Announcer (00:00): Highlighting the amazing stories from inside the North Clackamas school district. This is the Proud To Be NCSD podcast, hosted by longtime principal and current community relations director. Curtis Long.

Meeting Particpants (00:14): We can start by going around and introducing ourselves. Mm-Hmm.

Curtis Long (00:16): It's mid-morning in a converted conference room near Clackamas High School's counseling office and CHS counselor Laura Nelson is excited to meet with fellow school counselors from nearby Rock Creek Middle School, who have walked over from their connected campus to collaborate about a very important topic this time of year.

Laura Nelson (00:34): And then we tell the students that once they've submitted their classes, they'll get an email and they can go back in and make changes up until we close it. Probably on the sixth.

Curtis Long (00:42): An upcoming presentation designed to give eighth graders and their families all the information they need to successfully select their first high school classes.

Meeting Participants (00:51): Do you want us to put anything in our community update on the 25th?

Laura Nelson (00:55): Sure. I think it's always good, especially when we come on Friday for parents to know we're coming.

Curtis Long (00:59): And while this group of committed counselors plans for future classes of NCSD students, less than an hour later across town, Alder Creek Middle School counselor, Stephanie Atkinson problem solves with a sixth grader at lunch who says one of her current classes just isn't hitting all the right notes.

Stephanie Atkinson (01:14): I just wanted to see how things are going and things are any better.

Curtis Long (01:18): All part of a day's work for Atkinson, who empathetically listens and manages to point out enough positives to help this melancholy musician cheer up about her cello.

Stephanie Atkinson (01:27): Well, I think you and I should keep checking in about this and, 'cause I think that it's there. I think that we just saw a little glimmer of it. We just need to keep building on that. Okay. You can do it. I know you can.

Curtis Long (01:36): Getting kids to share their feelings in the lunch room or anywhere else is usually not an issue for NCSD elementary school students. Just ask Scouters Mountain Elementary School counselor Jessica Winfrey, who is also using lunchtime today to check in with squirrely students who may need just a little extra dull attention.

Jessica Winfrey (01:54): Are you onna play with Noah? Yeah, that's what I meant. Well, that's a good connection to have. Ani, do you have a donut for lunch? My goodness. <laugh>. That's

Student (02:02): That's not healthy!

Curtis Long (02:03): You know what is healthy across our school district? The amount of love, care, and support students from all levels elementary, middle, and high school receive from their school counselors. Today on the Proud To Be NCSD podcast, we sit down with three of these amazing professionals who spend their days cultivating confidence boosting beliefs, and most importantly, strengthening students self-esteem.

Jessica Winfrey (02:25): You did the brave thing of addressing it with your friend instead of just ignoring him and ignoring the situation. The powerful thing is that you took the time to talk to him about it and teach him.

Curtis Long (02:36): And joining us now are three of the many, many caring and talented school counselors we have in the North Clackamas School District. And they just happen to be those three you heard in our introduction. Please welcome Clackamas High School's. Laura Nelson, Alder Creek Middle School, Stephanie Atkinson and Scouters Mountain Elementary's, Jessica Winfrey. Laura, Stephanie. Jessica, welcome to the show. Thanks so much for being here today.

Laura Nelson (02:56): Thanks for having us, Curtis. Yeah, thank you.

Curtis Long (02:58): As we usually do when we have multiple guests on the podcast, let's have each of you introduce yourselves and tell us a little background about yourself and how long you've been a part of North Clackamas.

Laura Nelson (03:06): Well, my name's Laura Nelson, counselor here at Clackamas High School. I've been in the district, I believe this is my 25th year and 19th at Clackamas High School. And I was a high school math teacher before that.

Curtis Long (03:17): I didn't know that you taught math before that.

Laura Nelson (03:19): I did. Okay. At Centennial High School for 12 years.

Curtis Long (03:21): Wow. Stephanie, how about you?

Stephanie Atkinson (03:23): I am Stephanie Atkinson and I'm at Alder Creek Middle School. This is my seventh year in the district. And before working in the North Clackamas School District, I worked in Mollala and I was at the middle school there and I was a counselor for a few years. And before that I taught art.

Curtis Long (03:39): Oh, you were an art teacher before becoming a counselor. Yeah. That's so interesting. And Jessica, how about you?

