Counselor Connection

Thank you for partnering and supporting the Sparks Counseling Program to help serve the students, staff, and community of Sparks Elementary.

Here's what's in the April Newsletter:

• Exam for Acceleration Information
• Understanding Eating Disorders in Children & Teens
• March Highlights
• April Character Trait-Judgment
• Learn more about the Guidance and Counseling Program at Sparks Elementary
• T-CHATT Information (Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine)
  
• Family Resources
• R.E.L.I.C. Cart Donations
• Counselor Connection Classroom
• Recharge Your Spark Zen Room for teachers and staff

Exam for Acceleration (EA) - Provides an opportunity to earn grade level or course credit in which no prior formal instruction was completed. The EA is designed for a very small percentage of learners who have both the academic and emotional need to advance a course. Exam for Acceleration is not designed for grade level recovery when a student is retained in a previous grade level. Students must demonstrate mastery of 80% or higher on an EA to earn credit.

The only students who should take an exam for acceleration are those who display an extremely advanced level of understanding of the learning objectives assessed on the EA which will be the grade level/course above the grade level/course in which your child is currently enrolled.

If you are interested in Exam for Acceleration, Window A is accepting applications between April 15, 2024 through May 8, 2024. You must reach out to me, Sparks School Counselor, within those dates and fill out the EA form. Please carefully review the EA form before submitting.

*The EA form is NOT the district application but needed to initiate the application.

Hi Sparks Families! I am honored and excited to serve our Sparks community again this year. This will be my 2nd year as the Sparks Counselor and 5th year as a school counselor. I also come to you with 10 years of teaching experience, all in the 4th grade.

I grew up in Odessa, TX and graduated from Permian High School. GO MOJO! If you have read or watched the movie Friday Night Lights, Permian HS is where it takes place. After high school, I received my Bachelors in Child and Family Studies followed by my Masters in School Counseling and Licensed Professional Counseling (LPC) from The University of Texas at the Permian Basin.

I have two children that attend FISD schools. My older one is in high school and keeps us super busy with competitive hip hop dance. My younger one is in elementary and we are running around with soccer, football, and basketball. We also have 2 dogs, Dez and Cooper (can you tell we are Dallas Cowboy fans?) I share our amazing life with my high school sweetheart husband of 24 years.

My goal for this year for all students is to develop the academic, social, and career skills of all learners within a comprehensive school counseling program that displays the Sparks Core Values: Relationships, Excellence, Leadership, Integrity, and Collaboration. (R.E.L.I.C)

Email: duckworthc@friscoisd.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/friscoisd.org/sparkselementarycounselor/home
Location: 8200 Otis Dr, Frisco, TX, USA
Phone: 469-633-3004
Twitter: @counselorduck