From left to right is Jessica Smedley (Hillsborough Township Public Schools' Director of Guidance)
By Andrew Martins, Managing Editor
Counseling within the halls of the Hillsborough Township School District’s facilities recently continued to gain attention from the surrounding area, as a school counselor at Triangle Elementary and Sunnymead Elementary Schools was named the 2016-2017 Counselor of the County for Somerset County.
Rebecca Cordisco received the distinction on May 19 during the New Jersey School Counselors Association’s annual awards program.
She, along with 20 other school counselors from the other counties, were recognized as "professionals who devote their careers to serving as advocates, and often lifesavers, for the nation’s students."
The school counselors are nominated for this honor by their colleagues and selected by their own county’s School Counselor Association.
Jessica Smedley, the director of Guidance at Hillsborough Township Public Schools, praised Cordisco for her professionalism and willingness to serve the district’s students.
“Rebecca (Cordisco) is approachable and has an ease about her,” she said. “She is able to quickly recognize individual’s strengths and positive experiences and build on those as she works with her diverse school communities of students, parents, caregivers and teachers.”
NJSCA officials said candidates are regularly chosen for their "ability to deliver an effective school counseling program" that places an emphasis on advancing a student’s academic development, career counseling and personal or social support.
Officials said this year’s winners also stood out as counselors who worked to be "leaders of systemic change, advocates for students, and collaborative professionals who seek the success of the ‘whole’ student in school and in life."
The distinction came weeks after district officials announced plans to expand the guidance department with the hiring of three additional counselors.
As it stands, the district employs three counselors to serve its six elementary schools. With the additional staff, officials said the counseling needs of the schools’ students and staff will be more easily addressed.
In order to make room for the budget changes, officials eliminated one tech coach and one transitional primary (TP) teacher positions.
Earlier this year, district officials also praised the work of Auten Road Intermediate School’s counselor Angela Cleveland, who had been named the 2017 New Jersey School Counselor of the Year.