Jessica Winfrey (03:44): Hi, I'm Jessica Winfrey and I am in my second year at Scouters Mountain Elementary School. And I, prior to that was working in Vancouver, but I was still an Oregonian and so I wanted to be closer to home and decided to apply for the Scatters Mountain position and was able to get that and started there two years ago. And it's been a really great fit ever since.

Curtis Long (04:06): Of course, every day is a busy day for a school counselor, but as we heard off the top there, Laura, this isn't especially busy time of the year for you at the high school level, isn't it? Yes,

Laura Nelson (04:15): It is.

Curtis Long (04:16): <laugh>. As she took time out of her schedule to join us, I know you have a tight schedule, we're getting this in in just the window that you have open today. Explain to us what's happening today and in the future days. And we heard off the top that you're scheduling eighth grade classes, they, they're forecasting for next year, but you're also meeting with a lot of your juniors right now, getting set for their senior year.

Laura Nelson (04:35): Yes. This is a probably the second busiest time of the year next to the beginning of school. We are starting meeting with our juniors one-on-one appointments with their counselor for 15 minutes every single junior to talk about their senior year and their post high school plans, see if there's any credit recovery that might need to be in there, and then answer all their questions. And then next week we'll go to the middle school and meet with eighth graders and do the same type of thing. But in a group setting, we're also still dealing with the start of a second semester and students that are in the wrong classes and seniors who might have failed some classes. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative> first semester and what is their plan? So yeah, it's a little busy

Curtis Long (05:13): <laugh>. It's a little busy right now. I was looking at Laura's schedule and it is jam packed the whole day long. She made some time for us here to record this podcast. And Stephanie, middle school counselors, they get to do forecasting as well, don't they? Yeah.

Stephanie Atkinson (05:24): Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>, we are kind of the sandwich group. Uhhuh <affirmative>. We get to go down to the fifth grade classrooms and meet with the fifth graders about what middle school is gonna look like for them. We've been busy putting together presentation materials for those presentations and that's really a super fun part of the job, going to the elementary schools and seeing all of the excitement from the students who are gonna be at our school next year. And then also we have the Rex Putnam counselors coming to Alder Creek next week. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. Um, so getting ready for them to come. Students in eighth grade are really excited about transitioning to high school and they have lots of questions and they're very excited. And part of that is also talking about the Sabin-Schellenberg Center because they'll have the opportunity to forecast for those classes. And we recently took a field trip, our eighth graders to Sabin-Schellenberg, and they got to tour the campus, which is another big part of, of that Sure. Transition piece.

Curtis Long (06:18): Oh, I bet the middle schoolers get a little excited when they see all the things offered at Sabin-Schellenberg.

Stephanie Atkinson (06:23): <laugh>. Yeah. And it's one of the things that I love about my job because when students are thinking about their future and they have questions about, you know, what comes next and what are my options, I love pulling up the Sabin-Schellenberg website because they have videos of all of their programs and students get so excited when they see what's available to them in high school. It's, it's a really unique opportunity for the kids and they really love it.

Curtis Long (06:46): And Laura, you're part of building a student schedule, right? That's gotta be a challenge with Sabin-Schellenberg on a totally different campus. I mean, certain classes are only offered certain periods. Right. That's gotta be a puzzle that you're constantly trying to put together.

Laura Nelson (06:58): It is a puzzle. And it's difficult when you're working with a student who has chosen multiple singletons, meaning that class might be only offered one period or two periods and then two periods Sabin-Schellenberg classes. And you have to explain to them, <laugh>, you might be getting an email or a phone call in August because this might not work out for you. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. And then they have to make a choice.

Curtis Long (07:17): And I gotta imagine that's happens during the summer, right? So your summer month is, is that August when you put all those things together? Right.

Laura Nelson (07:23): The high school counselors come back about the middle of August and start working on usually seniors first, Uhhuh, <affirmative>, whatever conflicts there are.

Curtis Long (07:30): And so you're figuring out, okay, we have this many math sections. This student needs to be in math at this time. We have this many things at Schoenberg, they wanted broadcasting class. It's only offered first and second period. Uh oh. That's when math is so...

