Counselor's Corral

Welcome Murchison Parents

     I look forward to working with your child this year.  I want your child’s experience at Murchison to be a positive one.  I make every effort to get to know each student personally and make each of them aware of the services I provide.  I will be working closely with your child’s teacher throughout the year and will visit your child’s classroom for guidance lessons on a regular basis.

     If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child and feel I may be able to help, please feel free to contact me at 594-6000 or dana.sanchez@pflugervilleisd.net.  I will help in any way I can, or I will put you in contact with other professionals who can meet your child’s needs. 

 Dana Sanchez is the counselor at Murchison Elementary.  She is a certified school counselor with a B.S. in education and an M.Ed. in Counseling and Guidance.  She has 17 years of experience in education.

Counseling services available

at Murchison

Guidance Lessons

     Every two weeks, the counselor will visit your child’s classroom and teach a guidance lesson to the group.  These lessons are designed to help your child become successful at school and in life.  The topics will include promoting self esteem, goal setting, problem solving skills, character education, personal safety, and bullying prevention. These lessons are taught through books, games, group discussions and role playing.

 Small Group Counseling

    Some children meet in small groups with the counselor to work through problems or feelings they may be experiencing.  Some small group topics include dealing with divorce, promoting positive self-esteem, building social skills, and motivational issues. 

These topics are dealt with through art work, role playing, games, books and discussions.  The groups will be held once a week for six weeks. 

Individual Counseling

     Referrals for individual counseling may be made by staff, parents or students themselves.  The counselor meets with the student to understand their needs, give support and offer constructive suggestions. 

 Consultation

     Conferences are held with parents, teachers and administrators to facilitate development of appropriate services for students.

Assessment

      The counselor coordinates the Advanced Academics program, which includes assessing the student’s skills and organizing the components of the student’s profile.  The counselor is also involved in the coordination of the TAKS test and is a member of the 504 committee.

Community Service

    One of the counselor’s jobs is to involve the students of Murchison in community wide efforts.  Some of the projects include a Thanksgiving food drive, a Christmas toy drive, collecting money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, recruiting mentors from Hendrickson High School, etc.

Ways to help your student be more successful in school:

*arrive at school on time

*get plenty of sleep

*homework should be done in a quiet

  place

*ask your child specific questions   

  about their day

* communicate positively with

  teachers and other school personnel

Dates to Remember

January 7-11 Kindergarten Advanced Academics testing

February 1-March 7 Advanced Academics nomination window for grades 1-5

March 17-May 23 Advanced Academics testing window for grades 1-5

TAKS Testing Dates - See district calendar