Virginia students impacted by the pandemic, Virginia’s Fairfax County school counselor Shari Winston says

Shari Winston, a school counselor in Fairfax County, Virginia, says that even though it’s been three years since the coronavirus pandemic began, students are still behind in some areas.

Shari Winston, a school counselor in Fairfax County, Virginia, says that even though it’s been three years since the coronavirus pandemic began, students are still behind in some areas.

She has worked with kids for a long time. She used to be a counselor for high school students, but now she works with kids in elementary school.

Winston said, “Most kids, whether in high school or here, are socially and emotionally a year or more behind where we are used to being.” “Students who act out when they don’t get what they want don’t know how to say what they want to say.”

She said that all the work school counselors and mental health professionals did before the pandemic or in the years before it has to be done again or taught to kids all over again. Winston said that even though the kids are getting worse, there are signs that they will try to help each other.

“Told their friend, ‘Hey, I think you need to talk to someone, why don’t we go talk to Miss Winston?'”

She said that when kids do things like that or try to sit with her at lunch, she knows she’s making a difference.

“That’s something that’s really satisfying, because I may have helped one student, and then it’s like a telephone game, or maybe that other student has a problem or concern and they know they can talk to a trusted adult,” Winston said.

This week is National School Counseling Week, so Winston’s school, Shrevewood Elementary, gave her a special lunch to honor the week. A first-grader also wrote her a nice note.

“It feels great to be noticed. “It makes me feel small every time it does,” she said.