This information was presented at the 2016-17 Palmetto School Counselor Association Conference in January 2017 by Sherrie Beaver, Claire Gatlin and Charles Hazelrigg. This presentation gives innovative ideas for connecting, communicating and collaborating with all stakeholders in a school setting.

1. The Wando School Counseling Department
Connecting, Communicating & Collaborating
For Student Success

2. Connecting,
Communicating &
Collaborating
For Student Success
Discover innovative techniques to grab the attention and hearts and minds of students.
See how Wando Counselors are connecting with students so they know us before they
need us. Learn how to build the groundwork for positive relationships with parents. Hear
tips on communicating and marketing your Counseling Department. Explore how to
collaborate with faculty and elevate perceptions. Leave with the enthusiasm to create an
engaging experience for students, parents, faculty and Counselors too!

3. Wando High School
School Counseling
Department
Largest high school in the
state of South Carolina with
just over 4,000 students and
256 teaching professionals.
Offering more than 250
courses and 24 Advanced
Placement classes with a large
variety of CTE majors and Dual
Credit classes.

4. Sherrie Beaver
Director of
School Counseling
Sherrie Beaver is a vintage Teacher and Counselor in the
state of South Carolina with a B.S. in Science Teaching
and M.Ed. in School Counseling from Clemson University.
She currently serves as Director of School Counseling at
the largest high school in South Carolina, Wando High
School, in Mount Pleasant, SC.

5. Charles Hazelrigg
School Counselor
This is Charles’ eighth year as a School Counselor.
Before becoming an educator, he was a sales
representative and branch manager for a hardwood
lumber wholesale distributor. His understanding of the
corporate world along with is experience in education
helps in bridging the communication gap between the
two. He received a degree in psychology from the
University of Kentucky and his masters in counseling
education from The Citadel. His wife and three children
live in Mount Pleasant.

6. Claire Gatlin
School Counselor
Claire is in her sixth year as a School Counselor and
fourth year at Wando High School where she is
extremely passionate about connecting with her
students and exploring college and career choices with
them. She is a graduate of College of Charleston where
she earned a B.S. in Sociology and a minor in Religious
Studies. She earned her M.Ed. in Secondary School
Counseling from The Citadel. Claire also explored the
Student Affairs discipline in Graduate School and is well
versed in the high school to college transition.

7. Connecting, Communicating & Collaborating
with students, parents and faculty
for student success
• Discover innovative techniques to grab the attention, hearts and
minds of students (Connecting – Know us before you need us)
• Learn how to build the groundwork for positive relationships with
parents (Communicating – Marketing your counseling department)
• Elevate faculty perceptions (Collaborating)
• Leave with the enthusiasm to create an engaging experience for
students, parents, faculty and Counselors too!

8. Connecting with Students
Beyond the Office Walls
• Sponsoring Clubs and
Coaching Sports
• Visiting Classrooms
• Naviance
• Guidance on the Go

9. Counselor Cafe
Every Wednesday Counselors are
stationed in a central location on
campus at tables with
Chromebooks ready to assist
students with any needs. This
program has been especially
helpful when working with seniors
through the college application
process.

11. TribeTalk
Collaboration
We’ve worked with the
Wando news on stories
they’ve aired related to
mental health, bullying,
academics and more.
A Counselor Café Commercial
was sent out through
TribeTalk in Advisement.

12. Beckham Scholars
An advisement started for minority females who excel
academically. Two of our Counselors have been leading this
group of girls since their sophomore year. We can’t wait to see
where they go when they graduate this year!

13. Participate in Field Trips
University of South Carolina
Ed-Op Day College Fair
Trident Technical College Career Day
Culinary Arts Events

14. Communicating
Marketing your School Counseling
Department
• Sign Up Genius
• Remind 101
• Emails – to students, parents, and caseloads
• Facebook
• Website: Live Scholarship Page and links
• Registration video and night session for help

15. Using Sign Up Genius to schedule IGPs

16. Remind

17. Senior Newsletter
• Emailed to seniors and their parents
• Includes information on the school
counseling department, deadlines,
scholarships, upcoming events, etc…
• Canva.com lets you get very creative
(and it’s free)

25. Collaborate
To Elevate Perceptions
• Teacher roundtable
• Leadership team
• Goal committees
•Transition cohort
•Advisory board
•Semester summary to faculty

26. Middle School Counselor Breakfasts
• Invitations to 8th grade
Counselors to come to
Wando for collaboration on
registration and curriculum
updates
• Build partnerships to ease
transition of 8th grade
students to high school

27. Advisement and
Class Visits
• CTE Classes
• Senior Information
• Registration
Assistance

28. Collaborating
with Teachers
• Once a month we serve coffee to
one or two departments to say
thank you but also to build
relationships and open up
communication

29. AP Appreciation
Luncheon
• Once a year around the holidays we cater and serve
lunch to our Assistant Principals to say thanks and
also build rapport and positive working
relationships.

30. Tracking Student Success
• 390 Life and Palmetto Scholarships
awarded
• Our graduation rate is 94%
• Last year, seniors earned $25,221,512
million in scholarship money
• 63% of students are four year college
bound, 26% are two year college
bound, 5% are military bound

31. Contact US
Sherrie_Beaver@Charleston.k12.sc.us
Claire_Gatlin@Charleston.k12.sc.us
Charles_Hazelrigg@Charleston.k12.sc.us