Student Support Team

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Saint Mark’s School carefully considers all aspects of a child’s well-being: emotional, social, physical, and cognitive. As such, the Student Support Team (SST) is an invaluable resource to both our families and teachers for children who have special academic, social, and/or emotional needs.

When a teacher, parent, or administrator expresses concerns about a student, the SST responds to these concerns by scheduling an initial meeting between the student’s parents and teacher or administrator. The SST will also provide professional consultation regarding possible classroom accommodations or strategies, referrals for resources and/or assessments, and collaboration with outside agencies and other professionals.

The Student Support Team consists of the Associate Head of School, the student’s teacher, Janel Umfress, MS, CCC-SLP, Educational Specialist, and Tina Payne Bryson, PhD.  Mrs. Umfress is a licensed Speech & Language Pathologist, Educational Therapist, and holds a California teaching credential for special education. She also has a private language and educational therapy practice where she works one on one with students from elementary through college age. Dr. Bryson is a nationally recognized parenting educator, lecturer, and author. She is a psychotherapist at Pediatric and Adolescent Psychology Associates in Arcadia, California, where she offers parenting consultations and provides therapy to children and adolescents.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]