The foundation of Brielle Elementary School Counseling Program is developmental and preventative.  There is a progression of skills based on the social, emotional, physical, and academic stages of the student.  It is the belief that children face an array of problems in the process of growing up.  Children of the same age are often at different levels of readiness regarding specific life experiences.  School success is ultimately related to student self-concept and the positive beliefs students hold about themselves.  There is a diversity of students with social and cultural uniqueness that each one brings to the school environment.  In this complex society, it is essential to provide learning experiences which will empower the child to face life's challenges and to set realistic, achievable goals.  The program retains a commitment to the overall development of the complete individual and to the philosophy that every child can learn.

The classroom teacher is an important professional in the elementary guidance counselor mission to enhance self-esteem, the clarification of values, and improve the social skills of the elementary grade level pupils pre-school to grade 8.  To that end, the classroom teacher is viewed as a partner in the instructional and counseling activities of the guidance counselor.  The unique understanding and sensitivity of the classroom teacher based upon the considerable time spent between the teacher and the learner daily is an invaluable asset to the elementary counselor.