Middle school honored with national designation
Educators travel to Los Angeles for award
WMS educators Dave Ryder, Beth Beal, Jenny Manos and Eric Jackson traveled to LA to receive a RAMP award from the American School Counselor’s Association. Submitted photo
WADSWORTH – When the staff at Wadsworth Middle School began to make big changes with its school counseling programs a few years ago, staff memberes weren’t doing it for any sort of recognition. The goal was just to benefit students at the school.
“It was basically a strong push where we wanted to be more proactive,” WMS Principal Eric Jackson said. “We made a lot of changes because we wanted to be more interactive and engaging with kids.”
But as the changes were implemented and new programming was starting to be a significant benefit for kids at the school, WMS counselor Jenny Manos knew the American School Counselor’s Association would take notice.
To receive a designation of Recognized ACSA Model Program by this national organization, a school must show evidence that its counseling program is doing everything recommended by the association. Manos said she and counselor Beth Beal had to fill out a very comprehensive application including examples of core curriculum lessons the counselors teach to every student as well as small groups programs and district goals.
The school learned back in April that Wadsworth Middle School had received the RAMP designation. The school is one of only 140 across the country to receive the designation and only one of four in the state to receive the designation.
Beal, Manos, Jackson and Assistant Principal Dave Ryder traveled to that national conference in Los Angeles in July to accept the designation.
“It was really exciting,” Manos said. “We got to meet other educators and counselors from across the country.”
Manos said she can see where making so many of these changes has been a benefit, helping children to function and making them happier and healthier. Manos and Beal work with students in several different small groups to work on academic goals, behavioral goals and attendance goals.
Organization boot camp is a popular group that helps seventh graders to become more organized. Other groups focus on testing skills and have helped to narrow the gap on state assessments.
Ryder also took on the role of working with a new attendance policy.
“We started to identify students who had missed an excessive amount of school,” he said. “We intervened and met with the parents.”
“We kept these meetings positive and explained we were concerned and asked parents if there was anything we could do to help,” Manos said. “These meetings proved to be very helpful because it helped me to identify a lot of kids who I didn’t previously realize needed my assistance. Maybe there were anxiety issues or there was a trauma.”
Jackson said the counseling program was formerly more reactive, dealing with a student who already had an issue instead of offering programming to create happier, healthier kids.
“It could be difficult to be proactive when we spent a good part of our day being reactive,” Manos said. “It did take quite a bit of work to get ahead of that, but it has made a difference.”
“The balance has shifted and now we are seeing happier students, happier teachers, a better school environment, stronger communication,” Jackson said. “Wadsworth Middle School is a great place to be.”
“It was basically a strong push where we wanted to be more proactive,” WMS Principal Eric Jackson said. “We made a lot of changes because we wanted to be more interactive and engaging with kids.”
But as the changes were implemented and new programming was starting to be a significant benefit for kids at the school, WMS counselor Jenny Manos knew the American School Counselor’s Association would take notice.
To receive a designation of Recognized ACSA Model Program by this national organization, a school must show evidence that its counseling program is doing everything recommended by the association. Manos said she and counselor Beth Beal had to fill out a very comprehensive application including examples of core curriculum lessons the counselors teach to every student as well as small groups programs and district goals.
The school learned back in April that Wadsworth Middle School had received the RAMP designation. The school is one of only 140 across the country to receive the designation and only one of four in the state to receive the designation.
Beal, Manos, Jackson and Assistant Principal Dave Ryder traveled to that national conference in Los Angeles in July to accept the designation.
“It was really exciting,” Manos said. “We got to meet other educators and counselors from across the country.”
Manos said she can see where making so many of these changes has been a benefit, helping children to function and making them happier and healthier. Manos and Beal work with students in several different small groups to work on academic goals, behavioral goals and attendance goals.
Organization boot camp is a popular group that helps seventh graders to become more organized. Other groups focus on testing skills and have helped to narrow the gap on state assessments.
Ryder also took on the role of working with a new attendance policy.
“We started to identify students who had missed an excessive amount of school,” he said. “We intervened and met with the parents.”
“We kept these meetings positive and explained we were concerned and asked parents if there was anything we could do to help,” Manos said. “These meetings proved to be very helpful because it helped me to identify a lot of kids who I didn’t previously realize needed my assistance. Maybe there were anxiety issues or there was a trauma.”
Jackson said the counseling program was formerly more reactive, dealing with a student who already had an issue instead of offering programming to create happier, healthier kids.
“It could be difficult to be proactive when we spent a good part of our day being reactive,” Manos said. “It did take quite a bit of work to get ahead of that, but it has made a difference.”
“The balance has shifted and now we are seeing happier students, happier teachers, a better school environment, stronger communication,” Jackson said. “Wadsworth Middle School is a great place to be.”
