Helping students to learn effectively and to develop positive attitudes and behaviors are important complementary goals for teachers and student support staff. However, fulfilling these goals is rarely a simple matter. 
Student Support Services include prevention, intervention, transition and follow-up services for students and their parents. Student support services professionals provide direct services for all children and youth within our elementary schools especially those who are experiencing problems that create barriers to learning. Direct services are provided by means such as education, counseling, consultation and individual assessment. In addition, student support services personnel provide in-service training, parent education, community collaboration and carry out student service program management. Student support services are a vital part of comprehensive school program success.
 
One of the goals of the Student Support Services Division (SSSD) is to help keep parents, families, and the community involved, enabled, and empowered. If every child must learn, then every parent, family and community must be a part of the process.

Student Support Service is the referral point for our FBE schools who do not employ a psychologist. Student Support Services in turn will liaise with community and governmental agencies (where and whenever necessary) in the provision of support services to our students.

The Care Teams and ultimately the school manager submits referrals to Student Support Services Division of students who require services. All referrals must go through the Care Team at the respective elementary schools.

Should parents have a concern regarding their child, please discuss with the student care coordinator at your child’s respective school so that a referral can be initiated to SSSD if necessary.  

MISSION & GENERAL OBJECTIVE:

Student Support Services provides assistance in empowering students to achieve maximal academic, intellectual, and social growth. 

This is achieved by the provision of consultative support to school teams, intervention with students and their parents, and liaison with community agencies.

The general objective of the Student Support Services Division (SSSD) is:

TO PROVIDE CARE AND SUPPORT SERVICES FOR STUDENTS FOR THE EFFECTIVE CONTINUATION OF THE DEVELOPMENTAL PROCESS

To attain the above, SSSD has as its core tasks the following:
  • To provide assistance (Counseling, advising and support) to pupils/students and their parents;
  • To monitor the social and emotional development of students/pupils in collaboration with the schools;
  • To test school-age children in connection with special education;
  • To provide support for the primary education processes taking into consideration the social and emotional development of the students.


GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Student Support Services strives:
  • To collaborate with students, their parents, school teams, and community resources to plan and implement effective programming;
  • To empower students and colleagues to achieve excellence;
  • To employ best practice and current research approaches as a foundation of our work;
  • To advocate for the student to be in the most inclusive setting possible;
  • To encourage school staff to value the unique cultural and social diversity of students and their families;
  • To maintain a collaborative and inter-disciplinary approach when programming for students;
  • To promote and model professionalism at all times to encourage schools to value confidentiality of and respect for students;
  • To support any form of inclusion as a philosophy within the Schools in St. Maarten;

CORE VALUES:
  • Confidentiality
  • Respect
  • Integrity
  • Learning
  • Caring

TEAMING:

The Student Support Services division values teaming with all stakeholders to facilitate the best programming possible to foster student growth. Regular discussions will be held with school personnel and Student Support staff and typically involve the following: 
  • Discussion re: student(s)
  • Discussion related to school issues
  • Service delivery discussion

PARTNERSHIPS & LIASONS:

Student Support Services staff provide a liaison function with many agencies in the community. This is usually for three general reasons:
  • Direct service for the student and family
  • Planning of a non-specific case nature
  • Preventative activity

Staff will also network with the following agencies: Court of Guardianship, Foundation Judiciary Institutes, the Juvenile Department of the Police Force, Ministry of Health, Social Affairs & Labor, Department of Educational Innovations etc. when necessary in the best interest of our clients