A new program in the Menands School is helping students choose the right path in life while addressing their social and emotional needs.
Counselor Cheri VandenBerg launched the program in select grades last school year and expanded it to the entire school this year.
“The idea is to work with our students and grow their academic skills while helping them also grow socially and emotionally,” said Superintendent Jennifer Cannavo. “It’s about addressing the whole student and preparing that student for success.”
Working in collaboration with teachers, VandenBerg helps students develop various coping mechanisms such as breathing exercises and “spaghetti body” (which is the progressive relaxation of muscles).
She said students also learn the difference between big and mall problems and how to address them. 
“Is someone getting hurt? Is property being destroyed? That’s a big problem,” she said, as opposed to, for example, dropping a book or someone saying something mean.
As the grades progress, so do the lessons.
“In grade six, the program transitions to orientation, where we continue to focus on academic and social-emotional programs, but also the soft skills students need to succeed,” she said.
In later grades, the program looks at specific skills to help students prepare to choose a career and succeed in life.
“I always tell people that employers say it’s the technical skills that get someone hired, but it’s the soft skills that keep them employed. You can’t succeed if you don’t know how to handle stress or everyday problems.”
Cannavo said the program is already having success.
“When we look at the number of visits to the nurses, referrals to the office – they are down. We look at the visits to the break space, they are generally more appropriate, and the numbers are down,” she said.