be directed to April Marr, Director of Student Services. She can be reached at 336-667-1121.