Williamsville Central School District

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K-12 Wellness and Counseling Program

The District is committed to providing necessary resources to prevent behaviors that interfere with a student's development, to intervene when appropriate, and to provide support services to assist all students in their development. Williamsville's comprehensive Youth Wellness Program provides Education/Prevention, Intervention/Referral, and Support Services. Although programs and activities vary from school to school, all promote educating the whole child and positive life choices for students. 

Each year a committee of parents, students, teachers, community members, and administrators oversees this proactive student assistance program. The Williamsville Youth Wellness Council ensures that a set of minimum programs and activities are carried out across the District.  These programs are reflected in the District’s Comprehensive Counseling Plan.   A Youth Wellness Facilitator is identified in each school to coordinate programs and activities with student needs. Please refer to the Comprehensive Counseling and Wellness reports and the Code of Conduct produced under the guidance of the Wellness Council. 

For further details regarding any of these reports, please contact the Office of Exceptional Education and Student Services at 716-626-8061.

2022-2023 Comprehensive Counseling and Wellness Report

Comprehensive Plan for Supporting Students in Williamsville

Wellness in Williamsville has been a mainstay of the educational program for over 20 years.  In its inception, it was called Character Education.  Since then, it has evolved to be the education of the whole child.  At the core, Character education and asset development continue to be important aspects.  In 2019, the New York State Education Department instituted a Counseling Plan requirement.  Wellness programming was a big part of that plan and therefore it was subsumed under the Wellness Council Responsibilities.  The Wellness Council is a multi-disciplinary school and community team that includes students, parents, and community members.  The Council serves as an advisory board for the school’s wellness programs, the District’s Code of Conduct, and the Comprehensive Counseling Plan.

Positive Youth Development

Williamsville Central School District has made a commitment to character education and student Wellness. Along these lines, we have embraced an ‘asset model’ of positive youth development.

Specifically, the Search Institute, a nationally known organization on youth and community wellness, has identified 40 positive experiences and qualities. All of us have the power to bring these qualities into the lives of children and youth. They are identified as developmental assets. Students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 participate in completing the Search Institute Survey on a biannual basis.

While there is no ‘magic’ set number of required assets, we strive for all young people to possess between 31-40. The average for Williamsville Central School District students, grades 8-12, reported an average of 21 assets for the 2018 administration of the Search Institute Survey.

The comprehensive Counseling and Wellness program is committed to the guiding principal that the Power of One.  We believe that each individual has the potential to help, to heal, to support, to challenge, and to change, for the better, the life of a young person.

The developmental assets appeal to our common sense, so they are easy to understand. The 40 developmental assets are broken into two major categories: internal and external.

The 40 Developmental Assets

Reprinted with permission (Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute) © Search Institute (SM) 2002.
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