This week of February 6th-10th is National School Counseling Week in Arkansas. This week, we would like to turn our attention to Gentry’s school district counselors. All of Gentry’s staff and students send out their gratitude to our counselors for their amazing contributions to the district. 

School counselors are skilled in counseling strategies and they prioritize each and every student’s emotional and social growth. Along with this, counselors are certified to teach personal/social, academic, and career classes in grades K-12 through the American School Counselor Association National Model program (ASCA). School counselors always prioritize confidentiality between the students and families they help. It is a difficult situation but counselors respect privacy. 

Senior Makenzie Owens stresses the importance of counseling due to mental health: “I think it’d be very overwhelming to deal with so many people’s problems every day, so I have a lot of respect for our counselors.”

GHS’s school counselor Dorie Davenport graduated from John Brown University with a Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education. During this time, she was a classroom teacher while working toward her Master’s in School Counseling at Harding University. Davenport is a proud Pioneer here at Gentry as she is an alumnus from the class of 96’! She enjoys cooking/baking and spending time outdoors no matter the activity. Ms. Dorie is located right next to Ms. Linda’s office in the Main Office. If any student would like to meet with her, come by her room or contact her through email or mobile to schedule an appointment (ddavenport@gentrypioneers.com) (479-736-2667 ext. 1005). 

“National School Counseling Week is a week that we have to advocate for our program, let people know who we are and what our role is here at school and in the community, and thank those who help make our jobs enjoyable,” Davenport said.

Jennifer Pointer is GMS’s counselor as well as the high school’s second counselor. Ms. Jennifer obtained her Bachelor of Science in Education (BSE) in Middle and Secondary English Education in grades 5th-12th. In addition, she also has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. She also has her Master’s in School Counseling at John Brown University. She is certified to teach PreK-12 art, oral communications, and drama. Pointer enjoys DIY projects, painting, decorating, and crafts. Ms. Jennifer is located at the back of the teacher’s lounge. Please visit her with any questions or contact her at jpointer@gentrypioneers.com or 479-736-2667 ext. 1012. 

“Being a counselor means a lot to me because I love students,” Pointer said. “I have taught all grade levels from PreK to seniors. I also had a paint shop where I taught paint classes to all age groups, including adult classes. I worked at a community college teaching adjunct classes in watercolor and acrylic painting. In my 19 years of being an educator, I learned a lot about building rapport and relationships with my students. I really like learning about new cultures and people. I enjoy the process of planning future classes and doing interest inventories to see which classes and career fields best suit students’ personalities and interests. I love having conversations about future plans for college, technical, and career pathways. I enjoy explaining credits and grade point averages to younger students so that they fully understand how we prepare for high school graduation and the possibility of a college education. Last, but probably most importantly, I love to advocate for students not only academically, but also emotionally.  Mental health is very important, so we work with students to help them overcome emotional or traumatic experiences. Guiding students and families to the right resources for academic and emotional success is a big part of this job,” Pointer finished.

Remember to tell Ms. Jennifer and Ms. Dorie thank you for all that they do for our students and staff!