Student Support Services
Student Assistance Services or S3 is a service at Upper St. Clair High School designed to help students who are having difficulty experiencing success in school. The mission of S3 is to provide leadership for developing a safe and drug-free environment and mental health wellness in schools and communities across the Commonwealth. Barriers to learning will be removed and student academic achievement will be enhanced through collaborative prevention, intervention, and post-intervention services.
Students may be referred to S3 by parents, teachers, classmates, or other concerned individuals. Situations such as grief or loss, a move to a new home, or the failure to achieve major personal goals can contribute to this lack of success. A drop in grades, irregular attendance, difficulty in interpersonal relationships, chronic disciplinary problems, etc., may indicate a need for the type of help that the S3 program will provide.
S3 consists of teams made up of teachers, counselors, psychologists, principals, and a school nurse. The teams meet regularly to devise strategies of assistance for the student. Discussions are kept in confidence. Once a plan is organized, a member of the team meets with the student and his/her family. Suggestions are made to help resolve the problem and thus open the way to a more successful social and academic life at school.