Glade Elementary’s Nikki Ramsay, Thurmont Middle’s Rebecca Krauss, and SUCCESS Program’s Rachel Sessions are the Frederick County School Counselor Association’s 2021 School Counselors of the Year.
School counselors have played pivotal roles helping students, parents, teachers and community agencies navigate the global health crisis and help address physical, emotional and social needs. There were 270 nominations for School Counselor of the Year.
Nikki Ramsay has been a school counselor with FCPS for 16 years. At Glade, she has implemented Wellness Wednesdays (focusing on staff self-care) and Midweek Mindfulness (a program that students can join and participate in mindfulness activities). She has also helped to create the "Leader in Me" program at Glade Elementary, centering around the well-known book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” and reinforcing those habits in daily practice. Mrs. Ramsay is a National Board-Certified Counselor and has been an active member with her local school counseling organization (FCSCA) and a member of her state level school counseling organization (Maryland School Counselor Association). She has been a part of the FCPS Counseling Curriculum Writing Team and has hosted many interns from local colleges.
Rebecca Krauss has been a school counselor with FCPS for 19 years. She, along with her counseling team at Thurmont Middle, created a peer ambassador program with the goal of empowering students to become leaders and make positive connections with their peers. Two of the programs that she spearheaded were “Start with Hello Week” and “Kindness Challenge Week,” in which the peer ambassadors also helped to facilitate. She uses her training in Restorative Practices and Zones of Regulation in her work with students. Krauss has been a member of her School Improvement Team and Positive Behavior Team. She has also helped lead several small groups within her school with various partnerships, including Advanced Behavioral Health, Girl Scouts, and the Frederick County Health Department.
Rachel Sessions has been a school counselor with FCPS for five years. Working with the SUCCESS program, she has facilitated many programs including the implementation of missions within the community. Missions are outings with students into the community that provide them opportunities to engage in functional life skills and community-based learning experiences. Sessions also led a vendor fair so families could connect with several community resources that would help them transition out of FCPS. She has also worked closely with Frederick County police officers through the “Be Safe” program, which encourages positive communication between law enforcement and students.
 Nikki Ramsay |
 Rebecca Krauss |
 Rachel Sessions |