Laura Nelson (07:42): Well fortunately Curtis, the computer does all the work.

Curtis Long (07:45): Okay. That's what I was getting. Here

Laura Nelson (07:46): We come back and look at the ones that didn't work. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. So they conflicted out. Okay. And then we hand do that from there.

Curtis Long (07:52): Okay. So the computer does the initial schedule.

Laura Nelson (07:56): Yes. We want all the students to know that the computer does the initial scheduling.

Curtis Long (07:57): <laugh>. Yeah. It wasn't Mrs. Nelson who did that to me. That's right. That's right. Of course. There's so much more to the job than helping students navigate their class schedules. Jessica, let's start with you. At the elementary level, we heard you checking in with kids about who they're going to play with on the playground. What's a typical day look like in the world of an elementary school counselor?

Jessica Winfrey (08:16): It changes from day to day, week to week, but I'll give you a taste of this morning <laugh>. Okay. I got to school and had to prepare for a leadership meeting that we're having with fifth graders. Then I ran over to the library where I have been providing fourth grade students with instruction on chopstick history etiquette and use <laugh>. Uh, just something special that I've been doing with the Lunar New Year. Then I had a office full of students checking in for their regular attendance goals and just checking in with me to, for some of our friends that are a little more anxious, just a nice little touch point in the start of the day. And then on top of that, a pile up of kids coming in from the bus letting me know about bus issues, <laugh>, and you know, so my calendar got pretty quickly filled for the rest of the day.

Curtis Long (09:02): <laugh> And Stephanie, how about for you? I know there's probably not a typical day at the middle school level, but what's a day look like for you at Alder Creek Middle? Yeah,

Stephanie Atkinson (09:09): There's definitely not a typical day at the middle school level. We wear a lot of different hats, I think at all levels. And middle school is no exception to that. I spent a lot of time meeting with kids one-on-one, giving them support with all manner of things. They have academic concerns, they have things going on at home. Sometimes there are resource problems and it's a matter of connecting them with our school social worker. A lot of times I will meet with teachers who are struggling with student behavior. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative> or the students who are showing deficits. And then we have to work together to come up with a plan for figuring out what's going on and what support is needed at the middle school level. A lot of parents have concerns about their kids. Like there, there's a lot of changes that kids go through at the middle school level. And then sometimes as a parent it's hard to know what's normal and what is something that I need to be worried about. So helping parents navigate those questions and providing them with resources. We have wonderful community partners that work with us at Alder Creek. We have a Trillium therapist, we have a couple of stronger Oregon therapists. We have Northwest Family Services. So collaborating with those community partners to make sure that students are getting the support that they need. And then as you got to see yesterday, mm-Hmm. <affirmative> supervision, like being out in the hallway.

Curtis Long (10:25): Oh, the lunch room. My first experience with the middle school lunchroom.

Stephanie Atkinson (10:28): And we need adults in the halls and the counselors are part of that. So just supporting kids with things that come up in the hallway, managing student behavior. That's a big part of our role too.

Curtis Long (10:39): And Laura, for you, at the high school level, of course a lot goes into preparing students for college and you have some of the older kids, but there's a lot of those things that Stephanie mentioned too at the middle school level as well.

Laura Nelson (10:48): Definitely. I would say maybe the difference of the high school is we have a lot of different teams working to support students. Like we have a weekly care team meeting where we are currently focusing on 10th and 11th graders. We have ninth grade freshman success teams that focus on the freshmen and then seniors were always focused on, obviously <laugh>, but everything that Stephanie said, social, emotional, academic, parents trying to figure out for us, it's the parents trying to figure out what their student can do after high school. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative> not always. They don't always agree with the student. But you know, we try to bridge that gap a little bit.

Curtis Long (11:22): Now many people argue that kids of all ages are having a tougher time than ever navigating their emotions. Would you agree? And how do you approach this in your jobs?

Stephanie Atkinson (11:29): I agree. <laugh>. Yeah. Kids are struggling right now and luckily it's not up to the school counselor alone to provide all the support that students need. We have the community partners that I mentioned, teachers have become experts in providing social emotional support to kids in the classroom. And families too are learning how to navigate medical systems, mental health systems in order to get kids support that they need outside of school.

