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2950 Charlestown Road
Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17603
January 2013 - May 2013
Elementary Practicum
Hambright Elementary School
Supervisor: Mrs. Nichole Hinkle
Principal: Dr. Gerard Egan
Secondary Practicum
Manor Middle School
Supervisor: Miss Kim Moore
Principal: Mr. Dana Edwards
Hambright
Elementary School: Narrative Statement
Experiences
As an intern at Hambright Elementary School, I had the opportunity to experience a variety of school counseling duties. I had my own caseload of students whom I met with individually. I facilitated a fourth grade group, and a fifth grade group, for girls with relationship/social issues. I was also in charge of beginning and running a group for second and third grade students whose parents were divorcing, as well as a second grade social skills counseling group. Additionally, I lead various in-class guidance lessons pertaining to bullying, career exploration, and social development. As a member of the counseling team, I spent 1.5 hours per day in the classroom assisting teachers with low-performing students. I was privy to teacher, student, and parent meetings with the site supervisor, as well. Indirect services which I performed included organizing the PSSAs for students in the spring, creating bulletin boards, observing student behavior in the classroom, and assisting the site supervisor as needed.
Schedule
As a school counseling intern, I worked an average of 20 hours per week at Hambright Elementary School. The Penn Manor School District operates on a 6-day cycle. Therefore, I was at the elementary school on days 2, 4, and 6. Depending on the week, I logged between 16 and 24 hours at this site. My daily schedule was from 8:30am to 4:30pm on the agreed-upon days, though lengthened hours were permitted if I needed more time (though not required by the site supervisor).
Site Description
Mission
“The mission of the Penn Manor Counseling Department is to prepare students to have the personal responsibility and self-advocacy skills to succeed in the 21st century” (Penn Manor School Counseling Department pamphlet). This mission aligned with my training in Solution-Focused counseling, as I aided students in setting and achieving personal goals aimed toward academic, career, and personal/social success.
Services
Student success is predicated on the three types of services offered by the school counselors at Hambright Elementary School: (1) Academic Development services, (2) Career Development services, and (3) Personal/Social Development services. These services align with the ASCA National Model and provided me with experience in a variety of areas. The school counselor at Hambright Elementary School was involved with direct student services, such as individual and group counseling, in-class guidance lessons, and parent and teacher meetings. Additionally, she was required to organize PSSA testing, participate in student observations, keep in contact with parents and teachers, and perform other various indirect services.
Clients
The clients served at Hambright Elementary School during the spring of 2013 were 436 students in kindergarten through sixth grade, between the ages of 5 and 12. These students came from suburban and city backgrounds, with many living in low-income housing and in families where the parents were divorced or unmarried. About 75% of students at Hambright received free or reduced lunches (Penn Manor is a Title I school district). Students served were from a variety of ethnicities and cultures that helped me in obtaining experience as an elementary school counselor.
Manor Middle
School: Narrative Statement
Experiences
As an intern at Manor Middle School, I had the opportunity to experience a variety of school counseling duties. I had my own caseload of students, whom I met with individually. I also facilitated an eighth grade group for girls with relationship/social issues and lead various in-class guidance lessons pertaining to career exploration and social development. I participated in Student Assistance Program (SAP) meetings and trainings, as well as meetings with parents, Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings, and faculty team meetings. I also oriented new students to the school and assisted in organizing the PSSAs for students in the spring. Additionally, I helped to plan, organize, and execute a program entitled Girls’ Night Out, a 6.5-hour event after school for eighth grade girls. Finally, I took part in additional school counseling duties, such as creating bulletin boards and assisting and observing in classrooms, as needed.
Schedule
As a school counseling intern, I worked an average of 20 hours per week at Manor Middle School. The Penn Manor School District operates on a 6-day cycle. Therefore, I was at the middle school on days 1, 3, and 5. Depending on the week, I logged between 16 and 24 hours at this site. My daily schedule was from 7:30am to 3:30pm on the agreed-upon days, though lengthened hours were permitted if I need more time (though not required).
Site Description
Mission
“The mission of the Penn Manor Counseling Department is to prepare students to have the personal responsibility and self-advocacy skills to succeed in the 21st century” (Penn Manor School Counseling Department pamphlet). This mission aligned with my training in Solution-Focused counseling, as I aided students in setting and achieving personal goals aimed toward academic, career, and personal/social success.
Services
Student success is predicated on the three types of services offered by the school counselors at Manor Middle School: (1) Academic Development services, (2) Career Development services, and (3) Personal/Social Development services. These services align with the ASCA National Model and provided me with experience in a variety of areas. The school counselor at Manor Middle School was involved with direct student services, such as individual and group counseling, in-class guidance lessons, and parent and teacher meetings. Additionally, she was required to plan such activities as career day, eighth grade course selection, and PSSA testing, as well as participate in student observations, SAP meetings, and other indirect services.
Clients
The typical clients served at Manor Middle School in the spring of 2013 were 571 seventh and eighth grade students between the ages of 12 and 15. These students came from rural, suburban, and city backgrounds, with many living in households where the parents were divorced or unmarried. Penn Manor School District is a Title I district, with 38% of Manor Middle School students receiving free or reduced lunch. Additionally, students served were from a variety of ethnicities and cultures that helped me in obtaining experience as a secondary school counselor.
