6 minute read
The Guidance Department
IS ONE OF LEGACY’S GEMS.
Written by: Sam Martin
When Bill McGee came on as Head of School, in 2016, he quickly saw the need to develop a guidance department. Now led by Jena Snyder, the LCA counseling department has three full-time guidance counselors who support all four divisions across our campuses. Its mission is to care generously for the social, emotional, and spiritual needs of the entire Legacy community — students, faculty, staff, and parents.
The counseling team with Shep & Annie The guidance team, mindful that our students are navigating an ever-changing world with increasingly difficult social and emotional challenges, strives to provide innovative and dynamic support.
“The members of the guidance department see Legacy as their mission field,” says Middle School counselor Lana Snear, “and they’re constantly looking for ways to serve, minister, and equip kids and families.”
Mrs. Snyder, Dr. Snear, and Mrs. Gordon are as tight-knit as the Legacy community itself. They work together to support all Legacy students. “Though we have our designated levels,” says Lower School Guidance Counselor Mrs. Gordon, “we collaborate and consult often. It’s a blessing to work with such passionate and strong Christian women who are full of wisdom and eager to support.”
Mrs. Snyder says it’s important for everyone to know that they have “an open door for students to visit us for anything that’s upsetting their social and emotional balance. We want parents to know we’re here for them, too, because parenting in today’s world is no small task.”
Whether your student is five years old and working on interpersonal skills, such as making new friends, or 15 and trying to master the balancing act of managing rigorous academics, a healthy social life, and extracurricular activities, the Guidance Department is ready to serve your family. Our guidance counselors want their offices to be places of refuge and rest in a hectic world, places where all Legacy students, teachers, staff, and parents know they’re loved and supported.
Kristin Gordon:
Early Learning Campus & Lower School
Kristin Gordon — and the Early Learning Campus and Lower School guidance counselor positions in which she serves — is the newest addition to the Legacy community. Mrs. Gordon, a certified school counselor in early childhood–12th grade, holds a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction and educational leadership. She’s currently completing her Licensed Professional Counselor certification. After 10 years of teaching elsewhere, three of which she spent supporting the counseling department, Mrs. Gordon says she was thrilled to join the team at LCA and no longer has to dim her light for the Lord during work hours.
“Because of winter storm damage in February of 2021” she says, “I found myself teaching in a temporary classroom in a local church’s children’s wing, so our students could still attend in person. Being under the public school umbrella, we were requested to cover up biblical messages for school days. It was at that very moment when I realized what a blessing it would be to be able to work with children and also be able to do that while sharing God’s truths with them every day. I feel blessed to say that I’m working for a school that not only allows me to put my relationship with God first and vocalize his impact on my life, but also comes alongside me and supports me and helps me grow. The ability to merge my walk with the Lord with my passion for education is something I wake up grateful for every single day.”
A day in the life begins with opening car doors and welcoming students to another day at LCA. Mrs. Gordon says she appreciates this touchpoint to monitor students who may need extra support or a buddy to walk them to class. She then pops around to classrooms as students settle in for the day, keeping an eye out for those who may need practical help managing a backpack larger than their little body or emotional help in the form of an extra dose of courage. Some days, Mrs. Gordon will make an appearance as a mystery reader, sit in on a parent/teacher conference, or simply push students on the swings and talk about friendship.
At the top of her priorities is relationship-building. She’s always available in her office to listen, encourage, and pray with a student who needs her. Depending on the visit, that may involve learning a strategy or tool to manage a challenge; Mrs. Gordon will even go back with a student to the classroom to work together on implementing that strategy or tool when appropriate. But no matter the day or the specific situation, she’s always ready and excited to come alongside students and their families through life’s celebrations and most difficult trials, encouraging them with God’s constant presence.
Lana Snear:
Middle School
Lana Snear joined the Legacy community four and a half years ago, after a career in private practice. She holds a doctorate and is a licensed psychologist, licensed specialist in school psychology, and boardcertified professional counselor. “Once I walked in the door of LCA, I could just feel the difference,” she says. “There’s love, grace, and a sense of family in the air at Legacy.”
Dr. Snear says she loves that there’s no such thing as a typical day. Students come to her seeking guidance for a variety of mental health concerns or simply for a calming and inviting space to mingle and laugh. She strives to make her office a space where students feel at home and seems to have succeeded, as many will eat lunch there or stop by to work on an assignment.
Because of the way divisions are organized, Dr. Snear has the opportunity to get to know and work with students across four pivotal years in their development. She meets them as fifth-graders, then finds joy in watching them grow and mature through their time in Middle School.
At the core of all she does is building connection and trust with these Middle Schoolers. During a season of so much growth, change, instability, and insecurity, she says she wants to be an anchor to which the students can turn for support — someone who will always point them back to the true anchor, Jesus Christ.
As a department, she says, “we’re not here for the ‘now’ but rather for the future of each child. We believe God is raising up an army and that Satan would love to destroy it, so we’re intent on making sure his army is ready for battle. It’s a great time to be a Christian and an even greater time to be at Legacy.”
Jena Snyder:
Upper School and Director of Guidance
With a master’s in school counseling, Jena Snyder, a board-certified Christian counselor and licensed school counselor, has been at Legacy since 2009. She began as a sixth-grade English teacher and has been director of guidance counseling and the Upper School guidance counselor since 2018. She divides her time between caring for the Upper School students and staff and developing and overseeing campus-wide programs and policies.
If you or your student has ever participated in the LCA You program, a PEP Talk, or the Upper School Student Support Team, you can thank Mrs. Snyder. Although all her time could be spent coordinating these many programs, she’ll always drop what she’s doing to support a student in crisis. These “divine interruptions,” as she calls them, are when Mrs. Snyder shines and her heart is full.
Sam Martin (’07) lives in Frisco with her husband Spencer and their two kids, Lachlan and Meryn. She serves on the board for Down Syndrome Guild of Dallas and volunteers with Hope Mommies.
