Counseling Support
Hello Whittier Families!
This is my first year as the Whittier School Counselor but I’ve been part of the Whittier community for three years when my oldest son joined as a first grader. Now both my children attend Whittier soon to be in the first and the fourth grade.
I have been supporting families for 18 years as a school counselor, teacher and psychotherapist and I’m so excited to join the Whittier community. I will be providing social emotional learning (SEL) lessons in all classes to support the already robust SEL program at Whittier. I am also hoping to run small groups with a variety of topics such as friendships, managing emotions and changing families. I can also provide individual counseling for students on a short term basis to support them through transitions that arise at home or at school.
I am also here to support families and caregivers. Parenting, especially in the midst of a pandemic, comes with many joys and challenges. The societal expectations of parenthood often do not match our reality and this can leave caregivers feeling overwhelmed, feeling inadequate and lonely. I am here to help you navigate parenting in a supportive non-judgemental space.
Please reach out to me if you feel I can be of support to you or your student. You can reach me at 720- 561-2464 or via email at annie.dornbush@bvsd.org.
You can learn more about our comprehensive school counseling program at my website Whittier School Counseling Website.
October is bully prevention month. BVSD has created a bullying behavior prevention behavior curriculum that will be delivered to your student over the course of this first semester. Here is a link for more information about the curriculum Parent letter Bully Behavior Prevention Letter.
Elementary Counseling
A comprehensive elementary school counselor provides education, prevention and intervention services in the areas of academic, career and social/emotional development supports. It is important to note that elementary counselors are not therapists; rather they are professional educators with a mental health perspective. They typically spend the majority of their time working on universal instruction and working with all students. The elementary counselors will work in collaboration with administration, teachers, the mental health team and parents to determine the needs of all students within each building.
Elementary Curriculum Benchmarks