Counselor's Corner
Providing an opportunity to caregivers to find resources to help navigate the challenges of Intermediate School
Welcome to Our Page!
Welcome to Wilson Area Intermediate School Counseling Page!
Hello! We are the school counselors for WAIS. Ashley Luthcke covers grades 5 & 6 and Nicole Richards covers grades 7 & 8. Our primary goal as your child’s school counselor is to help them be their best selves. We are here to help your student achieve their full potential academically, socially and emotionally. We will strive in our interactions with your child to help them become aware of their own strengths, interests, values and feelings.
What do School Counselors Do?
● Classroom guidance lessons
● Brief-solution focused meetings
● Resources for parents and staff members
● Provide community resource ideas
● Parent meetings
● School Wide Programming
● Team with teachers and administrators to achieve solutions for struggling students
What do students talk to School Counselors About?
● Friendships
● Self Esteem
● Decision Making/Problem Solving
● Feelings (exploration and management)
● Loss/Grief
● Understanding Others
● Study Skills
● Adjusting to a new school
● Setting Goals
● Peer and Family relationships
Classroom Guidance
We both provide classroom guidance lessons throughout the school year. These lessons look different in each grade level, but focus primarily on Social-Emotional Learning. The goal of these lessons is to help students develop an awareness of self, others and the world around them.
Topics which are covered in these lessons can include:
★ Bullying
★ Gratitude
★ Friendships/Relationships
★ Conflict Resolution
★ Emotions
★ Communication
★ Respect for Self and Others
★ Mindfulness
Individual Student Meetings
We will occasionally meet with students individually to facilitate their growth and development through the exploration of feelings and concerns related to issues which impact their lives. Students can be self referred, teacher referred or parent referred.
***Please note, School Counselors DO NOT provide therapy. School Counselors provide brief-solution focused strategies. Referrals for outside counseling services are available for children who may have that need. ***
How does a School Counselor help Parents?
★ Explore ways to help your child succeed
★ Improve Parent-Child communication
★ Referrals to Community Services
★ Supply Reference Materials
★ Information to help you understand your child’s needs
We hope you have a wonderful year! Let us know if we can be of any assistance to you and your child!
Meet Your Counselors!
Mrs. Richards-left
Mrs. Luthcke-right
Mrs. Luthcke is the 5th and 6th grade School Counselor. She is a Wilson Area High School graduate! After high school, Mrs. Luthcke attended East Stroudsburg University where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. She then attended Kutztown University to receive a Master of Science degree in PK-12 School Counseling Certification/Licensure. Mrs. Luthcke has been a School Counselor since 2016. She began her career as a High School Counselor at Monroe Career and Technical Institute in Bartonsville, PA. She came back to her Wilson roots in 2019, where she worked as the Elementary School Counselor at Avona Elementary School and Wilson Borough Elementary School for 3 years. This is her first year as an Intermediate School Counselor, and she is excited to get to know the students and families! Mrs. Luthcke lives with her husband, 18 month old son, and Rottweiler/Lab mix. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, tea, reading, and all Philadelphia sports teams. FLY EAGLES FLY!
Mrs. Richards is the 7th and 8th grade School Counselor. She is a graduate of Salisbury High School. After high school Mrs. Richards attended East Stroudsburg University where she studied Psychology and Criminal Justice. After graduating ESU, Mrs. Richards attended Kutztown University to study School Counseling. Mrs. Richards has been employed at Wilson Area School District since 2005. She spent 5 years at the high school before moving to Wilson Area Intermediate School in 2010. She has worked with all grade levels as an Intermediate School Counselor. Mrs. Richards is the Student Assistance team leader and takes great pride in the service the team offers to WAIS students and families. She is also an assistant track and field coach at the high school specializing in the ‘jumps’. Mrs. Richards lives with her husband, 21 year old daughter and 15 year old son. In her spare time she enjoys all things Philly sports, Penn State and spends most after school hours at either football, soccer, basketball or volleyball contests. She also enjoys reading, crafting, the beach and COFFEE!
The Counseling Department is thrilled to share a parent resource with our families to assist in navigating the rocky middle school years.
The GoZen! Backstory
As founder and Chief Storyteller at GoZen!, Renee Jain is recognized as a pioneer in marrying technology and child psychology in a unique approach that nurtures the hearts and minds of kids. Through her writing, product invention and development, masterclasses for parents, and children’s advocacy, she works to build the emotional intelligence of kids. Tens of thousands of families and professionals testify to the unparalleled success of GoZen!'s programs. Originally a tech entrepreneur who’s suffered with her own anxiety, Renee founded GoZen! to help a new generation of kids, parents and therapists.
Renee is a certified life coach and holds a MA in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. Renee has been personally mentored and trained by some of the top depression prevention experts in the world. Renee is the New York Times Bestselling co-author of highly acclaimed book on emotional intelligence for kids: Superpowered.
The GoZen! Mission
Everything they do at GoZen! follows the principle that emotional well-being can be cultivated through practice. They believe feeling good is a skill! They offer a suite of educational programs and tools designed to give parents and practitioners what they need to arm kids with essential life skills to not only manage anxiety, but to live with deeper engagement and purpose.
GoZen's innovative approach is centered on animated videos that make it fun to learn. They teach everything from the science behind why we worry to specific techniques for overcoming anxiety and discovering one’s strengths.
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