SafeSchools AlertGoochland County Public Schools is committed to providing varying levels of supports for students’ physical health, social-emotional well-being, behavioral needs, and overall safety.
School Health Services
School nurses conduct screenings, provide first aid, administer medication, and provide various services for students with unique health care needs. For more information about our school health services, including important school health forms, please click here.
504 Plans
Some students with disabilities, medical conditions, or impairments receive accommodations through a 504 plan. If you are interested in finding out more information about 504 plans, please call our office at 804.556.5615. 504 Procedural Safeguards can be accessed here.
Mental Health Services
Are you worried about your son’s or daughter’s social-emotional well-being? In addition to our school counselors, GCPS offers other mental health supports. These supports include school psychologists (with assignments at all schools) and a mental health counselor at our secondary complex.
Our school psychologists provide consultative services to parents and staff, conduct psycho-educational evaluations to help identify disabilities, and provide interventions and counseling services to students. Our school psychologists’ assignments are listed below:
- Meredith Wilkinson- Randolph and Goochland Elementary (mwilkinson@glnd.k12.va.us)
- Danielle Bettin- Byrd Elementary and Goochland Middle (dbettin@glnd.k12.va.us)
- Abbey Miller- Goochland High (abmiller@glnd.k12.va.us)
Our Mental Health Counselor (Allison Mears) offers direct support to students during school hours. She provides individual and group counseling services to students and will assist with crisis intervention and community referrals. Mrs. Mears serves as a resource and advocate for students experiencing a mental health crisis or concern. She consults with administrators, teachers, and other student support staff regarding the social-emotional needs of students. Her efforts are focused on developing skills that will ultimately equip students to deal with life’s challenges more effectively. She can be reached at 804.556.5322 (extension 4714) or amears@glnd.k12.va.us.
The signs and symptoms of children in need of mental health services can vary by age level but common signs and symptoms are listed below:
- Overtly anxious, overwhelmed, or stressed
- Lacks motivation
- Sad, depressed, or tearful
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities
- Low energy; falling asleep in class
- Frequent mood swings
- Problems managing anger; frequent outbursts
- Isolative or withdrawn
- Frequently aggressive, argumentative, or irritable
- Impulsive
- Poor peer relationships; difficulty making friends -Poor social skills
- Learning or attention problems
- Academic difficulties
- School behavior problems; frequent disciplinary issues
- Poor school attendance
- Noticeable weight changes
- Engaging in risk-taking behaviors
If you have concerns about your child’s social-emotional wellbeing, please contact the school counselor or school psychologist designated to your child’s school. For anonymous reporting of concerns for others, please use our Safe Schools reporting system. For a list of community resources, please consider downloading the Community Care app through your Apple or Android device. The Rural Substance Abuse and Awareness Coalition (RSAAC) has put together a comprehensive list of community resources. Click here to locate that list.
Resources for Homeless Students
If you are interested in finding out more information about qualifying for resources/supports under the McKinney-Vento Act, please contact our homeless liaison, Sarah Franklin-Murray, at 804.556.5622 or sfranklinmurray@glnd.k12.va.us.
Home Schooling
Home instruction or home schooling is an alternative to public school attendance. Any parent who elects to provide home instruction in lieu of school attendance must meet certain criteria for approval through Goochland County Public Schools. Please contact our homeschool liaison, Sarah Franklin-Murray, at 804.556.5622 or sfranklinmurray@glnd.k12.va.us.
Homebound Instruction
For students experiencing medical conditions which confine them to a home or health care facility, homebound instruction can be provided by Goochland County Public Schools in an effort to maintain the student’s educational progress. Our homebound forms can be accessed through this link. Please contact our homebound coordinator, Sarah Franklin-Murray, at 804.556.5622 or sfranklinmurray@glnd.k12.va.us.