Curtis Long (11:58): And Stephanie, you mentioned too that sometimes parents are concerned about their children. You get calls from families. How do you approach that when a family contacts you?

Stephanie Atkinson (12:07): Well, every situation is different. That's part of, you know, the school counselor's role. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. Just taking what comes to you and helping in the best way that you can. A lot of times parents want to hear that everything is gonna be okay and normalizing the middle school experience and all of the different developmental stages that their child has to go through in order to become the adult that they're slowly turning into. It's really, I think, helpful in my role to talk through what that looks like with parents and then also reminding them what sort of resources are available outside of the school counselors. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative> office pediatricians are like a critical resource for parents to talk through things that they're concerned about connecting with mental health resources and Northwest Family Services and other providers within the district sometimes have parenting groups where they just come together and talk about struggles that all parents are going through right now. We have a super active, amazing PTO at Alder Creek right now, and they recently brought in a specialist to give a talk to families about normal adolescent development and what that looks like and some tricks and tools to help support kids and families as we all kind of navigate this process.

Curtis Long (13:30): Alright. Laura I have two high school students at home and they don't have much time for dad these days. I can imagine the type of attitudes that you get at school, but I think kids, a lot of times, at least mine, are much better for school staff than they are for their own parents. So you may hear from parents who say, what's the deal with my child? And you could say they're respectful with me.

Laura Nelson (13:51): Absolutely. And I do get parents that email and call all the time and say, can you talk to my son? But then they say, and then tell me what they said. <laugh>, I can talk to your son. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. And they'll probably talk to me because I'm not their parent. Yeah. But I can't necessarily tell you what they said without their permission. But I do. Yes. I do get a lot of that. I do wanna go back to anxiety for a moment. Yeah. Because it just flourished during the pandemic and nobody knew, probably parents and students how to handle that and what to do with it. One of the things that we have seen, at least at the high school level, is a level of anxiety that is healthy, but the students don't think it is. Mm. I'm so anxious. I'm so anxious I can't go to math.

Laura Nelson (14:27): Well, what is it about math? Well, it's where I sit. Okay, let's work through that. Rather than just change your math class or try to put a bandaid on what you're feeling, why don't we talk through it and recognize those feelings and know that a little bit of anxiety for everyone is healthy. It motivates us. It's the ones with the severe anxiety that go into a panic attack or hide in the bathroom or you know, they're in tears and they don't know why. That's a little different situation, but I just wanted to kind of highlight that there's a lot of anxiety that can be healthily dealt with. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>, if that's the word.

Curtis Long (14:57): And Jessica, I know you're seeing anxiety at the elementary school as well. Probably the same thing. I don't want to go to math, I don't want to go to this part of my classroom. What's going on at elementary school these days?

Jessica Winfrey (15:07): So the way I see anxiety with the littles is, you know, a lot of behaviors and acting out and tantruming and, and that sort of thing. And, and often actually in connection, once we dive into it further and have discussions with parents or with teachers, it's often connected with other presentations like A DHD and that have yet to be addressed or treated or you know, supported. And so it's peeling back a lot of different layers instead of just addressing the anxiety. But what's motivating that anxiety, you know, that they're having a hard time being able to function in the class or being able to find their feelings and communicate those feelings. And that's all skill building anyway that any normally functioning <laugh>, you know, 8-year-old can struggle with. But then you have those other layers too that can make it really challenging.

Curtis Long (15:52): What's not challenging in this podcast however, is hearing just how much our three gracious guests and all their NCSD counseling colleagues truly care about kids still to come. What do they feel is the biggest challenge facing school counselors today?

Stephanie Atkinson (16:07): We are the catchall for student needs in the building. And it's just really hard to do all of the things that, you know, students need to, you know, have a successful experience at school.

Curtis Long (16:19): And what brings smiles to their faces every time they walk through their school doors?

Laura Nelson (16:24): I always tell them, if I can do one thing, one thing to make their life better in that moment I can drive home happy and I can make a difference. And I'm thinking of one student in particular that she comes to school every day now because we check in and she has that connection and it just feels really good.

Curtis Long (16:37): And you'll feel really good listening to these three, calm, creative, caring, compassionate, and always complimentary counselors.

