Self-Esteem Program at Arroyo Honored

The Positive Self-Esteem Program at Arroyo High School in El Monte will be recognized by inclusion in a California State Department of Education handbook.

Assistant Principal Nick Salerno, who developed the program three years ago when he was a counselor at Arroyo, said the program focuses on how self-esteem affects students and their behavior.

“The kids see that their self-defeating attitudes can change, and that they can go on with their lives and be successful,” he said.

The program serves over 100 students a year. The students are divided into five to seven groups, and they meet with two trained counselors for an hour once a week. Attendance is voluntary, and students can remain in a group as long as they want.

Sessions cover personal and academic problems. Counselors and students sign contracts that require the discussions to be confidential. Salerno said the program has helped some students improve attendance and grades.

He said he recognized the need for a safe place for students to air their problems after he attended a seminar at Sierra Royale Hospital in Azusa. “A lot of these kids had no one and nowhere to vent these problems before,” he said.