School Counseling

Welcome to the Guidance Office!

It is the mission of the Fort McCoy Guidance Department to provide a school counseling program that will lead to student excellence in academics, career awareness, and social/personal development.

To achieve this goal, the school counselors utilize a comprehensive guidance program that is preventative in nature. Students at Fort McCoy are provided with instructional lessons that help ensure that ALL students are on the road to success in school and in life.

 

Big three

 

MEMBERS OF THE FORT MCCOY SCHOOL GUIDANCE STAFF

Guidance Counselors

  • PreK – 5th Grade : Mary Taschenberger
  • 6th Grade – 8th Grade : Tiffany McQueen

Support and Diagnostic Staff

  • Elementary School IPC : Kristy Chesser
  • Middle School IPC : Kristy Chesser
  • Guidance Clerk : Shannon Johnsen
  • Attendance : Dianne Timko
  • School Psychologist : Dr. Michael Mishkin
  • School Social Worker : NA
  • School Social Work Assistant : NA
  • Staffing Specialist : Kristina Benner

Counselors Goals

  • Help children understand themselves and others
  • Help to identify children with special needs
  • Provide crisis intervention
  • Develop plans to prevent academic/behavioral problems from developing
  • Provide Career Awareness programs
  • Coordinate the efforts of other professionals working for children
  • Provide orientation for children coming to Fort McCoy for the first time
  • Promote positive attitudes towards persons of diverse cultural, racial, ability, and socioeconomic backgrounds

Phone Numbers

  • Guidance : 352-671-6332
  • Fax : 352-671-6334
  • Attendance : 352-671-6337

Parent Conferences

  • Elementary: Please send a note or call 671-6325 and leave a message for your child’s teacher that you would like to schedule a meeting. They will respond with a scheduled time.
  • Middle: Please call 671-6332. Conferences are held every day from 7:20-7:50.
     

General Information

Registration

Call Guidance at 671-6332 for registration procedures. 
 

Attendance

Taking attendance is the responsibility of the classroom teacher. If a child is not in his/her classroom by 7:45 am, he/she must check in at the Attendance Office before reporting to class. Also, if children are chronically absent, tardy or picked up early, notices may be sent from the Attendance Office in accordance with Marion County School System policies and Florida Statutes. Upon your child’s return to school, send a hand-written note to explain the reason for their absence. If your child has been seen by a doctor, please send the doctor’s note. Any student who is absent more than 5 days in a rolling 45 day period, will be required to have a doctor’s note for further absences to be excused until the expiration date stated in the letter the parent receives. This is in accordance with FL statutes.

Signing Out Early

Any parent wishing to sign a student out early must first sign in at the front office and present identification. Then, please proceed to the Attendance Office to sign out your child. You must be listed on the student’s pick-up authorization list. There will be no checkouts after 2:00 pm.

Advanced Absences

A request for an advanced absence should be submitted to the attendance office 48 hours prior to the first date of the absence. All advanced absences must be approved by the Fort McCoy administration. Criteria considered for approval include: student academic, attendance, and discipline history.

Official Records

Your child's official records have been, or soon will be, scanned into the Skyward student management system. If you have any questions, please call Guidance at 671-6332