The purpose of counseling week is to show the recognition of school counselors and how much they help the students. Counselors are one of the most important staff members, and benefit the school greatly. They help students when they need it and they are always there for students if something is wrong, so it is always important that you thank them for what they do.
Salem Middle School’s counselors, Caitlin Ellis and Brennyn Roby, both enjoy what they do. They have helped a great deal of students this year, especially with their new idea known as the Cubs Closet.
Ellis enjoys working with all the students and the staff at SMS. She loves being able to help others. She wanted to be able to help students outside of classroom walls and give an opportunity for all students to seek help. This is Ellis’ fourth year as a counselor. Before she was a counselor she taught PE/Swimming and Computer Tech. She would like to accomplish being the best version she can be and try to get to know all the students in the building.Being a counselor can be challenging for her at times. “It is the toughest job in the world,” said Ellis. She loves getting to be around all of the kids and looks forward to the small group activities and the classroom guidance. Some of the hard parts about being a counselor is juggling all of it.
“Counselors provide support for staff, students, and families. I feel like my brain has 20 tabs open on an internet browser at all times,” she said. There isn’t really a certain number of people she helps out on a daily basis, she said it depends on her calendar or if she is helping anyone else. Ellis thinks that counseling is very enjoyable and she loves her job. She likes counseling week because they get to promote their program.
Roby likes the interactions with students on a daily basis. “Watching each student grow into who they were made to be is an awesome experience,” Roby said. She does enjoy helping others. She wanted to be a counselor because she wanted to support students in their everyday life and give a helping hand to those who need it.
She was a student counselor when she was getting her masters degree. Roby was not a teacher before she started counseling. This is her second year at SMS. One of her goals for this year is that she wants every student to feel comfortable with her and come to her with anything. In Roby’s eyes, being a school counselor can be challenging at times but it's also rewarding. She also loves being around the kids. “I wouldn’t change it,” she said.
Roby looks forward to the guidance lessons and the minute meetings. Talking to the students is her favorite thing to do. Some of the worst things about being a counselor is not being there for other students due to being with someone else. Ellis and Roby split their caseload pretty evenly and try to help as many students as they can. Counseling week is enjoyable to Roby because she gets to tell students and staff what she does.