Five more schools have earned Delaware’s Sapphire Award for Excellence in School Counseling. The 2024-2025 Sapphire Award schools are: Lake Forest Central Elementary (Lake Forest); Milton Elementary (Cape Henlopen); Anna P. Mote Elementary (Red Clay Consolidated); POLYTECH High School (POLYTECH); and Sarah Pyle Academy (Christina). 

This state recognition, celebrating its 5^th year, recognizes school counseling programs that are comprehensive, data-informed and designed to serve all students.

“These schools have shown their commitment to students by providing high-quality school counseling services,” Secretary of Education Mark Holodick said, noting each program uses a combination of classroom lessons, small group counseling and individual counseling to support the success of its students.

The schools design programming to meet the specific needs of their students.

Mindy Adams, school counselor at Milton Elementary and the Delaware School Counselor Association’s current school counselor of the year, is committed to forming relationships with her students, families, staff and community.  Her students benefit from her use of data and implementation of early interventions for students focused on their attendance, behaviors and academics. Her students are the winners because of her outstanding efforts.  

School counselors, Angela Johnson and Kristin Nye, from Anna P. Mote Elementary, analyzed their data and recognized the need for early intervention for students with chronic unexcused absences. One of their interventions included a breakfast club consisting of daily check ins with the counselors, mindfulness activities, problem solving, and planning for a positive day. Post-intervention data showed their efforts positively impacted those frequently absent students.

Lake Forest Central’s school counselors, Thomas Garrett and Jenny Satterfield, strive to create a safe, nurturing and inclusive environment where all students can feel empowered to learn.  Their program provides access to a diverse range of learning opportunities fostering self-discipline, motivation, encouraging lifelong learning where all students feel prepared for the future.   

POLYTECH’s team of counselors recognize the important correlation between earning credits and success in high school. School counselors – David Eilers, Krissy Hall, Aaron Kellam, Takara Kellam, and Sean Kenney — work with their 9^th graders on organizational skills, motivation, and future planning to help them develop habits that will contribute to their success. Their intentional interventions lead to an increase in the total number of credits the freshman earned this past year compared to previous years.

Finally, school counselors, Amanda Applegate and Laura Malmstrom from Sarah Pyle Academy capitalize on the uniqueness of their program to provide targeted supports to their students. Sarah Pyle Academy students use their Personalized Learning Plan system to monitor their progress towards graduation. The school counselors work with the students both individually and in the classroom to ensure they not only know how to use the system, but that they also regularly reflect on their progress and write about it. Their interventions have increased student success, and the counselors are now working on a plan to utilize this same type of structure to help students review and reflect on their attendance as well.

Research shows that school counseling programs that are aligned to the American School Counselor Association’s (ASCA) National Model improve student outcomes. These comprehensive programs: 

•  Are based on data-informed decision-making;
• Are delivered to all students systematically;
• Include developmentally appropriate curriculum focused on the mindsets and behaviors all students need for postsecondary readiness and success;
• Close achievement and opportunity gaps; and
• Result in improved student achievement, attendance and discipline.

Through the Delaware Department of Education’s partnership with the Delaware School Counselor Association (DSCA) and the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), all five schools are now eligible to also receive ASCA’s Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) award.

These schools are the first schools in Lake Forest, Cape Henlopen, Red Clay, POLYTECH, and Christina to earn this recognition. They join Smyrna High School (Smyrna), South Dover Elementary (Capital), Kent County ILC (Capital), and Bunker Hill Elementary (Appoquinimink) who have all earned the award in previous years.

The Sapphire Award is open to all Delaware public school districts and charter schools. School counseling programs must be implemented by a state-certified school counselor.

Media contact: Alison May, alison.may@doe.k12.de.us, 302-735-4006

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