Position: School Counselor
School: Eastwood Elementary School
School District: Monongalia County Schools
City, State: Morgantown, WV
Anna Simmons was nominated by the West Virginia School Counselor Association.
Ms. Simmons was named the West Virginia School Counselor of the Year. She has a lovely rapport with all students at Eastwood. If you walk in her school building, you will see her greeting children by name, consoling students who are having a bumpy start to the day, and meeting with students in Friendship Groups or in individual counseling sessions. She also conducts lessons in individual classrooms by facilitating social and emotional learning for students. That same rapport extends itself to school staff. She has an open door policy for teachers to come and have coffee and doughnuts with her once a month. On a daily basis, she provides emotional support for staff as they experience the effects of caring for children and families who have experienced trauma.