Being a good listener is an important part of my job!

My role: As the school counselor, I can assist your child(ren) with emotional, social and academic concerns. I may receive a referral from a teacher, administrator, or parent. Upon receiving a referral, I may meet with your child to determine how I can best help him. I may determine that your child would benefit from meeting with me for a few individual sessions or I may find that he would benefit from working in a group setting with peers who are struggling with similar issues. In either case, I work collaboratively with parents, teachers and other school personnel to make sure that your child has a positive school experience. Some typical counseling issues include: coping with separation/divorce; coping with the loss of a loved one; making and keeping friends; managing anxiety and stress; and time management/organizational skills. I may refer some students to outside counseling as well.

The Six Pillars of Character

The mission of the East Hanover School District is to prepare our young people to be positive, contributing members of society. A large part of achieving this mission is incorporating character education into the school curriculum. According to the National Commission on Character Education, the term character education can be defined as “any deliberate approach by which school personnel, often in conjunction with parents and community members, help children and youth become caring, principled and responsible” (Williams & Schnaps, 1999). Listed below are some of the programs that are in place at Frank J. Smith and Central Schools to promote character education:

• No Name Calling Week
• Red Ribbon Week
• School Violence Awareness Week
• Second Step

Counseling Services:

• Individual Counseling: I meet with students individually for a variety of reasons. During our sessions together, I may help students recognize their strengths, learn appropriate ways to deal with stress and anger, understand the grieving process, enhance social skills and learn time management and organizational skills. Please contact me and let me know how I can best be of help to your child.
• Small Group Counseling: I meet with some students in a small group who are struggling with similar issues. My primary goal in meeting students in small groups is to encourage friendships and foster positive social skills.
• Friendship Group: Students come to my office during their designated lunch period. We eat together and do rapport-building activities to encourage friendships among students from different classrooms in the same grade.
• Parent University: A variety of lectures are planned throughout the school year for parents. Some topics that have been covered in the past, include: cyber bullying; wellness/nutrition; helping children with homework; fostering social connectedness for your children
• Referrals to Community Services

About Ms. Hourihan:

I am a certified school counselor in New Jersey and New York. I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware and my graduate degree from Fordham University in New York City. I am also a certified holistic health counselor.

I truly enjoy being a school counselor. I have worked with students in high school and middle school, but I feel particularly lucky to be working at the elementary level given my belief in early intervention and prevention. I look forward to being an active participant in encouraging your child to be his/her best self and helping him/her to have a positive school experience.

• Individual Counseling: I meet with students individually for a variety of reasons. During our sessions together, I may help students recognize their strengths, learn appropriate ways to deal with stress and anger, understand the grieving process, enhance social skills and learn time management and organizational skills. Please contact me and let me know how I can best be of help to your child.
• Small Group Counseling: I meet with some students in a small group who are struggling with similar issues. My primary goal in meeting students in small groups is to encourage friendships and foster positive social skills.
• Friendship Group: Students come to my office during their designated lunch period. We eat together and do rapport-building activities to encourage friendships among students from different classrooms in the same grade.
• Parent University: A variety of lectures are planned throughout the school year for parents. Some topics that have been covered in the past, include: cyber bullying; wellness/nutrition; helping children with homework; fostering social connectedness for your children