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Von Renner highlights counseling services, student tournaments and staff engagement
Summary
Von Renner Elementary presented programs aimed at student social‑emotional learning, restorative practices and community events; counselor Daniel Aguilar and students described classroom and extracurricular activities.
Von Renner Elementary presented a school spotlight to the Newman‑Crows Landing Unified School District Board on Jan. 13, outlining counseling services, student activities and staff engagement efforts intended to strengthen school culture.
"Positive school culture is a goal and a priority of Von Renner," Principal Danny Cope told the board as he introduced the school's counselors and student presenters. He said counseling services are a central part of the school's culture work.
Daniel Aguilar, Von Renner's school counselor, described direct services and schoolwide programs. "I currently have a caseload of 22 students," Aguilar said, adding that he has conducted "an estimate of 166 individual sessions" and about 44 classroom presentations on topics including bullying, cultural differences and life skills. Aguilar said the counselor-run "lunch bunch" groups now use restorative circles for student check‑ins, and the counselor team provides staff presentations on social, emotional and mental‑health topics.
Students described school events that engage peers across grade levels. Fifth‑grader Itayani Osorio summarized a Connect 4 tournament played during recess with final matches presented at weekly assembly. Nailaiah Perez described a monthlong LEGO (Lehi) tournament, saying classes compete to build tall structures under the theme "Reach for the Stars." Jasmine Vera outlined the spring soccer tournament structure, in which teams play three to four games and top teams advance to finals.
Myra Placencia, Von Renner's learning director, summarized other recurring activities — Back to School Night, the district spelling bee, a Future Chef event, monthly attendance celebrations and a career day — and said many events are student‑initiated. She credited staff, families and community partners for support in running the programs.
On staff engagement, Aguilar said he organized staff activities such as a salsa competition, a pumpkin recipe contest and a sweets‑and‑treats exchange. He said a staff kindness committee and students who serve on a kindness team help deliver snacks via a “kindness cart.”
Ending: The spotlight concluded with a question period; board members thanked the presenters and praised the counseling and family‑engagement efforts at Von Renner.
