Mrs. Katie Mahler is one of the school counselors at Hovatter Elementary. She is thrilled to be a honeybee! This will be Mrs. Mahler’s 11th year of working as an elementary school counselor. She worked for Fairfax County Public Schools for 9 years before accepting her first position last year with Loudoun County Public Schools at Goshen Post Elementary.

Prior to becoming a school counselor, Mrs. Mahler worked as a mobile therapist as well as an instructor in a preschool Autism classroom. She received her Bachelor’s degree from York College of Pennsylvania in Behavioral Sciences and her Master’s degree from McDaniel College in School Counseling. As a school counselor she teaches classroom lessons, provides small counseling groups, and works individually with students to support their social/emotional/academic growth.

Mrs. Mahler was born and raised in Clifton, VA and now resides in Purcellville with her husband and two daughters. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, playing games, and cheering on her favorite football team the Baltimore Ravens.

Please Contact Mrs. Mahler at kathryn.mahler@lcps.org

Ms. Peterson is extremely excited to be joining the Hovatter Honeybee family as one of our school counselors! Ms. Peterson has been a school counselor for almost 14 years. For the past two years, Ms. Peterson has worked at Discovery Elementary in Ashburn. Prior to joining Loudoun County Public Schools, Ms. Peterson served as an elementary school counselor for 8 years and a lead middle school counselor for 3 years.

Ms. Peterson attended George Mason University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology. She then went on to pursue a master’s degree in school counseling from Marymount University. While working as an elementary school counselor, Ms. Peterson continued her studies and earned her second master’s degree in educational leadership and policy studies from Virginia Tech. GO HOKIES!

As a school counselor, Ms. Peterson is very passionate about supporting the academic, career and social/emotional growth of all students. She enjoys delivering classroom lessons, implementing small groups, and providing individual counseling sessions. Ms. Peterson loves collaborating with students, parents, teachers, and members of the community in order to foster a warm, nurturing, and supportive learning environment. She is truly looking forward to the 2021-2022 school year and the opportunity to build relationships with the amazing students and families within the Hovatter community.

Please contact Ms. Peterson at Heather.Peterson@lcps.org

Mr. Schain has been a school counselor at both middle and high schools for the last 15 years and is excited about his move to the elementary level. He previously worked as a case manager at a residential school for teens and as a social worker for social services.

Mr. Schain is married with two daughters in college and enjoys spending time gardening, working on his truck, riding his motorcycles, or reading about pretty much anything!

Please Contact Mr. Schain at jeremy.schain@lcps.org