COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. – Doctors, nurses, EMT’s and teachers have been deemed the heroes of this ongoing pandemic and rightly so. This week, however, the school districts are celebrating the unsung heroes who continue to make a difference in and out of schools on a daily basis, the guidance counselors.“I’ve called them and of course I’m biased… the most valuable player or staff member at the school,” said Steve McFadden, the K-8 Counseling Coordinator for Collier County Schools. “I truly believe that the school counselor because of their training, because of their skill set, because of their flexibility, their absolute to adapt to change and to adjust and do what’s right and what’s necessary…maintain the old programs while developing new programs and problem-solving on the fly…makes them the most valuable player at the school,” McFadden said.It’s not just McFadden who feels this way. FGCU School Counseling Program Director Dr. Russell Sabella agrees. “It’s a time for us to recognize and celebrate the positive difference school counselors make in the lives of all students and families,” Sabella said. Through Friday, Feb 5, it’s National School Counselor Appreciation Week. A week Sabella says is well deserved since so little do people actually know just how demanding a School Counselors’ job really is.“Right now the average is one school counselor for about every 500 kids!” Sabella said. “They do what it takes to put together teams that do three things: one- is look at academic outcomes- how are students meeting their learning needs. Another one is helping students become more college and career ready!” She emphasizes the qualifications every School Counselor must have in order to get a job. “Our program is a minimum of 50 credits. Master’s degree. That’s a lot. Hundreds of supervised hours of counseling,” she said. Not to mention, the skills and ability to adapt at a moment’s notice. “We learn other people’s responsibilities just to help educate,” Allison Ferraro, the 9-12 Counseling Coordinator for the Collier County School District, said.“You may have a schedule or a do-list for a day and then you have a kid in crisis walk into your office and things happen.”Because of all the new challenges brought on by the pandemic, Ferraro and McFadden both say they expect this year’s appreciation week to hit a bit differently than years in the past. “I hope it just rings a little bit more true to them that we are really in the trenches trying to navigate this for all students,” Ferraro said. “Academics, social/emotional and then career development. So what an incredible honor to be able to do all that.”National School Counselor Appreciation Week kicked off on Monday, February 1st and runs through Friday, February 5th.
COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. – Doctors, nurses, EMT’s and teachers have been deemed the heroes of this ongoing pandemic and rightly so.
This week, however, the school districts are celebrating the unsung heroes who continue to make a difference in and out of schools on a daily basis, the guidance counselors.
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“I’ve called them and of course I’m biased… the most valuable player or staff member at the school,” said Steve McFadden, the K-8 Counseling Coordinator for Collier County Schools.
“I truly believe that the school counselor because of their training, because of their skill set, because of their flexibility, their absolute to adapt to change and to adjust and do what’s right and what’s necessary…maintain the old programs while developing new programs and problem-solving on the fly…makes them the most valuable player at the school,” McFadden said.
It’s not just McFadden who feels this way. FGCU School Counseling Program Director Dr. Russell Sabella agrees.
“It’s a time for us to recognize and celebrate the positive difference school counselors make in the lives of all students and families,” Sabella said.
Through Friday, Feb 5, it’s National School Counselor Appreciation Week.
A week Sabella says is well deserved since so little do people actually know just how demanding a School Counselors’ job really is.
“Right now the average is one school counselor for about every 500 kids!” Sabella said. “They do what it takes to put together teams that do three things: one- is look at academic outcomes- how are students meeting their learning needs. Another one is helping students become more college and career ready!”
She emphasizes the qualifications every School Counselor must have in order to get a job.
“Our program is a minimum of 50 credits. Master’s degree. That’s a lot. Hundreds of supervised hours of counseling,” she said.
Not to mention, the skills and ability to adapt at a moment’s notice.
“We learn other people’s responsibilities just to help educate,” Allison Ferraro, the 9-12 Counseling Coordinator for the Collier County School District, said.“You may have a schedule or a do-list for a day and then you have a kid in crisis walk into your office and things happen.”
Because of all the new challenges brought on by the pandemic, Ferraro and McFadden both say they expect this year’s appreciation week to hit a bit differently than years in the past.
“I hope it just rings a little bit more true to them that we are really in the trenches trying to navigate this for all students,” Ferraro said. “Academics, social/emotional and then career development. So what an incredible honor to be able to do all that.”
National School Counselor Appreciation Week kicked off on Monday, February 1st and runs through Friday, February 5th.