Jessica Winfrey (16:44): And they're like, I got it <laugh>. It's like the most satisfying

Curtis Long (16:47): Thing as the second half of the proud to be NCSD podcast continues right after this.

Announcer (16:53): Are you looking for a job right now? Looking to work in a fun and supportive environment with great pay and a rewarding career? The North Clackamas School district is hiring. We're currently filling full and part-time positions. You can work and make a difference in young lives and education as a classroom assistant or a substitute teacher apply to work in one of our school cafeterias where our lunch staff serves up big smiles with great food every day. We're also looking to hire before and after school caretakers, custodians, and bus drivers in North Clackamas. We promise it won't take you long to learn why our employees say they're proud to be in NCSD. Apply today on the North School district website or call 5 0 3 3 5 3 6,000. That's 5 0 3 3 5 3 6,000.

Curtis Long (17:47): Next question for each of you, what's the biggest challenge facing school counselors today? And all of you may have a different perspective 'cause you all come from a different level. Jessica at elementary, Stephanie at middle school, Laura at high school. What's the biggest challenge facing school counselors today?

Stephanie Atkinson (18:01): I think the challenge facing school counselors at the middle level is the same challenge that all educators are facing and there's just not enough time to do all of the things that we wanna do. We have 5 0 4 case management, the middle school counselors this year have been writing curriculum for SEL and making sure that that gets implemented in all of the classrooms. Managing student social, emotional needs, academic needs, attendance like the, like we're, we're kind of the, we are the catchall for student needs in the building and it's just really hard to do all of the things that, you know, students need to, you know, have a successful experience at school.

Curtis Long (18:44): And I imagine as you're trying to do all of those things, you come back to your office and there's a student waiting right outside who would like to speak with you.

Stephanie Atkinson (18:50): Of course there is.

Laura Nelson (18:51): Or 45 new emails

Curtis Long (18:52): Or 45 new emails. That's right. So Laura, you have students with the ability to email you and I'm not sure, Stephanie, do middle schoolers email you as well?

Stephanie Atkinson (19:00): They do not as much as I imagine the high school students do. We have different ways that students can contact us. We have little call slips that they can come to the main office and fill out when they wanna contact us, and then they end up as a little stack on my desk by the end of the day.

Curtis Long (19:14): And Jessica, I imagine you get the little handwritten first grade notes that are on a folded sheet of paper in your little mailbox outside your office.

Jessica Winfrey (19:21): I do. Yeah. And I was just relating to Stephanie when she was sharing about the pile, the stack that you have and I'm like, me too <laugh>. Yeah. And you know, to piggyback on what you're saying about, you know, that we're the catchall and there's just not enough time. I feel like one of the bigger challenges, just to be perfectly blunt and honest, is that we just, at least for me, we don't have enough counseling ratios. Like I'm one counselor for 550 students and we know, you know, ASCAs best practices say one for every 225.

Laura Nelson (19:49): So, you know, thank you for saying that.

Jessica Winfrey (19:51): <laugh> and you know, I, I do the best I can and thankfully I have a great team, you know, in my building, but similarly teachers, you know, student teacher ratio also, it's just, it's a, it's a tough challenge and I know it's not an isolated North Clackamas and you know, we do a lot here. We're very creative in our district with working with the resources that we have. It's just, it's, it's hard.

Laura Nelson (20:10): On a positive note, I do wanna just thank whoever started the idea of a school-based health center. Mm-Hmm. Yes. Because like as Stephanie was saying, we do have some school-based therapists in there, but we also have doctors and nurses in there and it is just fantastic. I was showing two new students around yesterday and I took them in there and introduced 'em and we'd also gone by the nurse's office and they said, well why would we go see the nurse then? And I'm like, that's a good question, <laugh>.

Curtis Long (20:34): That's a good question.

Laura Nelson (20:34): And as everyone knows, our school nurses are spread so thin among so many buildings. So it's just really a blessing to have that health center.

Curtis Long (20:41): Well we certainly talked about a lot of the challenges facing school counselors. I wanna go to the other side. What brings you the most joy when you come into work as a school counselor each day? What brings a smile to your face?

