Our PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Support) Program emphasizes three school-wide expectations that are consistent throughout the Anthony Wayne School District. These expectations are: Be Responsible, Be Respectful, and Be Safe. Teachers and staff members work together to reinforce these expectations throughout the school year. Each month, teachers also nominate a “General of the Month” who demonstrates our three expectations.

One of our main conflict resolution tools at Whitehouse is called the “I Message.”  Students are taught how to use the “I Message” during classroom counseling sessions.  

Here are the steps of an “I Message”
I feel...
When people...
Will you please… ?

In addition to providing positive school-wide programs and initiatives, we also educate students about bullying prevention. Students are taught about the various types of bullying, including: physical, verbal, relational, and cyber. It is important to understand that arguments and confrontations between students may not always be considered bullying. To help distinguish bullying from routine childhood conflicts, look for these characteristics:

Whitehouse Primary became the proud recipient of Luna, our school therapy dog, in the fall of 2019. Luna is a golden retriever who completed 2 years of training in the Canine Student Teacher Program through Assistance Dogs for Achieving Independence. This program has been specifically designed to train puppies to work as school therapy dogs. Throughout Luna’s training, she was exposed to new experiences and learned obedience skills. Luna also spent a year training in a school setting with a counselor prior to being placed at Whitehouse Primary. We are grateful to have Luna as a staff member at our school!

School therapy dogs are able to help children in many ways. They boost school morale and can be used as a tool to help meet students’ social and emotional needs. Therapy dogs can also be utilized in classrooms to help motivate students academically and bring extra excitement to learning.

To learn more about how School Therapy Dogs are used, please visit the Allie Project’s website.

Classroom counseling lessons are the best opportunity to impact the largest number of students. The school counselor visits each classroom about once a month to teach students about topics such as:

Small groups are available for students in grades K-4. Groups are an excellent opportunity for students to work together in a comfortable setting with peers and the school counselor. Common topics include:

Students may be referred for individual counseling by a parent, teacher, staff member or themselves. Individual counseling is provided on a short-term basis and is designed to target a specific goal. If a student needs more intensive counseling, the school counselor will contact parents to discuss a referral to an outside counseling agency. Referrals to outside agencies are also available upon request.