My name is Mrs. Heather Yarnisky and I am serving as the first Elementary School Counselor at Mahanoy Area Elementary School. I serve students kindergarten through fourth grade. This will be my third year at Mahanoy Area. My educational background degrees include a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Bloomsburg University and a Master of Science specialized in Elementary School Counseling (k-6). I am also a member of the Pennsylvania School Counseling Association. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family and friends.

In case you are wondering what the role of a school counselor is let me explain. Education in America has changed. Schools may look the same as they did years ago, but there are an array of influences driving education reform and having significant impact on teaching and learning. Besides academic achievement schools today are expected to promote career and personal-social development for all children.

Thus, the role of the school counselor is to address all students' academic, personal-social, and career developmental needs by designing, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive counseling program that promotes student success. Services a counselor provide are such as: consulting and collaborating with teachers, parents, and staff, individual and group counseling, conducting classroom guidance lessons, making referrals, crisis counseling, test administration, and community outreach agents. School counselors don't have the answers for everything however they serve as a starting point to help you get there due to their infinite resources. (American School Counseling Association)