This year we are bringing back a popular and very effective counseling group at ECS elementary.  Commonly referred to as Banana Splits groups, these groups typically form during the late Fall in any school year.

With this new addition to the counseling program, groups serve to join students who share a common situation, problem, or concern. Participation in a group allows its members to share life experiences, gain insight, and learn new skills. Above all else, group participants learn that they are not alone with their problems and feelings.

Groups are a powerful and effective means to promote emotional health and personal growth. By assisting children to cope with the changes wrought in their young lives by separation, divorce, or newly formed family structures, students may better realize their full academic and social potentials.

Counseling groups are usually organized by grade-level. Groups meet on a weekly basis for approximately 30 minutes. Teachers help to arrange the schedule, thereby minimizing absence from the classroom. Typically, a group will meet for 10 to 12 sessions. Some groups continue throughout the school year. Occasionally, further participation in subsequent groups is offered to those group members who exhibit ongoing needs.