Students are welcome to stop in to see the counselor or schedule a time to visit when they are not in class. Advisors, teachers, and administrators can refer a student about whom they are concerned to the counseling office. Parents are also encouraged to contact the counseling office if they are concerned about their child and would like a counselor to check in with them.

While St. Andrew’s counselors proceed with appropriate action based on their professional judgment, they do not provide on-going therapy. If the counselor identifies a student to need on-going services, the counselor will contact the parents with appropriate referrals. In most cases, older students will be encouraged to inform their parents of their meetings and to give permission for the counselor to communicate directly with their parents. In the Lower School, parents are notified when their child is seen by the counselor, either individually or in on-going groups.

Not every child learns in the same way. St. Andrew's is committed to recognizing - not hiding - learning differences so that each child has an equal opportunity to succeed.

To support this effort, St. Andrew's has two very unique on-site resources in Pam Craig , our Certified Academic Language Specialist, and KimMarie Suhr, our Academic Learning Specialist. If a child is having a difficult time with test taking, time management, or the curriculum in general, Pam and KimMarie are  here to help identify the issue and devise a solution. They both also works along side the LS/MS Counselor and the Director of Social and Emotional Learning  to educate the community on the importance of the total well-being of our children.

Ms. Craig has worked for St. Andrew's in many capacities, parent volunteer, substitute teacher, officer of the first Parent Council, and Director of Beyond the Classroom, for more than 20 years. She became a Certified Academic Language Therapist twelve years ago and is now coveted resource for students, parents, and teachers.Ms. Craig works primarily with our first through third grade students.

Ms. Suhr has worked with St. Andrew's for eight years as a second grade teacher, is a member of the Academic Council, is a founding member of our Student Support Committee, and is the current Lower School Math Coordinator. She has completed the Academic Language Specialist training and is also certified in Special Education. Ms. Suhr continues to support students, parents, and teachers as an essential community resource and works primarily with our fourth through sixth grade students.

Learning Specialist Functions

• Helps identify children with learning difficulties in early grades & provides prevention and intervention, rather than remediation, as students move into the upper grades.
• Provides immediate academic support to students, parents, and teachers when learning difficulties become evident.
• Develops steps for observing, identifying, and reporting on students that exhibit learning problems.
• Administers informal assessments & provides referral lists if further testing is warranted or requested.
• Maintains records on students with learning needs & meets with teachers at the beginning of each year to discuss these records.
• Acts as a resource to provide or locate help for students with learning difficulties.
• Acts as the resource for academic support for students, such as tutors after school or other professionals when needed.
• Provides ongoing teacher education for identification and classroom support of students with learning differences.