Meet the Counselors



  • A little about Ms. Magana

    Counselor for Pre-K, Kindergarten, 2nd Grade and 4th Grade: 

    Ms. Magana

    I am very excited to continue building the Faldyn legacy this year!  This will be my 19th year in education and my 11th year as a school counselor.  I have two daughters who keep me busy!  We love going on adventures and building memories.  

    I am passionate about promoting children’s mental health and helping parents understand how to best support their children. I love helping children be successful at school.  I believe children need to feel safe, connected and like they belong at school.  I work alongside teachers and parents to help children develop socially, emotionally, and academically.  

    I am here to help support you and your child in any way I can.  My goal is to help children feel confident in themselves, learn healthy coping skills, and to develop positive social skills.  I believe these skills are essential for developing the whole child. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns.  

    A little about Mrs. Byrd

    Counselor for 1st Grade, 3rd Grade and 5th Grade: 

    Mrs. Byrd 

    Welcome Foxes! My name is Elizabeth Byrd, and this is my first year as a school counselor at Faldyn Elementary. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from University of Houston - Downtown in addition to a Graduate degree in School Counseling from West Texas A&M University.

    My husband and I have a 10 year old son and a 3 year old daughter and we absolutely love watching them grow and explore. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, reading, and cooking.

    I am incredibly passionate about the emotional, social and behavioral success of all students, and believe that the key to success is building relationships with the students, families, and staff. My goal is to support the students with all of their needs and to provide a safe place for them to go if any issues or concerns arise. I cannot wait to see what the 2024-25 school year has in store! I look forward to getting to know all of the students, families, and staff.​​

    If you have any questions or concerns about your child, please feel free to contact me.  
    ​To schedule a conference, it is best to make an appointment via email or by phone first.

     

    Overview of Services and Programs Offered and Coordinated  by the RCFE Counseling Program 

    If you have questions about any of these services or programs, please feel free to contact the counselors.

    Classroom Guidance Curriculum

    ​The school counselor delivers meaningful, engaging guidance lessons to each class throughout the year. Guidance lessons focus on a wide range of topics, like bullying, friendship, or conflict-resolution, in an effort to support students’ academic, social and emotional success. The lessons are tailored to meet the needs of each grade level.

     

    Small Group Counseling

    The school counselor provides short term, goal focused small group counseling to meet the mental health and behavioral needs of groups of students. These students come together to work on a common need or concern. Students develop strategies that will help them be successful in future situations. Students are referred to a counseling group by a teacher based on need and parent consent is required.

     

    Individual Counseling

    The school counselor provides brief, short term, individualized counseling to meet the mental health and behavioral needs of students. Students work on goal setting and strategies to use in order to be successful. Also, the school counselor will recognize and respond to students who have experienced trauma or are in a state of crisis.  

     

    Consultation & Referrals  

    The school counselor collaborates and shares strategies with parents, teachers and other community members to support student success and academic achievement. Additionally, the school counselor refers families to outside community support, resources and services whenever they are needed.  

     

     

    PurposeFull People  

    PurposeFull People is a character development program used at the elementary level developed by CharacterStrong. This curriculum focuses on a character trait each month and includes lessons and activities to incorporate social-emotional learning to cultivate a positive school community.    

     

     

    RethinkEd  

    RethinkEd is a social emotional learning (SEL) curriculum geared towards giving all students the opportunity to achieve academic, behavioral, adaptive, and social/emotional success through strategically designed classroom lessons.  

     

     

    PALS Mentoring Program  

    KISD has a very special mentoring program called PALS (Peer Assistance Leadership Skills). Selected elementary students are paired with high school students who have met eligibility through training standards and participated in a selection process to become one of these dynamic peer leaders. Students are nominated for this program by staff members, and parent consent is required.  

     

     

    KEYS Mentoring Program

    KEYS (Keep Encouraging Youth toward Success) is a district program in which adults can apply to mentor students on elementary, junior high, or high school campuses. Students are nominated for this program by staff members, and parent consent is required.