Laura Nelson (20:52): I think the thing that is most satisfying to me, I tell my students this, especially if they come in and there's nothing I can do to help them. They're complaining about a family situation. I can listen but I can't help. I always tell them, if I can do one thing, one thing to make their life better in that moment I can drive home happy. And some of these kids I can help, I connect with. They haven't had a connection with anyone or at least a counselor before. And I can maybe put 'em on a 5 0 4 plan, get some awareness that the student is struggling with things that the teachers don't see in the classroom because it's at home or it's within. And I can make a difference. And I'm thinking of one student in particular that she comes to school every day now because we check in and she has that connection and it just feels really good.

Curtis Long (21:32): And I think you hit on something right there. A lot of times the school counselor is the big connection for some students that it may not be their teacher or group of teachers that they have at secondary levels, but that school counselor they have a connection with and they can't wait to see you when they come in the morning. And you probably have some that you check in with every single day

Laura Nelson (21:49): Or they come by every single day.

Jessica Winfrey (21:50): Uhhuh, yes.

Curtis Long (21:51): <laugh>. Stephanie, is that the case for you too at middle school?

Stephanie Atkinson (21:53): Definitely. The thing that drives me in my job is the connection with kids. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative> and getting to see a side of them in my office that they don't really show the world very often in middle school. I feel like students have two sides of themselves, probably like 25 sides of themselves, <laugh>, that there's the side that you see out in the hallway when they're interacting with their peers and they are very driven by this need to impress their peers and connect with peers. And that creates a different presentation than what I see when I'm working with a kid. One-on-one in my office. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. And they become so vulnerable and so open and in the halls you see this kid who's trying to be a high school student and trying to look as adult-like as possible. And in my office you get to see the little kid. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. And when that happens, I just, I can't describe it. It's such an amazing thing to be able to connect with that child. Part of the human in my office when I'm working with kids.

Curtis Long (22:52): That's such a great story because there are so many kids who want to portray a certain image when they're in school, but when you get them one-on-one, and I've had that experience too as a principal, they really are just looking to find a sense of themselves and see where they fit in the school or in their family or in society, I guess. Jessica, how about for you? You just had an eventful morning. You made your way over to where we're recording here at Clacks High School. Big smile on your face still, what brings you such joy at the elementary level?

Jessica Winfrey (23:19): You know, it's just being a part of their journey. Like I said, I did this chopstick lesson and it is just, it's amazing. Just see, I mean it's an example of when, when they get something and with elementary, the social skills, the communication skills, that's what we're building so much of. And even as simple as like just perseverance through a struggle and productive struggles they say. Right. And then getting it. And you see that with just how to hold a pair of chopsticks and pick up string and they're like, I got it <laugh>. It's like the most satisfying thing. Yeah. And that you could just be a part of that. Nothing like it.

Curtis Long (23:52): <laugh>, all three of you have talked about the importance of connections. What's makes me wonder, how do you feel when your kids move on now? Laura, yours move on to college so you may not see them again. Stephanie, yours move on to high school. So they may come back and visit and Jessica, yours move on to middle school. They may come back and visit as well. Laura, especially for you, these are kids that you may not see again ever.

Laura Nelson (24:13): Or you get that email <laugh>. Hey Mrs. Nelson, I need my high school transcript. Okay. Years ago, I actually had a student stop by this week who graduated seven years ago. He's subbing in the building. Mm. And just wanted to come in and check in. And he literally said to me, I gave you my senior picture. Do you remember <laugh>? I said, of course Thomas. I remember Uhhuh and do you still have it? Yeah, I have it at home. I put 'em in a book. Anyway. Yeah. I they, a lot of them do come.

Curtis Long (24:37): Good cover Mrs. Nelson. Yeah.

Laura Nelson (24:39): Yeah. A lot of them do come back. I've had kids that went into the military that came back in uniform and are kind of proud and wanna show that off. And so I do hear from some of them.

Curtis Long (24:48): And Stephanie, how about for you when you have those eighth graders move off to high school? I'm sure some of them come back and visit, but is that kind of hard sometimes? So these kids that you've worked with for three years and off they go.

