Student Services/Support

Immaculate Conception-St. Joseph School provides a dedicated support staff to help students navigate the social, emotional and academic waters of school. Whether a student requires extra help preparing for a test, has found him/herself in an awkward social situation, or just wants to chat about life outside of school, the trained and proactive ICSJ support staff is always available.

Learning Specialists

ICSJ employs 2 full-time Learning and Literacy Specialists who share their time at both campuses. These educators are experienced in providing learning support to students with exceptional needs. By working one-on-one with students or in small groups, both in and outside of the classroom, students are provided support that meets their individual needs. Specialists also work closely with classroom teachers to either assist with, or model ways to help all students achieve academic success. The Learning and Literacy Specialists collaborate with teachers in lesson planning meetings to create enrichment lessons for high achieving students in all subject areas. Formative and summative student data drives the instructional planning process and these specialists are excellent resources for the faculty. Specialists are also available to collaborate with outside professionals for student evaluations or ongoing academic support.

School Counselors

ICSJ’s 3 full-time counselors work closely with the administration and teaching staff on student social, emotional, developmental, and behavioral concerns. By collaborating with staff and students, counselors seek to help students develop healthy relationships with their peers, teachers, parents, and siblings.

ICSJ is committed to providing an environment in which all students feel they can safely express their feelings and concerns. By working in conjunction with teachers, ICSJ counselors integrate multiple behavioral and emotional strategies into everyday classroom lessons. These methods develop and strengthen the social-emotional development of our students throughout the Prekindergarten – Grade 8 curriculum:

Second Step is a research-based, social/emotional curriculum that helps students to understand, regulate and manage their emotions, control their reactions, be aware of others’ feelings, and have the skills to problem-solve and make responsible decisions. This program is classroom-based and is used across all grade levels, beginning in Prekindergarten.

Responsive Classroom is a research-based approach to K-8 education, and is built on the foundation that high-quality education requires the maintenance of a safe and joyful learning community. This instructional best practice is based on the belief that integrating academic and social-emotional skills creates an environment where students can learn and perform at their best. The Responsive Classroom approach consists of a set of practices, language, and strategies that build academic and social-emotional competencies.

Middle School Advisory is an extension of the Responsive Classroom’s Morning Meeting. It is a time for teachers and students to work on developmental responsiveness, engaging academics, building a positive community, and effective management using language and strategies that are appropriate for the unique needs of adolescents. Advisory periods focus on goal setting, structured reflection, digital citizenship, time management, problem solving, and fun, friendship building activities.

Behavior Rubric – This rubric was developed in consultation with psychologist Dr. Marcia McEvoy to address mean behavior. This approach "sweats the small stuff" with the goal of creating a positive school climate where children feel safe and undesired behavior is addressed with clear, concise consequences. The rubric is differentiated by age group and used in all grade levels.

Early Childhood Coordinator

The ICSJ Early Childhood Coordinator (ECC) collaborates with the Learning and Literacy Specialists, School Counselors and classroom teachers to create goals and plans to best suit the needs of all early childhood students. The ECC promotes high standards and expectations for the early childhood students and staff using the NAEYC Early Learning Standards. The ECC attends all early childhood team planning meetings and spends the majority of the day observing in classrooms and providing teachers with feedback to improve instruction, and improve the culture and climate of the classroom. The ECC works closely with the administrative team on all school related topics and often attends parent meetings and conferences. The ECC oversees teacher training for the Early Screening Inventory (ESI-R) and oversees the screening of all early childhood students using the ESI-R screening tool. The ECC plans and organizes special early childhood events throughout the school year, including: Polar Express Day, NAEYC’s Week of the Young Child, and the end of year prayer service.

School Nurse

ICSJ employs a full time registered nurse that serves the medical needs of students at both campuses. The Nurse provides direct care to students with both acute and chronic health needs while corresponding with student families to ensure timely and appropriate communication between school and home.