OUR COunseling staff
about me:
I love coffee, theater, fall weather, and generally being outdoors! Most of my free time is spent hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and doing other outdoor sports and activities. I played field hockey at the collegiate level. I live at home with my two girls, ages 6 and 7, our big dog, Rally, and my husband, who teaches 8th grade Social Studies.
Pippi McNally, Guidance Counselor
M. Ed, Life Space Crisit Intervention Certified, Animal Assisted Therapy certified
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Hello and welcome to the Swasey school guidance website! I've been fortunate in my career to have worked with children with behavioral needs in many private, public, and residential facilities. All of these diverse experiences have positively shaped the way I understand and approach struggling students.
I started my behavioral work at the New England Center for Children in Southboro, MA, which is a residential treatment facility for children and teens with Autism and other related diagnoses. While getting my counseling degree from the University of New Hampshire, I worked for the Birch Tree Center in Portsmouth, NH, and I also spent two years as both a 1:1 and class paraprofessional in the Rye school district. I then did my internship through Seacoast Learning Collaborative in Brentwood, NH.
Since then I have served as a K-5 guidance counselor, social worker, and outplacement tutor prior to coming to Swasey.
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I believe students need to feel a strong sense of belonging to succeed in school. Students should understand their strengths and challenges as a learner and feel encouraged that they can manage any stressors that come their way.
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My role as a school counselor is to help empower students to be self-advocates, to teach them to be strong problem-solvers, and work through any issues that may be interfering with their learning experience.
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Lana Hoyt, School Psychologist
MS, CAGS
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I have been a school psychologist at Swasey Central School since 2005. Prior to Swasey Central School, I worked at the middle school level in Massachusetts. I have a variety of roles in the building, including primarily administering psycho-educational assessments, and also providing counseling and consultation to teachers and parents.
Pippi McNally and I work closely together on Open Circle, Crisis Intervention, Child Study Team, Coordinating Programming with outside agencies, and meeting the needs of all students during their school day.
A school psychologist evaluates and tests student performance to determine the need for special education services or other support. School psychologists also assist parents and staff in understanding a child's unique learning style.
The school psychologist may also provide counseling to children with moderate to severe emotional needs.