Student Services
Mission: Student Services is committed to supporting the instructional process by identifying and eliminating barriers to learning, advocating for the needs of the whole child, and empowering all students to become lifelong learners in the 21st century.
The EC Case Teacher can address concerns about the student's eligibility for special education services. They can verify service implementation and communicate with the student’s team to meet their academic and functional needs. In addition, she can coordinate Child Find. This is a coordinated effort between the Student Services Team and the Exceptional Children Services to locate and identify children and youth suspected of or diagnosed with a disability who might have intellectual, physical, or emotional disabilities and are unable to benefit from the regular school program without special assistance.
School Counselors
Professional school counselors are certified/licensed educators with a minimum of a Master’s degree in school counseling, making them uniquely qualified to address students’ cognitive, socio-emotional and career development needs by implementing a comprehensive school counseling program. They also provide consultation, individual and group counseling, and academic advice. In addition, they provide prevention, crisis intervention, and conflict resolution.
Our school counselors are:
Arlecia Saunders Email Arlecia Saunders
School Social Worker
School Social Workers are trained mental health professionals with a Bachelor's or Master’s degree in social work. They are the link between the home, school and the community. School social workers provide direct as well as indirect services to students, families and school personnel, such as monitoring school attendance, promoting dropout prevention, consultation, information and referral, identification of at-risk students, and counseling. In addition, they provide prevention, crisis intervention, and conflict resolution.
Sivi Collins-DiPaolo Email Sivi Collins-DiPaolo
School Psychologist
School psychologists are highly trained in both psychology and education, completing a minimum of a specialist-level degree program. They provide assessment and testing of students for special services. Consultation for teachers. Counseling for students. In addition, they provide prevention, crisis intervention, conflict resolution, and program modification for special learning and/or behavioral needs.
Aisha Wilson Email Aisha Wilson
School Nurse
School nursing is a specialized practice of professional nursing that advances the well-being, academic success and life-long achievement and health of students. School nurses facilitate health services such as immunizations, communicable disease control, vision and hearing screening and follow-up, health assessments and referrals, and health counseling and information for students and families. School nurses actively collaborate with school personnel, students and parents to create health plans and to administer medication.
Birgit Ballard Email Birgit Ballard
Military Family and Youth Liaison
The military family and youth liaison (MFYL) acts as a communication link between the installation and the school district in order to ease the transition for military students. The MFYL coordinates and supports efforts to: assess needs, build awareness of resources, and connect those with needs to supportive solutions.
Brandon Jones Email Brandon Jones
Military Connection
Military Student Transition Consultant (MSTC)
Tanisha Perkins, M.Ed
Email Tanisha Perkins
Office 910.678.2623
For details on the MSTC Program
The MSTC is a highly specialized education professional embedded with the school district. The MSTC is assigned specific schools like Douglas Byrd Middle School to provide assistance to military-connected students with needs related to increasing support systems for social-emotional well-being and transition. The MSTC will perform activities and deliver professional development within the school and community to support this goal. The MSTC works directly with children and parents on a daily basis.”
Community Resources
Dial 2-1-1 or visit NC211