Welcome to my website. As the counselor here at Valley View Elementary I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to work closely with the wonderful staff and families at our school. I believe in developing and maintaining relationships with all the children here at our school. My goal is to support children with their social/emotional needs so that they may be as successful as possible in all areas of life. I also enjoy working with parents and encourage you to contact me whenever needed.

Focus areas:

• Classroom guidance: I teach lessons in all the classrooms, grades K through 6. I follow the Boise School District approved guidance curriculum and supplement with additional lessons as requested by teachers. I love this part of my job because it is a great way to teach social skills, and share valuable information, to all the students in the school; it is a great prevention tool. But most of all, I love teaching these lessons because it is a way for me to connect with every child here at Valley View on a regular basis. If you would like to view the lesson plans for the counseling curriculum you can do this on the district’s website. Please feel free to contact me if needed.
• Small groups: I offer small groups for all students on an as needed basis. Students are referred for groups by parents and teachers. Each child must have written parent permission to participate in a small group experience. The small group experience can provide a safe place for students to work through difficult issues, and/or learn and practice social skills. Some of the groups offered at Valley View are divorce groups, friendship groups, anger management, new kids, self esteem, bullies and victims groups, and general support groups. In my experience, the students involved in my groups love coming to group (many want to participate again) and come away with an increased sense of self esteem and often times some new skills. The small group experience is one of my favorite parts of my job as an elementary school counselor.
• Individual work with students: I work with students in individual counseling settings as needed. Referrals for individual counseling come from parents, teachers and other school staff, and students. In the Boise School District counselors are not able to provide long-term therapy but can provide brief, solution-focused counseling to all students on a variety of issues and concerns. When working with students here at Valley View I use a lot of the principals of Love and Logic, and work to help children become responsible, capable, and competent. Individuals.
• Parent education: As stated earlier, I enjoy working with parents and believe it is a very important part of my job. I have taught Parenting with Love and Logic parenting classes through the Boise School District for the past seven years.
• Mentoring: At Valley View we have a lunch buddies mentoring program with juniors and seniors from Capital High School where the Capital HS big buddies come over once a week and have lunch with their little buddies. These mentoring relationships build self esteem and self worth, increase school attendance, and can increase student performance.
• Parent/staff consultation: A great deal of my time is spent in consultation with parents, teachers, and other professionals. I believe in working as a team to provide the best academic experience and opportunities for all students. I encourage parents to contact me at any time for any reason.
• Other: At Valley View we have a thriving Peer Mediation Program. Peer Mediation is a process where trained 4th, 5th, or 6th grade students assist other students with finding solutions to conflicts during recess time. This program helps all students develop conflict resolution skills, increases self esteem and self sufficiency, and reduces referrals to the principal’s office.

Joni Graham

Educational background and experience: B.S. from BSU in 1990; M.Ed. from NNU in 1995; employed with Boise School District during the 95-96 school year as an Elementary Drug Prevention Specialist; hired in August of 1996 as an Elementary School Counselor for the Boise School Dist. Prior to working at Valley View, I was at Whitney Elementary. Prior to becoming an elementary school counselor I worked as a bookkeeper and office manager for two different private businesses. I also have experience working with developmentally disabled adults and children, and have some brief experience working in the field of addictions.

To email the counselor please use the following convention:
firstname.lastname@boiseschools.org

For more information about our District's Counseling program:
District Counseling Department | Classroom Guidance Units | Small Groups
Parent Education | Individual Student Counseling & Parent/Staff Consultation