6th Grade Counselor
Katie Rutland -krutland@camden.k12.ga.us
7th Grade Counselor
Paula Steimel-psteimel@camden.k12.ga.us
8th Grade Counselor
Maiti Horton -mhorton@camden.k12.ga.us
Military Counselor
Melissa Brooky -mbrooky@camden.k12.ga.us
Communities in Schools
Cierra Willingham-cwillingham@camden.k12.ga.us
Get to know your guidance department-learn more About Us!
What We Do
Our guidance team is here to support students and families throughout their time here at SMMS. We provide a variety of support services to all students as well as individualized services to make sure every student has exactly what they need to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. We are here to answer your questions ranging from advanced credit opportunities, academic supports (including 504's), clubs, outside referrals, and anything else you may need. We provide services including the following:
Academic Development: We help students with scheduling, study skills, and overcoming barriers to learning.
Social-Emotional Support: Counselors provide short-term individual counseling and small group sessions for issues like bullying, anxiety, or family changes.
Career & Postsecondary Planning: We assist with career exploration, college selection, FAFSA application guidance, and finding vocational opportunities.
Systemic Advocacy & Support: We work with staff, parents, and community members to foster a safe, equitable school environment.
Responsive Services: We provide crisis intervention and make referrals to outside resources when necessary.
Why We Do It
We want every student’s time here to be a positive and meaningful experience. As part of BOBCAT Culture, we focus on building each other up, outperforming expectations, and strengthening our community. Through the support services we offer, students have the opportunity to grow and accomplish more than they may have thought possible.
School counselors are on the front lines of this work, supporting students face-to-face every day. Whether it’s a fist bump in the hallway, a quick check-in, or a small group session, we are constantly working to equip students with the skills they need to succeed and encouraging them to push beyond their expectations.
Research supports the impact of this work. According to the American School Counselor Association, comprehensive school counseling programs are linked to improved student outcomes, including better attendance, fewer discipline issues, and increased academic performance (ASCA, 2024).
American School Counselor Association. (2024). ASCA National Model: What the research says. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/d8716b30-9a5e-4de3-8af0-61fb76de57c2/ANM-Effectiveness-Research.pdf
Let's Talk Connections
We are excited to offer our students a variety of connections courses to explore different interests and prepare for High School. At the end of the school year, we will give students the opportunity to select preferred connections. While we cannot guarantee specific classes, we try to honor student requests while still encouraging exploration of all connections throughout their time here. Career Awareness covers state mandated material that must be covered for all Middle School students each year.
We are excited to offer many new and exciting courses including:
Art
Agriculture
Architecture
Band
Career Awareness
Engineering Technology
Healthcare Science
STEM Leadership
Spanish
Foundations of Secure Information Systems
Community Resources
Whether you are looking for mental health resources, help with food or clothes, housing information, transportation, or anything in between we have plenty of community resources to help . Our social workers have created an extensive list of supports available here. If you need help with any of these resources or have a different request, please reach out to your grade level counselor.
