Ten Oaks Middle School Parents/Guardians & Students,

Welcome to the 2025-26 school year at Ten Oaks Middle!  We wanted to take a minute to reach out to you to introduce ourselves and let you know how excited we are to work with you and your student(s) this year!

Facts about Mrs. Thomas  (School Counselor for students whose last name begins with A-D):

lthomas001@horrycountyschools.net

I have been serving students in Horry County Schools since 2015 as a school counselor.  Before becoming a Silver Fox, I worked at Waterway Elementary and HCS Virtual School. I love my career as it allows me to work with students, as well as engage their parents to be actively involved at school. The idea that I would be an educator had been realized long before I ever became a school counselor, as my commitment to the educational system is evident in my past and current experiences.  In fact, I was a Teacher Cadet while a student at North Myrtle Beach High, where I graduated many years ago. After graduating from high school, I started college at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC, majoring in elementary education.  Life happened, I experienced illness in my family, and as a result, I quit college. I later returned to college at Coastal Carolina University and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. I continued my education at Liberty University and earned a Master’s Degree in School Counseling in 2014. I am certified to work with students in grades K-12. I believe all students need and deserve a solid educational foundation as well as a dependable support system while on their educational journey. I work to empower students to challenge themselves to meet their fullest potential and maximize their success. In my personal life, I am a child of God; I am happily married, and I have one beautiful adult-aged daughter at home. When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, fishing, traveling, Gamecocks football, and Gamecocks women's basketball. 

Facts about Mrs. Goodman (School Counselor for students whose last name begins with E-J)

tgoodman@horrycountyschools.net

I received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (with a concentration in Clinical Counseling) from Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, and a Master of Education in School Counseling (K-12) from Wilmington College in Wilmington, DE. My family and I moved to Horry County 10 years ago from Maryland and settled in the Carolina Forest area.  I have 2 children in the school system, and my husband teaches Physical Education at CFHS.  My first 3 years in the district were spent at CFHS, where I was the lead counselor for 2 of those years.  I then decided to pursue my passion for working with middle school students and was given the opportunity to work at SJMS.  Joining the TOMS counseling team allowed me to not only continue working at the middle school level but also work in the community that I call home.  This school year will be my 25th year as a school counselor and my 27th year as an educator overall.  My years in the educational system have pretty much been split right down the middle, with half of my time being spent at the high school level and the other half at the middle school level.  This experience has definitely given me the upper hand in helping middle schoolers prepare for high school, and for that I am very grateful 😉   In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family and 3 cRaZy Boston Terriers.  I also love nature. 🔆 

Facts about Mrs. Beale (School Counselor for students whose last name begins with K-P)

cbeale@horrycountyschools.net

My name is Cassandra Beale and I am one of the school counselors at Ten Oaks Middle! I feel very fortunate to be a part of the Ten Oaks Silver Fox family serving students in grades 6-8 whose last name begins with K-P. I grew up in Brooklyn, New York and received my Bachelor of Science degree from Hunter College in Health Education. Soon after I entered graduate school at Salisbury University in Maryland and earned my Masters degree in Education. I relocated to the DC area and taught middle school in Fairfax County, Virginia for 6 years. While working as a teacher I entered graduate school once again and earned my Master of Arts degree in School Counseling from The George Washington University. My husband’s job in golf brought my family and I to Myrtle Beach where I had the opportunity to raise my children. This is my 19th year working as a school counselor in Horry County and my 8th at Ten Oaks. I am certified to work with students in grades k-12.  I achieved National Board Certified Teacher status in School Counseling in 2012. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family and friends and traveling. I look forward to working with students and families this school year!

Facts about Ms. LaPier (School Counselor for students whose last name begins with Q-Z):

clapier@horrycountyschools.net

coming soon...

Communication:  

We believe that having an open line of communication between home and school is key to the success of our students.  Throughout the school year, if you should have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to let us know.  As always, if we don't know an answer to your question, we will either find it for you or find someone who does 🙂  Email is definitely the fastest means of communication for us as we are not always in our offices near a phone, but you are also welcome to leave a message and we will return your call. 

What to expect this year:

6th Grade

Throughout the school year, school counselors will be working with you and your student on the transition to middle school.  Early adolescence is a time of major growth.  Brain development occurs at a rapid pace and young people are experiencing physiological changes, social changes, and personal changes.  Your student will meet the school counseling team during the first few weeks of school and also learn how to reach out to their counselor if they have any questions or concerns.  Each quarter, a school counselor will visit 6th grade social studies classrooms to talk to students about various topics related to academics, career exploration, and social/emotional learning.  We have found that 6th grade students look forward to these 'lessons'!

We will work with your student to explore different career opportunities by using online programs such as SCOIS (South Carolina Career Information System) and Naviance.  Your student has access to Naviance until they graduate from high school!  In November, your 6th grade student will have the opportunity to attend a Career Fair in the gymnasium at TOMS!  

A 'Goal Setting' presentation will be shared with students during school and emailed to parents/guardians containing information about various topics including:

Using Naviance to explore careers, Understanding the middle school course sequence, HCS Secondary Program Options, High School Graduation Requirements, SC State Scholarships, etc...  Parents/Guardians will be invited to schedule a 'Goal Setting' meeting with their student and his/her school counselor to review their student's progress and discuss any questions or concerns they may have.

7th Grade

The 7th grade year can sometimes be a roller coaster of a year for many students as they navigate new social dynamics, increased academic demands, and physical changes.  School counselors will provide students with the support and resources to help them develop important skills that will benefit them in the long run.  With ongoing support from parents, teachers and counselors, students can learn to manage their time, develop study skills, and build healthy social relationships.  

We will work with your student to explore different career opportunities by using online programs such as SCOIS (South Carolina Career Information System) and Naviance.  Your student has access to Naviance until they graduate from high school!  In November, your 7th grade student will have the opportunity to attend a Career Fair in the gymnasium at TOMS!  

A 'Goal Setting' presentation will be shared with students during school and emailed to parents/guardians containing information about various topics including:

Using Naviance to explore careers, Understanding the middle school course sequence, HCS Secondary Program Options, High School Graduation Requirements, SC State Scholarships, etc...  Parents/Guardians will be invited to schedule a 'Goal Setting' meeting with their student and his/her school counselor to review their student's progress and discuss any questions or concerns they may have.

8th Grade

Throughout the school year, we will be working with you and your student on navigating 8th grade and planning for their next big journey....high school!  

We will work with your student to explore different career opportunities by using an online program called SCOIS (South Carolina Career Information System).  Your 8th grader will also have the opportunity to attend a huge career expo at the Convention Center called Pathways 2 Possibilities South Carolina!

We will work with you and your student on the transition to high school through the IGP (Individual Graduation Plan) process.  The IGP process begins in the 8th-grade year and continues through graduation.  During this process, you will receive a TON of information on high school and beyond.   We know that your time is extremely valuable and your schedules are very busy, so we will disseminate this information in as many ways as possible to accommodate you and your family's needs.  I will send a Pre-IGP video presentation to you, invite you to come in for an official IGP meeting with your student, and be available for follow-up questions via email, phone, etc..  Students will also view the Pre-IGP presentation during the school day as well.  We will 

As you can see...we have lots of plans and our work cut out for us, but we're in this together!  Thank you for your time and for allowing us to work with you and your student at Ten Oaks Middle School during the 2024-25 school year!

Sincerely,

The TOMS School Counseling Team