SCHOOL COUNSELOR

Margaret Bone-Hartzler

I am delighted to be here at Monroe Elementary.  I have been a counselor both in a Junior High and Elementary setting for more than 25 years.  Most of my classroom work has been in nongraded primary grades.  I received my education in Texas at the University of Dallas and Our Lady of the Lake University.  I have worked in Texas, Louisiana and Colorado.  My husband, my dog, cat and I are here to stay in Colorado.  We hope to get to the mountains as much as possible.  I enjoy reading, genealogy, gardening and learning new things.  I hope to be a resource for you as I follow the guidelines described. Although I may not have all the answers, I will make every effort to assist in finding best practices for our students and their needs.

 School Counselors help children by . . .

• Promoting positive attitudes among students toward self, family, peers and community.
• Assisting students in learning how school performance relates to future opportunities.
• Developing and delivering classroom guidance lessons that teach skills such as health decision making, resolving conflicts and respecting others.
• Working collaboratively with students, parents and teachers to identify and remove barriers to learning.
• Supporting students by teaching skills for achieving success.
• Helping students to recognize and make the best of their abilities.
• Counseling with students individually and in groups.
• Providing support during personal crisis.
• Orienting new students.

Counselors are the heart of the school by . . .

• Helping create a safe school environment where children can learn.                                   
• Working with students on attendance issues.
• Coordinating referrals to outside agencies.
• Helping design interventions to enhance student success.
• Helping teachers create a positive learning environment.
• Helping students learn anger management, conflict resolution, and mediation skills.
• Helping parents, teachers, administrators in learning how to meet the needs of all students.

School Counselors Can Help in Many Situations

• “My parents are getting a divorce. I don’t know what’s going to happen.
• ” I’m new here and I’m having trouble making friends.”
• “I have a lot of difficulty dealing with my stepchild.”
• “Fred scores high on standardized tests but hardly makes passing grades in school.”
• “Karen always tells me she doesn’t have homework, but I found out she isn’t doing it.”
• “I need some ideas for helping students to get along with each other.”
• “Bill hasn’t been himself lately. He seems to preoccupied with something.”
• “I have a bad temper and need to learn how to control it.”
• “Mary has been absent from school an awful lot this year.”
• “My dad gets so angry when he’s been drinking.”