The Bill Hefner School Counseling Program, in partnership with our stakeholders, will advocate for the safety and success of all students by providing a comprehensive program that meets the range of students' academic, career, and personal/social needs and promotes their equitable access to a rigorous education.

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) strengthens us as individuals, especially during uncertain times. When we practice and build our skills in self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship building and decision-making, we are better equipped to navigate stressors, anxieties, and challenges. This school year we have adopted the “Choose Love Movement” for our school-wide social-emotional learning program. The Choose Love Movement is teaching children and adults around the world how to change an angry thought to a loving one, and live a life filled with “Courage + Gratitude + Forgiveness + Compassion-in-Action.”

“Heroes Helping Heroes” is a school-based mentoring program.  Mentoring is a relationship that provides young people with guidance, support, and encouragement from a caring adult. It emphasizes non-academic goals, such as personal growth, artistic expression, future planning, goal-setting and social-emotional development.  

Parents’ Corner is a parent support group, through the counseling department in collaboration with the Parent facilitator, that meets quarterly. Parents meet with like-minded parents to learn about the tools available to support the career, academic, emotional and social growth of our children.  Topics of interest to our stakeholders are addressed, to include bullying, internet safety, managing holiday stress, and test-taking strategies. Refreshments are served.

Megan Clark    meganclark@ccs.k12.nc.us
Michelle Green    michellegreen@ccs.k12.nc.us

Professional school counselors are certified/licensed educators with a minimum of a Master’s degree in school counseling, making them uniquely qualified to address students’ cognitive, career development, and socio-emotional needs by implementing a comprehensive school counseling program.  Our goal is for each student at BHES to achieve academic, social, personal, and career success through individual and small group counseling, and classroom guidance. We provide consultation with parents and teachers to advocate for students and help them succeed.

April Hunter    aprilhunter@ccs.k12.nc.us

School Social Workers are trained mental health professionals with a Bachelors or Master’s degree in social work.  They are the link between the home, school, and community.  School social workers provide direct as well as indirect services to students, families and school personnel such as monitoring school attendance, promoting dropout prevention, consultation, information and referral, identification of at-risk students, and counseling.  In addition, they provide prevention, crisis intervention, and conflict resolution.

Megan Panebianco    meganpanebianco@ccs.k12.nc.us

School psychologists are highly trained in both psychology and education, completing a minimum of a specialist-level degree program.  they provide assessment and testing of students for special services.  Consultation for teachers.  Counseling for students.  In addition, they provide prevention, crisis intervention, conflict resolution, and program modification for special learning and/or behavioral needs.

Phone: 910-860-7058
Available: Tuesdays and Wednesdays
The EC Case Teacher can address concerns for students eligible for special education services. They can verify service implementation and communicate with the student’s team to meet their academic and functional needs. In addition, she can coordinate Child Find. This is a coordinated effort between the Student Services Team and the Exceptional Children Services to locate and identify children and youth suspected of or diagnosed with a disability who might have intellectual, physical, or emotional disabilities and are unable to benefit from the regular school program without special assistance.

School nursing is a specialized practice of professional nursing that advances the well-being, academic success and life-long achievement and health of students.  School nurses facilitate health services such as immunizations, communicable disease control, vision and hearing screening, and follow-up, health assessments, and referrals, and health counseling and information for students and families.  School nurses actively collaborate with school personnel, students and parents to create health plans and to administer medication.