Stephanie Atkinson (24:57): It is, it's sometimes hard, but it's also really clear that they are ready to go by the end of the eighth grade year. They look like freshmen <laugh>, they act like freshmen. I just feel excited for them because they're looking forward to the next thing and I know that they're ready for it. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. So I really feel okay about letting go at the end of eighth grade

Curtis Long (25:16): And Jessica all the work, because you have 'em the longest at elementary school from kindergarten through fifth grade, to see them move off to sixth grade into middle school, how is that emotionally for you?

Jessica Winfrey (25:25): Like I said, you know, being a part of their journey is like one of the most fulfilling things for me. And so when I, I see them go from kinder to fifth and then on to middle school, it is, I have young kids at home, but it's what I would imagine it's gonna be like with just seeing your, you know, your little ducklings go off into the world. <laugh>. It's, yeah, it's, it's incredible. But for a lot of them that go to middle school, they have younger siblings and so far open house nights I'll see them come back and you know, they come find me and let me know how things are going. And it's, it's cool to still be a part of that journey that they'll circle back with me.

Curtis Long (25:58): And Laura, you told a great story about the student who gave you his senior picture and Stephanie and Jessica. And for all of you, do you ever get letters back from students or emails back from students or a surprise visit that really shocks you or you know, essentially warms your heart that oh gosh, they do remember what happened at that age?

Stephanie Atkinson (26:16): Well, I live in the community. Okay. So I get to see students at Fred Meyer or just out on a walk and it is really fun when I hear Mrs. Atkins <laugh>, do you remember me? Yeah, I remember you. And then seeing, you know, kind of a kid who might have had a lot of struggles. This happened to me recently at Fred Meyer, a kid who really struggled at Alder Creek and now they're at New Urban and being really wildly successful and they just, just look like a totally different confident human. It's just, it's really amazing to see that.

Curtis Long (26:48): I know for me too, as a former elementary school principal, I have so many kids middle school age or high school age, come back to visit or say hello and all of a sudden it's Hello Mr. Long (deep voice). And I can't recognize who they are anymore, so I have to kind of play, oh yes, I remember you. How's it going in high school or middle school. But gosh, they change a lot from elementary school through middle to high school. I can't tell who they are anymore.

Laura Nelson (27:09): One of the things I'd like to share is when you've been around as long as I have Mm-Hmm <affirmative>, some of your former students, you now have their children. Uhhuh <affirmative>.

Curtis Long (27:17): I can relate to that.

Laura Nelson (27:19): Which is fun. Especially if that former student wasn't very well behaved and now I have their children and I'm like, Ooh, you owe me. So <laugh>.

Curtis Long (27:26): Yep. I knew it was time to maybe move on from bringing a principal when one of my former fourth graders, I taught elementary school before becoming a principal, enrolled her kindergarten daughter into my school. And the little girl was quick to point out, you are my mom's fourth grade teacher. Yes, I was. Yes I was. It's great to see you, welcome to our school. Certainly fun. Jessica, how about for you? The, uh, grown up element once elementary school kids come back to visit?

Jessica Winfrey (27:49): I've yet to have that <laugh>. Yeah. I'm still, I mean, my 12th year now Yeah. As a counselor. So not quite there, but you know, I've seen, like I said, the middle school and high school versions of them come back through and that's fun. So I look forward to it.

Curtis Long (28:01): Well, the purpose of this podcast is to give our listeners an inside look at some of the people, places and programs in our school district that make NCSD such a special place. And if you want to talk about the glue that often holds a school together, it's the school counselor who often know students and families on a deeper level than any other adult in the school because of the work of school counselors like each of you, Laura, Stephanie and Jessica, many of our students wake up in the morning excited to come to school because they know they get to connect with you. And that's something that should never be overlooked. What a tremendous impact you and your colleagues have on the 17,000 plus students. We welcome every day into our schools on behalf of our entire NCSD community, thank you for everything you do for our students and staff. Like the title of this podcast says, each of you truly makes us proud to be NCSD. Thanks so much for joining us today.

Laura Nelson (28:46): Thank you Curtis.

Stephanie Atkinson (28:47): This was fun.

Curtis Long (28:48): Thanks for listening to The Proud To Be NCSD podcast. In North Clackamas. We know that education is a community effort and we're so thankful that you and your family are a part of our community. Until next time, remember, there are always great things to see wherever you go in NCSD.