The 2024-2025 school year brings with it a school counselor supporting each of the Pine Bush Central School District elementary schools.
The four elementary school counselors are:
- Deana Lenz – Circleville Elementary School
- Andi Simmons – Edward J. Russell Elementary School
- Carina Saint Louis – Pakanasink Elementary School
- Maureen Corcoran – Pine Bush Elementary School
According to the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), “School counselors design and deliver school counseling programs that improve student outcomes. They lead, advocate and collaborate to promote equity and access for all students by connecting their school counseling program to the school’s academic mission and school improvement plan.”
Additionally, school counselors ensure equitable academic, career and social-emotional development opportunities for all students.
Our counselors will be instrumental in designing and delivering programs that align with the ASCA Mindset and Behavior Student Standards, ensuring that all lessons are developmentally appropriate, informative and engaging for students from pre-K through grade 5.
The counselors are addressing three key domains: academic, social-emotional and career development
Academically, counselors are focusing on helping students apply essential achievement strategies, including goal setting, problem solving, self-reflection, fostering a growth mindset and developing organizational and time management skills.
For social-emotional development, school counselors assist students in learning self-awareness, emotional regulation, social awareness, relationship sills and responsible decision-making. Students who have greater self-awareness, understand their thoughts, feelings and behaviors and how each may affect others.
“Emotional regulation includes the ability to identify emotions and choose appropriate coping strategies such as deep breathing, taking a short break or using words to express their feelings to others,” said Ms. Lenz. “Great self- and social-awareness can help students develop stronger peer relations and resolve conflicts more effectively.”
Career decisions are a distance away for elementary students but school counselors will explore topics related to career readiness. In classrooms lessons, students will be introduced to different careers, explore likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, as well as learn about the importance that goal-setting plays in career development.
“The goal of early career development is to help our students make connections between what they are learning now and their future academic experiences and success, as well as their career aspirations,” said Ms. Lenz.
For the 2024-2025 school year, the objectives of the elementary school counseling team are to:
- Prepare students to participate effectively in current educational programs.
- Prepare students to participate effectively in future educational programs.
- Help students who exhibit attendance problems.
- Help students who exhibit academic problems.
- Help students who exhibit behavioral or adjustment problems.
- Help students deal with family issues that impact education.
- Encourage parental involvement.
- Preserve and support the social and emotional health of all students.
In addition to delivering instruction, school counselors provide school-based counseling support to individual or small groups of students on topics that include coping strategies, communication, friendship skills and conflict resolution, to name a few.
The overall objectives of the elementary school counseling program are to teach and practice skills that help students achieve success in school now, and to be able to carry those skills into the future.