Peer Counseling
The Peer Counseling Program is designed to assist all of the 7th grade students with the transition into Jr.-Sr. High School. 12th grade volunteers are trained and assigned a small group of 7th graders (3-4 students) prior to their entry into 7th grade. Through a series of personal contacts and events, a special relationship is formed that helps incoming 7th graders feel more connected to their new school and less anxious about their transition. The Peer Counseling Program has five advisers: Mrs. Ronan, Mr. Dwyer, Mrs. Leposa, Mrs. Dailey, and Mr. Hammer.
Mandatory Peer Counseling Activities
| April | Recruitment and selection of Peer Counselors (next year's 12th graders) |
| May | Peer Counselor Training |
| June | "Meet Your Peer Counselor" An introduction to their peer kids |
| August | 7th Grade Orientation |
| Sept | First Day of School (and through first week) |
| Oct | 7th Grade Team Building Experience @ Camp Stella Maris (Livonia, NY) |
| Dec | Holiday Get Together (Completion of the transition process) |
7th Grade Team Building Experience at Camp Stella Maris
Along with being great fun, the 7th Grade Team Building Experience is designed to facilitate the following:
- Promote Trust
- Develop and Promote Self-Empowerment
- Encourage and Develop Creative Thinking
- Encourage Teamwork and Cooperation
- Enhance Problem Solving Skills
- Enhance Self-Confidence and Self-Worth
- Develop Communication Skills
- Provide a Fun and Memorable Experience
A typical day...
Near the end of first period (around 8:30am) 7th graders and their 12th grade Peer Counselors are called out of their classes and depart for Camp Stella Maris!
Le Roy students and staff arrive at Camp Stella Maris around 9:15 am.
Upon arrival the Stella Maris, staff greets the students with large group "ice-breaker" activitites.
All students are expected to dress appropriately for the weather.
This means being prepared for rain and wearing layers of clothing.
Following the large group activities, students are broken up into small groups with their Peer Counselors and Peer Counseling Groups. The small groups are led by Camp Stella Maris Instructors. All of the small group activities take place on the lower ropes course.
Some of the activities require trust while others require a team strategy.
After a long morning of hard work this group seems pretty excited about lunch (which takes place at around 11:00 am).
After lunch, it's back to the small groups for some more team building activities.
All of the activities require that the students work together to accomplish a common goal.
At 1:15 pm we get back on the buses and head back to Le Roy.
Students get back to school at around 2:00 pm giving them enough time to gather their things before heading home at 2:15 pm.