Support Services

All three secondary schools in the Hopkins Public Schools District offer Wellness Centers that have been funded by the Hopkins Education Foundation. 

Each Wellness Center allows our scholars to meet with a school social worker, counselor, or psychologist during designated after-school hours, or by appointment.

Hours, Appointments, & Contacts:

School social workers provide services to students and families and consult with school personnel to promote and support students' academic and social success. Services vary between setting and age group, therefore this list of services may differ between buildings and staff.

We participate in the educational evaluation process, including interviewing parents for social/developmental history and other testing to determine educational needs.

Social workers may meet with students individually and/or in groups to help them improve skills in self-regulation, anxiety, coping, and social skills development. We are related service providers on the students' Individualized Education Plan (IEP), and may provide needed services to help the student make progress towards their other special education goals.

We consult with general and special education teachers.

Many school social workers are case managers.

We may assist in the development and provide support to students regarding behavior intervention plans.

Developmental Adapted Physical Education (DAPE) is a branch of special education that helps students with disabilities be successful in physical education and recreational activities.

The program shares common beliefs, knowledge, and goals with the regular physical education program. The term "developmental" means that we design appropriate outcomes for students based on their ability level rather than grade-level standards. The term "adapted" means that we individualize physical education instruction for learner success.

Our DAPE program is based on the Hopkins physical education curriculum. We instruct students in physical fitness, motor fitness, fundamental motor patterns and skills, and skills in aquatics, dance, individual and group games, and sports.

In all cases, it is the Individual Education Plan of the student that determines the type of service that is provided.

The speech/language pathologist role is to evaluate for eligibility and serve students with language disabilities such as:

• Articulation: The atypical production of speech sounds characterized by substitutions, omissions, additions, or distortions that may interfere with intelligibility.
• Fluency: An interruption in the flow of speaking characterized by atypical rate, rhythm, and repetitions in sounds, syllables, words, and phrases. This may be accompanied by excessive tension, struggle behavior, and secondary mannerisms.
• Voice: The abnormal production and/or absences of vocal quality, pitch, loudness, resonance, and/or duration, which is inappropriate for an individual's developmental stage.
• Language: Impaired comprehension and/or use of spoken, written, and/or other symbol systems. The disorder may involve (1) the form of language (phonology, morphology, syntax), (2) the content of language (semantics), and/or (3) the function of language in communication (pragmatics) in any combination.

Speech/language pathologists also provide support and consultation with parents, community partners, and regular education teachers.

The importance of a stable quality education in the life of a homeless child is very valuable. Hopkins Public Schools ensures the provision of educational rights and protections for children and youth experiencing homelessness under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

Who is considered homeless?

A homeless individual is someone who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. This includes anyone who, due to lack of housing:

• Lives in emergency or transitional shelters.
• Lives in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or campgrounds due to lack of adequate alternative accommodations.
• Is awaiting foster care placement.
• Lives in a public or private place not designed for human habitation.
• Lives in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train station, etc.
• Is doubled up with relatives or friends.

What rights do homeless children and youth have?

• To go to school, no matter where the child lives or how long the child has lived there.
• To continue in the school they attended before becoming homeless (school of origin) or enroll in the local school where they are temporarily housed.
• To receive transportation to and from the school of origin, if feasible and in the best interest of the child.
• To enroll in school immediately.
• To enroll and attend classes while the school arranges for the transfer of school records, immunization records, or any other documents required for enrollment.
• To participate fully in school activities.
• To receive the same special programs and services such as preschool, free school meals, ELL, special education, Title I, gifted and talented services, and before- and after-school programs, if needed, as provided to all other children served in these programs.