Guidance

Contact:

Audra Hawkins

Christy Keef

706-894-1341 ext 1155

706-894-1341 ext 1703

Email

Links

Habersham County School's Mission Statement

One Team, One Mission, Success for ALL Students

Wilbanks Middle School's Purpose

Our school has embraced the Patriot mascot. Wilbanks is named after a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Captain Hilliard Almond Wilbanks. As we began to identify mission, vision, and beliefs it became clear that our focus for students staff and the community would be the traits that are also identified with the medal of honor: Patriotism, Commitment, Citizenship, Courage, and Integrity.

Wilbanks' 2022-2023 school focus is

WIN THE DAY!

Audra Hawkins all of 7th grade, 8th grade K-L

Christy Keef all of 6th grade, 8th grade A-K

Wilbanks Middle School's Counseling Program

Welcome to a dynamic school counseling program! School counselors are professionally trained to help remove barriers to learning through a comprehensive, America School Counselor Association (ASCA) based model. Counselors see students in classroom guidance lessons, small groups and individually as needed.

At Wilbanks Middle, Mrs. Hawkins and Mrs. Keef work with Habersham county to offer a variety of programs and interventions to reach every student. The counselors provide classroom guidance lessons which may include career planning, goal setting, decision making, test taking strategies and coping skills. They also work closely with other Habersham county agencies to support enrichment programs for our students such as the Healthy relationships program.

In addition to classroom lessons, small groups are also available to target topics of student interest in a smaller environment. Some of the small groups frequently offered include:

Academic Intervention
Problem Solving skills
Organization
Leadership
Grief
Changing families
Bullying Intervention
Coping Skills

Meet Mrs. Hawkins

I have been with Wilbanks middle since 2019 and truly love my school family. I have been in education since 1996, formerly teaching middle school math and elementary special education. I've been in school counseling since 2003 where my experience includes both elementary and middle school level counseling. I received my Master's in School counseling in 2003 and a Specialist in counseling in 2018. Helping students and families resolve conflict and providing support during difficult times is my passion.

I am happy to have the opportunity to work with the best co-therapist ever, Lugz. Lugz is a mini Saint Bernard, rescued from the Hall County Humane Society in 2018. He has completed extensive training to be a registered therapy dog and adds a special level of support to the counseling relationship.

When Lugz and I are not at Wilbanks, we enjoy farm life, where our family lives on a small hobby farm complete with Nigerian dwarf goats, a variety of laying hens and several cross breed cows. All of our animal family love to be petted and hand fed.

Meet Mrs Keef:

Hello Patriots. I am super excited about being one of your school counselors for the 2022-23 school year. This year will be my 20th year with the Habersham County School System. My previous experience includes teaching Kindergarten, First grade, Middle School Health and Physical Education, and coaching basketball and volleyball. I am currently in grad school working on a Master’s of Science in Education (M.S.Ed.) in School Counseling degree.

My husband, Dan, was previously the counselor at Wilbanks, but is now at Habersham Central High School. Two of my children are HCHS graduates and one is currently entering 5th grade. Go Raiders!! We are proud to be a part of a school system that values success for ALL students.

I look forward to working with all the students and teachers at Wilbanks Middle School. Go Patriots!