Counseling

Our school counseling program is dedicated to supporting every student’s well-being and success. Each month, our counselor teaches classroom lessons that focus on character development and building social and emotional skills, utilizing our district’s adopted life-skill curriculum - Character Counts. Our counseling program also facilitates small group sessions to help students develop essential life skills like teamwork and emotional management. Our goal is to create a positive, inclusive environment where every student feels valued and supported here at Orchard Hill. Students who need extra guidance are provided with individualized support to ensure they have the tools to thrive both academically and personally.

ELD

An ELD (English Language Development classroom) at the elementary level is designed to support students who are learning English. These students may speak languages other than English at home and need additional help to develop their English language skills, particularly in speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

Our ELD classroom is an environment where students who are learning English receive targeted support to build their language skills while also accessing the broader curriculum. Our classroom is a space for language immersion, cultural exchange, and academic growth. In addition to language development, our ELD classroom often reinforces basic academic skills like reading comprehension, phonics, and writing. This ensures students are not only learning English but also acquiring the foundational skills necessary to succeed academically. We use strategies that cater to a wide range of English proficiency levels, from beginners (newcomers) to more advanced learners. With an emphasis on scaffolding, students are provided temporary support to understand content then gradually removing that support as they become more independent. At Orchard Hill we have students from families that are from a variety of countries including Brazil, Egypt, Honduras, Mexico, Myanmar, Thailand, and Ukraine.