Meet our School Counselor

Madison Levan has been with MES since the start of the 2021-2022 school year. She is originally from Waxhaw and received her undergraduate degree from Appalachian State University, and her master’s degree in School Counseling from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. This is her 4^th year as a school counselor at the elementary school level. Some fun facts about Ms. Levan are: 1) her dad works in the cafeteria at Marvin, 2) she was a cup stacking state champion, and 3) her favorite animal is a cow. Miss. Levan is committed to advocating for students and supporting our families here at Marvin Elementary School.

School Counseling Mission Statement

The mission of the Marvin Elementary School (MES) Counseling Department is to provide a comprehensive school counseling program that addresses the academic, career, and personal/social development of all students in a safe and nurturing environment. The counseling department is committed to partnering with stakeholders to provide evidence-based supports to empower student growth and build skills for life-long learning.

Our School Counseling Program

Miss Levan has developed a comprehensive school counseling program at Marvin Elementary School. Services to the school include:

• Development and management of a comprehensive school counseling program
• Whole class lessons (character education), small group, and individual counseling
• Consulting with parents, teachers, administration, and other stakeholders within the MES community
• Other responsibilities: 504 coordinator, McKinney-Vento and Foster Case Liaison, Terrific Kids, Kids Helping Kids coordinator

Individual Counseling & Group Counseling Services

School counseling is a short-term, problem-solving oriented resource available to students at MES. It is usually recommended for a student to improve a specific behavior, effective communication skills, conflict resolution, interpersonal relationships, decision making skills, anger management, or other issues that are impacting a student’s performance in school. Referrals for small group or brief individual counseling check-ins can be made by students, teachers, parents or administrators.

Some group counseling areas of focus may include:

• Bullying awareness
• Anger management
• Friendship & social skills
• Self-esteem & confidence
• Grief

*Parent consent is always obtained before a child may participate in a group.

Classroom Lessons

School Counselors work with students through classroom counselor lessons. Topics that may be covered include: bullying awareness, personal safety, respecting differences, conflict resolution, friendship/teamwork building, empathy, etc.

Terrific Kids Program

Marvin Elementary participates in the Terrific Kids program sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Union County. Terrific Kids is a student-recognition program that promotes character development, self-esteem, and perseverance. At our school, all PreK-5^th grade classroom teachers will select four Terrific Kids per year that exemplify the Terrific Kid character traits. These students are selected by going above and beyond to show one or more of these traits on a regular basis. We honor our Terrific Kids and their families by having a special breakfast recognition ceremony. Information regarding our Terrific Kid committee (open to 4^th and 5^th graders) can be found on my website.

Kids Helping Kids Mentoring Program

The Kids Helping Kids mentoring program is a perfect opportunity for our 5^th grade students to demonstrate the leadership skills required of our Mustangs and give back to our school community by helping our special areas teachers. Students selected to serve within this program assist in one special area per week for a 9-week requirement to assist with kindergarten students. Responsibilities of a Kids Helping Kids leader at Marvin Elementary School include, but is not limited to: 1) assisting students, 2) helping teachers set-up materials, 3) distributing materials, 4) cleaning up, and 5) assisting teacher with walking students back to the classroom.

Helpful Links

Parenting & Emotions: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/emotions/

Character Development: https://www.goodcharacter.com/

Bullying: https://www.pacerkidsagainstbullying.org/#/home

Sleep Concerns: https://childmind.org/article/how-to-help-kids-sleep/

Anger Management: https://www.mightier.com/resources/7-effective-anger-management-activities-for-kids/

Stress & Anxiety: https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Resource_Centers/Anxiety_Disorder_Resource_Center/Home.aspx