What does the Student Services Manager Do?

By Student Services and Student Support Manager, Chelsea Hinshaw

Hi! My name is Chelsea Hinshaw and I am the Student Services and Student Support Manager here at St. Joseph Montessori School. I have been working at SJMS since last October, and have learned so much already from this wonderful community. Being a lifelong learner is an important quality in Montessori education, and over this summer, the school invested in me and paid for me and two other teachers to attend a one-week intensive Orton-Gillingham training program. I will use this training to support students at the Lower Elementary level. 

In my blog this week, I wanted to talk a little bit about what I do at the school and the role I play in the child’s education. My number one priority is to guide children who need additional support in the classroom. This may be academic support (either one-on-one or in a small group if this is most beneficial), behavioral support, or emotional needs support. Some examples of this include: reading with a student, working on phonics, math facts, executive functioning, etc., depending on the student’s age and level. The Student Services room is also a place where students can visit to study quietly, take a break, and is also used as a place for small group testing. Our school counselor is also housed in the Student Services room, and it also serves as a place for speech services if needed.

Stemming from this classroom support is our internal response to intervention, our Student Action Plan. A Student Action Plan is initiated by teachers who, after gathering data and observing the student, see that they need additional support in the classroom. Teachers then contact me to discuss the student’s needs and write a Whole Child Report, which provides information about the student, their strengths, and areas of concern. An initial meeting is set up with parents, teachers, the Head of School, the Assistant Head of School, and myself where two or three actionable goals are created. The student’s goals are progress monitored, and consecutive meetings are held every 30-45 school days to check in on the student’s progress. If, after at least three meetings, the student is not making significant progress, they may be referred for an educational evaluation through Columbus City Schools. 

I’m looking forward to learning and growing alongside the SJMS community this school year!