Hello! My name is Cara Richmond and I am excited to serve as the School Counselor at Clear Creek Elementary. I began my school counseling career at Regina Elementary in Iowa City and I am very excited to continue my career by serving as the School Counselor at Clear Creek Elementary in the Clear Creek Amana School District. 

I look forward to developing and implementing a comprehensive counseling program that fosters positive growth in academic, career, and social/emotional development for all of our students at CCE. This will be done by engaging with students through individual counseling, small group counseling, classroom guidance lessons, and consultation with teachers, parents, families, administration, and other professionals. I am looking forward to meeting and getting to know your child and all of the wonderful qualities they have. I am excited to work with all of the students at CCE to help them reach their highest potential academically and socially/emotionally. 

Throughout the CCA School District, collaboration is an essential part of developing positive student outcomes as we work to create a support system between students, families, school faculty, and community members and resources. I look forward to being a part of the CCA community and working with you and your students!

Here are many of the programs we implement at Clear Creek Elementary to meet our student’s needs:

• Second Step- Second Step Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) gives students the tools to excel in and out of the classroom. Our easy-to-teach program garners outstanding reviews from educators who’ve noticed schoolwide improvement and see even the most challenging students make progress in emotion management, situational awareness, and academic achievement. To learn more visit secondstep.org
• Onsite School Therapists- Licensed Mental Health professionals who work with staff, students, and families in order to address mental health needs and to support student success within and outside of their learning environment. School Therapists link for more information.
• Family Resources - A list of family resources serving our families throughout our district. Family Resources
• School Supplies- Through generous donations of the community, we are able to make sure all students have the supplies they need to do their best at school. 
• Shoes that Fit- Provide a new pair of shoes and/or boots to any child in need.
• Winter Weather Gear-Through generous donations of the community, we are able to keep our students warm during the winter months.
• The BackPack Program-Provide students K-6th grade with a sack of shelf-stable, kid friendly foods on Friday afternoons. 
• Holiday Assistance-Through generous donations of the community, we are able to assist families with a variety of needs during the holidays.

If you are interested in your child receiving services, or have any questions, please contact: cararichmond@ccaschools.org or (319) 828-4505.

For more information regarding the role of a school counselor, please visit the links below!

Role of a School Counselor: https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Careers-Roles/RoleStatement.pdf

Why Elementary School Counselors: https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Careers-Roles/WhyElem.pdf