Mrs. Jones is committed to fostering a positive learning environment that builds community, promotes unity, provides connections, personal growth, and respect for all. Her dedicated efforts to develop and nurture the whole child can be witnessed daily in her interactions with students, parents, staff, and community. Mrs. Jones responds to our student’s needs, via the counseling curriculum lessons, small groups, and individual sessions. She responds to the needs of parents and the community by consulting, sharing parenting tips and being available to support families in times of need.

Mrs. Jones is a valuable contributor to Prairie Trail (PT). She serves on the Response to Intervention (RtI) team, 504 committee, Prevention And Wellness Systemic Program (PAWS) committee, Gifted and Talented committee, Building Leadership Team (BLT) and is the campus coordinator for the No Place for Hate Program, Red Ribbon Coordinator, and the College and Career Coordinator. Beyond our campus, she serves on the Lewisville Independent School District (LISD) team that plans the Historically Black College and University Fair for students in grades 10th through 12th grade, counsels families at the district's Family Center as well as she presents for counselors during summer Professional Development. Mrs. Jones is also trained in Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (CPI) and working with victims of sexual assault.

The Prairie Trail Prevention And Wellness Systemic Program (PAWS) committee is the social and emotional team (Counseling Advisory Council) for our campus and sets goals and implements activities to address the needs of our campus. The committee has a representative from each team on campus, a PTA representative and a parent representative. The committee meets a minimum of once per nine weeks. The committee members are:

Cynthia Jones - Counselor, Wendi Vaughn - Principal, Melissa Box - Kindergarten,

Lyndse Ellis - First Grade, Michele Pearson - Second Grade, Kathy Litherland - Third Grade,

Jill Miller - Fourth Grade, Janet Hernandez - Fifth Grade, Laura Hammel - Special Education,

Jillian Ventura - Specials, Rebecca Black - Office, Bethany Thornton - PTA

and Kim Perry - Parent

Prairie Trail PAWS Plan here.

Use of the End of Year Program Evaluation:

At the end of the 2018/2019 school year, the students, teachers, and community provided feedback on the counseling curriculum and programs during the school year. The PAWS community reviewed the feedback and reflections and designed a program to support the social and emotional growth of our students and staff.

Prairie Trail ES 2019 EOY Survey here.

The purpose of the PAWS committee is to guide and support our campus’ environment and activities; advise our guidance and counseling program and provide a safe learning atmosphere for all of our students. This committee provides input, along with the Lewisville ISD expectations, Texas State Model and the ASCA National Model of standards, as to how the counseling curriculum and programs will provide services during the school year. The PT Campus Improvement Plan is also used to make plans for the campus.

Prairie Trail Campus Improvement Plan here.

In Lewisville ISD, our promise to our students, staff, parents and the communities we serve is simple - All of our students enjoy thriving productive lives in the future they create. This phrase illustrates who we are as a district, and demonstrates LISD's fundamental organizational values.

The LISD Counseling Department supports this promise and makes every effort to advocate for our students, our staff and our community as we empower 21st Century Learners.

As proponents of the Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs, LISD Counselors are highly trained Professional Counselors in the areas of:

• Putting students first
• Supporting Social and Emotional wellbeing
• Creating a safe environment
• Encouraging opportunities for each student to reach their maximum potential
• Promoting College and Career Readiness

LISD Guidance and Counseling Vision, Mission, Goals, and Beliefs here.

Definition: The LISD Counseling Department counselors will provide all students with safe, nurturing, inclusive, and flexible learning environments. We guide all students as they plan, monitor, and manage their own educational, career, and personal-social-emotional development.

Counselors intervene on behalf of students with immediate personal concerns or problems in the areas of personal-social-emotional, career, and /or educational development. Counselors provide system support for our diverse communities through consultations, parent education, and community partnerships.

Rationale: The LISD Counseling Department Implement a curriculum that develops students to have personal-social-emotional competencies and educational development. As Professional Counselors we provide data-driven guidance programs that are meaningful, relevant and promote student self-advocacy and personal wellness.

Assumptions: The LISD Counseling Department is most effective when:

• The Professional School Counselor roles are defined and regulated by district and campus personnel.
• An accountability system is put in place that reflects counseling ethics, standards and expectations of our district, state, and nation.
• Data is utilized to develop, implement, and assess our comprehensive guidance and counseling programs.
• Beginning of the Year calendar and End of the Plan calendar plans are implemented.

Prairie Trail 2019 Needs Assessment here.

Prairie Trail's school counseling program goals were developed after reviewing the LISD GC vision, mission, and goals and the data from the Prairie Trail 2019 Needs Assessment Survey. By implementing SMART school counseling goals, we are able to address the needs and concerns of our student body. Data reflects that our students can have success and enjoy a thriving, productive life - in the future they create - if they are engaged by our staff and our community in an atmosphere where they feel safe.

