Counselor's Corner

My name is Janis Gonzales, and I am the school counselor K-12.  I have a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Special Education; a Master of Education in School Psychometry and my certification in school counseling. 

I began my teaching career in Amarillo, Texas teaching reading to elementary students with learning disabilities.  I then taught reading to middle school students with learning disabilities in Vernon, Texas.  While in Vernon, I was called to interview at a juvenile detention center in Manitou, Ok.  I dismissed the phone call at first because I had no interest in being in a detention center.  It continued to weigh heavily on my mind and I decided to interview.  I’m not sure what finally convinced me to accept, because I loved my reading position in Vernon.  I began teaching special education in Manitou in 1997 and stayed until 2014.  Every day was a challenge, but at the same time was rewarding.  I was able to teach reading to 12-19 year old students, many whom had never opened a book.  A big part of that job was learning how to handle crisis, learning how to listen, and knowing how and when to give advice to those students.  I am convinced that I am a better person and counselor now due to all of my experience at the juvenile facility.

I decided in the summer of 2014, that I wanted to be a school counselor, and began working towards my certification in counseling.  I started at the Tipton campus working under the counseling guidance of Mr. Boothe.  Currently, I am the school psychometrist, special education coordinator, and the counselor K-12.  I love my job here, and love working with students of all ages.

The counselor position is often referred to as a resource coordinator.  While we may not have all of the answers, we can certainly find them together.  Attached are some links that we hope you find helpful.  Please keep in mind that scams are often associated with scholarships and financial aid.  If a fee is charged to apply for a scholarship, there is a good chance that it is a scam.   Students need to also look at the scholarship board in the high school as these are updated as soon as I receive the scholarship information.

Note:
It is imperative that all students who plan on attending college take the ACT exam.  They can do this via a national test date (needs to be taken by the February test date at the latest, and preferably the December test date) or if they know which college they plan to attend, they can make arrangement to take it on campus.  If they do not take it prior to March 1, they will not be able to apply for financial aid in a timely manner.