Student Services

The Student Services Department values collaboration and communication and works together with families to support the academic and social and emotional needs of our students.

The Providence Day Student Services Department understands that academic, social, and emotional concerns do not happen in isolation; they are intertwined. Through collaboration, the learning specialists and school counselors at each division work hand-in-hand to support student growth and academic success. The team provides wrap-around support to serve the complex needs of our students. Parents interested in one or more of these services should contact Joyce Harris, Student Services Director at 704-887-6075 or joyce.harris@providenceday.org.

Lower School

Middle School

Upper School

School Counselors [formerly Guidance Counselors]

Social and emotional growth is an important educational element at Providence Day School. There are school counselors at each division level: Margot Brinley and Jenny Gould in the Lower School, Lisa Bernard in the Middle School, and Claire Bell and Marissa Kohn in the Upper School. School counselors provide direct and indirect counseling services to all students and families throughout their time at PD.

School counselors work with students individually and in groups. The counseling services are relationship and skill-building focused. Through counseling, students learn, practice, and implement coping skills, social skills, and relationship-building skills. These services are available to all students at each division level. Counselors partner with families, therapists, and other treatment providers to help to ensure a successful academic experience. All of our counselors offer support to families with obtaining additional therapy referrals when necessary.

As our children develop and grow over their time at PD so does the social and emotional programming at each division. The School Counselors help to create and guide this programming at all levels. Lower School focuses on Character Development through classroom lessons focused on the PD Passport Character Traits.

Middle School starts the Advisory program, a pause in the academic day for students to meet in smaller groups with peers and a trusted adult. The curriculum is based on the PD Passport and focuses on relationship building and the search for identity.

Upper School starts co-curricular programming, which complements and supports the academic curriculum. Co-curricular programming includes advisory, community groups, and club time. Co-curricular time provides the space for students to continue to dig deeper into the skills, dispositions, and knowledge outlined in the PD Passport.

The Student Services Department values collaboration and communication and works together with families to support the social and emotional wellness of our students.

Learning Specialists

Learning Specialists assist students, parents, and teachers to help identify and support the academic needs of a wide range of students in TK-12th grades. They support students who have been diagnosed with a specific learning difference, those suspected of having learning issues, and those undergoing psychological and/or educational evaluations. There are learning specialists at each division level: Elisa Clark in the Lower School, Julie Hill in the Middle School, and Shelley Mikszan and Emily Young in the Upper School.

Their primary role is to help students become successful learners and self-advocates. The Learning Specialists collaborate with administrators, the student services coordinator, counselors, teachers, and parents and serve as liaisons with other educational specialists.

In addition, they facilitate access to a variety of school-based and community resources. In the event students require more specialized services, the Learning Specialists will work with parents and school personnel to identify appropriate outside testing and/or appropriate academic strategies and/or accommodations.

Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy services are available for students who need individualized treatment for handwriting skill development, sensory regulation, fine and gross motor skill development, visual motor and perceptual strengthening, and motor planning and isolation. On-site services allow the therapist to work closely with the student’s academic team and parents. These services are provided on the school campus with payment from the student’s parents directly to the therapist.

Speech and Language Therapy

Speech and Language services focus on helping students with a wide range of speech-related problems to meet performance standards. Providence Day currently contracts with two speech and language therapists. Their work includes prevention, assessment, intervention, and program design efforts that are integrated within the school setting. They serve a full range of communication disorders, including those involving language, articulation, fluency, voice/resonance, auditory processing, written expression, and phonological processing. Services are provided on the school campus with payment from the student’s parents directly to the clinician.

Tutoring

The PD Tutoring Program is a supplemental service and is in addition to the afterschool help sessions that are offered by teachers. Parents are responsible for paying the tutor a designated fee on a weekly or monthly basis. The tutoring program provides one-on-one tutoring in most subject areas and at all grade levels. Tutoring is available before and after school. Middle and Upper School tutorials begin after the regular teacher help sessions at 3:40 p.m. daily. Resources for specialized tutoring are also available. Summer tutorials can also be arranged by contacting the Student Services Director Joyce Harris at 704-887-6075 or joyce.harris@providenceday.org.