Skip to content

School Counseling

Welcome to the Counseling Center!

At our school, we believe that academic success and emotional well-being go hand-in-hand. As part of Jordan School District’s commitment to the whole child, every elementary school is supported by a dedicated, full-time school counselor.

Our mission is to provide knowledge, skills, and resources to promote student success in social and emotional wellness, academic achievement, and college and career awareness. Mountain Shadow School Counselor empowers and advocates to support the whole child in the school, home, community, and world. 

How We Support Our Students

1. Classroom Lessons & In Focus Curriculum

Our school counselor teaches classroom lessons using the In Focus social-emotional learning curriculum.

  • Targeted Learning: Lessons are tailored to real-time needs observed in the school—focusing on conflict resolution, empathy, focus, and kindness.
  • Brain-Based Strategies: In Focus helps students understand how their brains respond to stress, giving them practical tools to calm their minds and prepare to learn.
  1. Group short-term counseling

Our school counselor runs group short-term counseling sessions using a variety of ASCA based counseling techniques.

  • Divorce/parent separation group: Helps students whose parents have divorced or separated through common group counseling and an understanding of coping strategies.
  • Social skills group: Teaches students different social skills while practicing with other students of listening, giving compliments, and more.
  • Friendship group: Helps students who have difficulty making and keeping friends by teaching sharing, cooperating, joining in, etc.
  • Grief group: Supports students who have lost loved ones by giving them others to help through the difficult time and coping strategies to support their emotional needs. 

3. Check-In / Check-Out (CICO)

For students who need an extra boost of connection or structure, we offer daily Check-In / Check-Out support.

  • Positive Adult Connection: Students start and end their school day with a trusted adult.
  • Goal Setting: Helps kids build confidence, track daily goals, and celebrate personal growth in a consistent, encouraging way.

4. Emotional Regulation & Coping Skills

Children experience big emotions, but they don't always know how to manage them. Counseling support helps students build a personalized "coping toolbelt" to handle feelings like anxiety, frustration, or sadness.

  • Ready to Learn: When kids learn how to regulate their emotions, they spend less time in distress and more time engaged in learning.
  • Lifelong Skills: Students learn deep breathing, problem-solving, and positive self-talk—habits that build resilience for years to come.

5. A Safe Space for Every Child

The counselor's office is always a safe, non-judgmental space where students can decompress and work through challenges with a supportive listener.

"When students feel safe, supported, and understood,

there is no limit to what they can achieve."

Contact Our School Counselor

Have questions or feel your child might benefit from counseling support? We are here to partner with you!

  • Counselor Name: Natasha Robison
  • Email: natasha.robison@jordandistrict.org
  • Phone: 801-963-0291 Ext. 14517

 

IN FOCUS - SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING

Mountain Shadows utilizes the In Focus curriculum across all grade levels. This proactive social-emotional learning (SEL) framework is designed to teach students vital life competencies that naturally reduce bullying, improve daily attendance, and foster a peaceful school culture.

Core Competencies Taught

Through regular classroom integration, the In Focus curriculum equips students with actionable skills in:

  • Perspective Taking: Understanding and respecting the diverse viewpoints and feelings of peers.
  • Emotional Regulation: Recognizing, naming, and constructively managing complex emotions.
  • Problem-Solving Skills: Resolving peer conflicts peacefully and making responsible, ethical decisions.
  • Goal Setting: Developing personal and academic objectives that encourage consistent school attendance.

Trauma-Informed Principles & School Philosophy

The In Focus program assists Mountain Shadows's efforts to promote school-wide safety, prevent bullying, and solve behavioral problems before they escalate. It is rooted in the following core principles:

  • Safety as a Prerequisite: Feeling safe and supported at school is a fundamental requirement for all students to learn effectively, especially those affected by trauma and negative life events.
  • School as a Sanctuary: Students coping with acute or chronic trauma need school to be an emotional and physical sanctuary—a predictable environment where they are consistently buoyed by positive relationships with supportive adults.
  • The Vulnerability Benchmark: When our most vulnerable students experience school as a safe, supportive, welcoming, and respectful learning environment, it creates a rising tide that ensures all students feel equally secure and valued.
  • Readiness to Learn: True academic engagement is unlocked only after a student's fundamental psychological needs for safety, connection, and belonging are met.

 

 

Other Helpful Resources