In recognition of the importance of emotional well-being to the process of learning, Town School employs a school counselor and a part-time child psychiatrist. They provide support to teachers, parents and individual boys on an as-needed basis. They identify boys who may need emotional support. Sometimes this support can be provided during the school day. At other times, it may be appropriate to make a referral to an outside therapist. Town School is always receptive to working in collaboration with therapists from the community to further a boy’s growth and well-being.

Discussion Groups

There is no thinking without feeling and no feeling without thinking. Learning requires thinking and feeling and begins with experiencing. The more conscious one is of what one is experiencing, the more learning is possible. Experiencing one's self in a conscious manner--that is, gaining self-knowledge--is an integral part of learning.

Bearing the above statements in mind, Town School students in grades three through eight meet in Discussion Groups weekly. Each group consists of one or two faculty members and about a dozen boys in the same grade level.

The goals of the Discussion Group program are:

• Legitimizing self-knowledge as valuable subject matter.
• Developing a trusting attitude toward members of one's class.
• Becoming more aware of the many feelings one has.
• Developing communication skills for affective states. (Accepting new procedures for learning such as gaming, role-playing, and nonverbal communication. Improving listening skills and self-expression. Developing vocabulary.)
• Disclosing one's thoughts and feelings.
• Enhancing self-esteem in terms of awareness and acceptance of one's strengths.
• Accepting responsibility for one's self.
• Becoming aware of one's major concerns.
• Recognizing one's present behavioral patterns; learning about one's own learning styles.
• Experimenting with alternative behavioral patterns to better understanding the process for making changes.

This curriculum is based on some very simple assumptions. The more conscious one is of experiencing, the greater the potential for self-knowledge. The more self-knowledge one gains, the more likely it is that one can respond positively to one's self and others. The school as a major socializing institution of childhood plays a significant role in determining self-concept. A challenge of education is to help children see themselves as valued and successful people.

Ms. Shelley Dorfler
Dean of Students
Director, Counseling
dorfler@townschool.com