In her ninth year as counselor at St. Rose Elementary School, Denise Peinado knew she’d been nominated for Louisiana Elementary School Counselor of the Year, but was totally surprised when she won the honor.“It’s very exciting and very overwhelming in a good way,” Peinado said.
Nominated by St. Rose Assistant Principal Lasonn Porter, she was chosen from an estimated 18 nominees.
By winning the state recognition, Peinado goes on to compete for the recognition nationally in January with the American School Counselor Association. Peinado will go to Washington, D.C., representing the Louisiana School Counselor Association.
St. Rose students honored her at a pep rally.
“I feel honored to be recognized for doing what I love to do everyday and working at a school with working with the most awesome children, parents, faculty, staff and community,” Peinado said. “I believe that all of us won this award together because we work as a team, and help each student reach the ‘right side of the mountain.’”
Peinado’s passion for helping children beyond the textbook is rooted in her first career as a teacher.
“I observed children who needed extra support and sought to help them in and out of the classroom so they could do best in school,” she said.
This is when she went to graduate school for school counseling and began providing those resources professionally.
Pionado is credited with developing a comprehensive counseling program “that will develop the whole child.”
She works with the teachers, students, parents and community partners to support her students, as well as provide classroom guidance lessons during enrichment covering a variety of topics based on the students’ needs.
She provides opportunities for the students to work in groups to address the areas such as: anger management with visualization and relaxation techniques and biofeedback, as well as leadership development.
“She knows that she cannot efficiently provide all the services her students’ need. Therefore, she has reached out to the social worker at the nearby wellness center and the wraparound program in the parish,” according to her nomination. “She also works with many other local agencies and departments such as: the Sheriff’s Department and Child Welfare and Attendance.”
Pionado also was recognized for understanding the need for ongoing professional development,which includes trainings such as “Working with Difficult Students, Art Therapy for Grief and Loss, and Oleweus Bully Prevention Program.”
She partnered with the Second Harvest Food Bank to identify and distribute backpacks to students in need of food.
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