Before becoming middle school principal at Bellwood-Antis, Dr. Wagner was a guidance counselor. So, he has lots of experience helping student with mental health needs.
That alone makes Dr. Wagner perfectly qualified to be a member of the Heart Team, a part of the Bellwood-Antis School District’s student assistance program that addresses the needs of middle school students.
“Help is most often provided by reflective listening and connecting students with available services,” Dr. Wagner said.
You may be wondering what the Heart Team even does. It is a program organized to help middle school students who have experienced or are experiencing barriers to learning that could be at Bellwood or in their homes. Although the Heart Team is here to help, it does not diagnose, treat or refer students for treatment. These are called student assistance programs (SAP).
At B-A, the SAP teams go by the name of Heart in the middle school and Star in the high school.
As stated in the B-A Heart Team brochure, which is available in the guidance office, in Pennsylvania, every school district is required to have a plan for identifying and assisting students who experience barriers to learning.
The Heart Team meets several times a week to discuss students who have been referred by a teacher. Students can be referred for a number of changes teachers recognize in their lives or behavior, like grades, school performance, mood, and etc.
Dr. Wagner has a lot of work as a principal, from managing discipline to overseeing curriculum and assessing student performance. He’s also got duties related to managing his faculty and staff.
However, despite the amount of work on his plate, he is right in line with everyone else on the SAP team. That can be challenging, he said, because not all minds think a like.
“School principals wear a lot of hats, so managing all responsibilities can be challenging at times,” Dr. Wagner said.
Along with Dr. Wagner, the Heart Team is made up of middle school teachers Mrs. Lori Campbell, Ms. Michelle Campbell, Mrs. Christine Gonder, Mrs. Stephanie Kuhn, and Mr. Tom Partner. Also on the team are middle school counselor Mrs. Laci Simpson and social worker Mrs. Anna Young.