Mrs. Jones evaluates using SMART goals for the counseling curriculum and programs throughout the school year. She consults with the PAWS committee to assure that the services provided by the Prairie Trail counseling program are meeting the needs of the student body, parents, and community. Data is continuously collected to assess the effectiveness of the counseling guidance curriculum by way of assessments, surveys, and feedback.

Individual Planning: Mrs. Jones engages with each student with a minute meeting to survey safety concerns on campus, social relationship skills and allows an opportunity to share any concern they may have in their school or home life.

Guidance: Mrs. Jones meets with each class to introduce herself to them and to get to know something about each of them. She shares the expectations of her role as the counselor on campus and makes sure they understand that she is available to be on support as they need her. She also uses the Second Step Curriculum to educate about bullying and personal safety.

Responsive Services: Mrs. Jones responds to the needs of the student body, parents, staff, and community. This is done via individual meetings, small group planning, conferences, and consulting. She also responds to emails, phone calls, and sharing educational information to parents via email blast.

System Support: At the beginning of each school year, Mrs. Jones provides training and education for the Prairie Trail staff on the proper protocols and procedures for responding to:

• Bullying/David's Law
• Child Abuse/Sexual Abuse
• Dating Violence
• Drug and Alcohol Prevention
• McKinney-Vento
• Sexting
• Suicide Prevention

The training provides our staff with the knowledge to assure the safety and welfare of our students is a priority.

Individual Planning

• Minute Meetings
• Community Mentors
• 504 Planning
• RTI Planning
• Social Skills Groups
• Self Regulation Groups
• Middle School Transition with 5th graders

Guidance

• Second Step Curriculum lessons that address bullying, personal safety, and social skills
• Drug and Alcohol Awareness lessons
• 4th and 5th - grade Parent education presentation about Vaping
• 4th and 5th - grade presentation about Vaping

Responsive Services

• Gently Used Book Drive
• Poster campaign for Drug Awareness by grade level
• Stuff the Panty
• Prairie Trail Angel Tree
• Sadie's Sleigh Toy Drive (collect toys for children in the hospital during Christmas)
• Gently Used Coat and Jacket Drive (Denton County Friends of the Family)
• The Counselor is "IN" Booth for Fallfest
• Mental Health Student Risk Assessments

System Support

• Helping Hands Committee (5th graders)
• Start with Hello activities
• Wellness Wednesdays for Staff
• Morning Greeters (5th graders)
• No Place for Hate activities
• Circle of Friends (all grade levels)
• Red Ribbon Week activities
• Gen Tx activities
• College and Career Week activities

Prairie Trail is in its 9th year for No Place for Hate - making it the longest-running elementary site in LISD. Our counselor helps to implement and complete the program expectations with success. Each year the student body makes the No Place for Hate Promise. The program has four activities that must be completed. PT enjoys the Mix it up days the best! PT has also participated in the Wonder Movement by having a family movie night to watch "Wonder" and having Penpal Classroom Relationships established with the American Craniofacial Association. Lastly, the writing activity "I am Unique because...." allows the students to share what makes them a valuable part of Prairie Trail.

Helping Hands, our 5th-grade community service club, along with our Prairie Trail Community collected 85 toys in a partnership with Sadie's Sleigh Toy Drive. Sadie Keller is a Leukemia Survivor that collects toys for children who are in the hospital with illnesses during the Christmas Holidays. Our community was very receptive to making contributions to Sadie's Sleigh Toy Drive.

The Texas Model

The purpose of the guidance curriculum is to teach students how to develop transferable skills. Through the use of the Second Step Curriculum, our counseling department has the tools to help students learn and transfer skills from classroom settings to use in day to day experiences.

The purpose of responsive services is to intervene on behalf of students whose immediate personal concerns or circumstances put their continued educational, career, personal and social development at risk.

Our PT counselor has the opportunity to share the appropriate balance when she provides small groups for our students. Based on the data from the Minute Meetings, 1.2 percent shared that they do not feel safe in the classroom due to classmate's responses to strong emotions. PT's stakeholders contributed to meeting this need for students. Grade level teachers provided feedback and recommended students that would benefit from small group support to learn how to manage strong emotions. Parents provided feedback and gave permission for their students to participate in the Lunch Bunch. Students walked away with a better understanding of how to recognize, and practice the tools provided to help them manage strong emotions.

PT Fall Minute Meeting here.

PT Fall Minute Meeting graph here.

As our Prairie Trail counselor seeks to provide the comprehensive school counseling program for our students, teachers, parents, and community; she also strives to support, encourage, and give direction for the children on our campus. With the shared responsibility and the network of support from our many stakeholders, Mrs. Jones knows it takes our whole community to promote success for each student. The collaboration of efforts from teachers, parents and our community is the foundation for this success. This is done by collaborating, managing, overseeing the implementation, and evaluation of all the programs and services delivered. Our school counselor continues to nurture these partnerships by regular communication and fostering relationships with PT's stakeholders. Their valued support touches each aspect of the school counseling program.