Paris Elementary Counselor Lori Nelson Named SC Elementary School Counselor of the Year
Paris Elementary School Counselor Lori Nelson has been named the 2018 South Carolina Elementary School Counselor of the Year. The award was presented on Saturday at the Palmetto State School Counselor Association (PSSCA) annual conference in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The School Counselor of the Year Award honors counselors who are running top-notch, comprehensive school counseling programs. Under Mrs. Nelson’s leadership, Paris Elementary received National RAMP (Recognized American School Counseling Association Model Program) designation in 2015.
Principal David Wise said, “Lori Nelson is dedicated to the well-being and success of every student. She tirelessly advocates for children and works to meet their needs and provide the best opportunities for them to achieve in education and in life. Her contributions that provide mentoring and guidance to other school counselors speak to the respect for her work from her colleagues. This award is much deserved! We are thankful to have Mrs. Nelson at Paris!”
Mrs. Nelson has been instrumental in providing students with programs and services to meet their individual needs. She maintains a “bully box” for students to report instances of bullying, and teaches students strategies to promote healthy interactions. She works with PTA to maintain a Paris Clothes Closet, and has developed a partnership with a local church to provide backpacks filled with non-perishable food as part of their “backpack buddy” program.
“Mrs. Nelson’s empathy is touching to those students who are struggling,” said Paris Elementary parent Rebecca Hill. “She is always looking for the next student to affect, the next life to affect. She realizes her impact is not just on the students at Paris, but rather on the whole individual that will one day have an impact on others.”
This award follows other recognitions for Mrs. Nelson. She earned National Board Certification in 2014. Mrs. Nelson was elected 2016-2017 School Teacher of the Year. She was named a Top Ten Finalist for Greenville County Teacher of the Year and won Second Runner up, or third place out of over 5,000 teachers. She serves or has served on the Greenville County Schools Character Education Task Force, the PAS-SC (Counselor Evaluation System) Committee, the Greenville County Schools Teacher Forum Leadership Council, and the PSSCA Leadership Committee.