Elementary and Intermediate Schools Student Assistance Program

The Linn-Mar Elementary and Intermediate Schools’ Student Assistance Program is a preventative program focusing on the needs of at-risk students in addition to providing programming to all elementary students.

Areas of focus include:

  • Promoting healthy self-esteem
  • Academic achievement,
  • Substance-free lifestyles
  • Safe learning environments,
  • Positive peer interactions
  • Efective coping skills.

Student Support Groups: A variety of support groups are offered addressing issues students may face in day-to-day life.

Mentor Program: The elementary mentoring program consists of staff members being paired with elementary students, as well as high school students being paired with elementary students. Mentor pairs take part in several activities such as playing games, study skills, and eating lunch together.

Elementary Student Assistance Specialists: Jenna Fenske and Tammy DeVries are available for individual and group counseling support and education for students for a variety of life issues in a confidential format.

Jenna Fenske (319) 200-1673/ Email 

Tamara DeVries at (319) 447-3436 / Email

Intermediate Student Assistance Specialist: For support at the Intermediate Level, please contact one the building school counselors.

Family Resource Specialist:  Shawn Knighton provides direct services to families in the Linn-Mar Community School District regarding at-risk issues, as well as a liaison with parents and community resources.

Shawn Knighton at (319) 730-3633/ Email.

Olweus Bullying Prevention Program: This program consists of every student in grades kindergarten through 8th grade participating in weekly classroom meetings addressing topics that fall into the categories of Olweus specific, team building, social skills, and school climate. Olweus is research-based and has already shown a reduction in the frequency of bullying incidents occurring at Linn-Mar.

For more information on the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, contact Mike Shipley at (319) 447-3152 / email.

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS): This is a proactive approach to establishing the behavioral supports and social culture needed for all students in a school to achieve social, emotional, and academic success. Attention is focused on creating and sustaining primary (school-side), secondary (classroom), and tertiary (individual) systems of support that improve lifestyle results (personal, health, social, family, work, and recreation) for all students by making targeted misbehavior less effective, efficient, and relevant; and desired behavior more functional.

Community Connections: Provides parents/guardians with needed resources and referrals within our community.