City schools celebrate counselors’ work

By Staff
Nathan Strickland
The Alabama State Board of Education passed a resolution on January 14 recognizing Feb. 1-5 as National School Counseling Week.
The week was established to give notice to the vital contributions counselors make to Alabama schools and students.
The Russellville School system will join in the celebration this week.
Russellville West Elementary Counselors Amy McReynolds and Michelle Hester believe their jobs help kids grow and mature.
McReynolds is a licensed counselor who believes first impressions mean a lot.
Hester said she is continuously looking for ways to build “family-school-community partnerships” which will help the students.
Hester works at West Elementary in the mornings then travels to Russellville Elementary School (RES) to help with their gifted program and second grade Child Find process.
RES counselor Denisha Blackwell said student’s need for guidance change as the years go along. The 20-year counselor believes the students in her school need attention like never before.
Counselors at Russellville also offer a grief-counseling program that helps students deal with family-related death. Currently there are 10 RES students enrolled in the program and has proven to be a key resource in helping children deal with death.
Safe and Drug Free Schools Counselor Nancy Cooper has contributed to the grief counseling, but focuses on her drug abuse prevention lessons.
Cooper has been at Russellville since 1990 and has spread the word to students every year that drugs can affect judgment and be very harmful to the body.
Cooper collaborated with the community and formed “The Drug Story,” which is a live action drama that shows Russellville Middle School (RMS) students the effects drugs can have on a person’s life.
RMS counselor Linda McAlister said the program teaches kids to make better decisions in life when presented with a drug situation. McAlister said the worst part of a counselor’s job is being powerless when it comes to some student’s home situations.
Russellville High School (RHS) brings a whole other level of students to counsel. In high school students tend to start reaching for their futures, whether it be college or finding a steady full-time job at the end of a students senior year.
RHS counselor Donna Goodwin said teens these days have so much to worry about it seems.
Goodwin said the old days are long gone and the new era of technological teaching has taken over.
Paul Foster is also a RHS counselor who works part-time, but was unable to share his opinion due to heath problems.
School counselors have been an inspiration to numerous students and have touched many lives throughout their tenors in schools. For additional information on National School Counseling Week and celebration ideas, visit www.schoolcounselor.org.