Belle Elementary is very proud to have an amazing Elementary Counselor to work with our students and families. Heidi Krause has been the Belle Elementary Counselor since 2020. Her counseling degree is from Lincoln University in Jefferson City. Her favorite part of counseling is being able to talk to students each day and make them feel more comfortable and ready to learn here at Belle Elementary.
"I try my best to speak with every single student at breakfast each morning even if it is just a quick hello so they know who I am and that I care about them and I am safe to talk to if they need to. Being a counselor is so much more than just talking to the kids, I make sure they have the things they need to be successful whether it is supplies, a coat, an extra word of encouragement or to talk about something that is stressing them out and making it hard to learn. I love my job and the students at Belle Elementary School," Heidi Krause.
Elementary Counseling is held each week with all of the Elementary students. She teaches a variety of counseling lessons covering topics such as bullying, career development, handling our emotions, self efficacy and more. She provides both indivdual and small group counseling sessions. She assists with afternoon snacks.
Mrs. Krause also handles much of our community outreach. She assists community groups in distributing gifts and meals at Christmas and Thanksgiving. She distributes backpack buddy food bags. She maintains coats and shoes that she shares with students in need. "We have a very giving community and I'm glad to be able to pass on the donations they give to the people who could use them," said Krause.
Mrs. Krause coordinates the Good Citizen Ice Cream Socials that are held each quarter at Belle Elementary.
One of her biggest tasks is administering and coordinating the 3rd and 4th grade MAP testing.
"My goal for the next couple years of this program is to be able to work the schedule to include more group counseling. I have increased my personal counseling sessions this year quite a bit from previous years even with the extra counselors in our building this year. We are seeing a lot of need for individual counseling. I am so thankful to have the extra help in our building to help students have all the help we can give them here at school. I hope the funding remains to continue to focus on mental health and how it affects education and learning," said Mrs. Krause.
If you have questions about the counseling program and services that are offered at Belle Elementary, please reach out to Mrs. Krause at krauseh@mariesr2.org. We are so thankful to have Mrs. Krause as our Belle Elementary Counselor!