Sallie Pierce, right, a guidance counselor at Southern Elementary School (Pulaski County), receives her award from Kentucky Counseling Association President Tammy Hurst after being named KCA's 2016 Outstanding Elementary School Counselor. Photo submitted

Sallie Pierce, right, a guidance counselor at Southern Elementary School (Pulaski County), receives her award from Kentucky Counseling Association President Tammy Hurst after being named KCA’s 2016 Outstanding Elementary School Counselor.
Photo submitted

Sallie Pierce, a guidance counselor at Southern Elementary School (Pulaski County), was named the 2016 Outstanding Elementary School Counselor by the Kentucky Counseling Association.

Pierce has worked at Southern Elementary for 17 years and has been the counselor there for 10 years. In addition to providing guidance for students, she provides classroom counseling for the 30 classrooms in the building on a regular schedule.

Southern Elementary Principal Keith Patrick called Pierce a leader for both students and staff. He said that in the past five years, the school has reduced classroom and school discipline referrals by about 70 percent.

“This is due to her monitoring and contributions to the administrative staff in identifying and providing guidance to us,” Patrick said.

Pierce is especially dedicated to ensuring that students needing Response to Intervention receive the services that will help them become more successful.

She serves on the Kentucky Association of School Administrators safety committee, which provides guidance and promotes legislation in the area of school safety. She also has served on a number of committees within the school and works with Pulaski County’s 51:10 program, a collaboration between churches, schools and the community that provides food for students and others in the community who cannot provide enough for their families.

“She has led each committee she serves on with a fierce and solid approach of, ‘What is best for the students?’” Patrick said. “Whether it be in the school, community or at the state level, Mrs. Pierce continually promotes the counseling process across all levels and community services.”