Crystal River Middle School

Peer Counseling at CHS
By: Lourelai Cavanaugh-Montgomery Photo credit: Chloe Dunn

Jasmine Pounders is labeling documents for staff at CHS as a peer counselor.

Citrus high school offers many different electives, but have you ever thought of a class that lets you help the staff and teachers at your school? Well, here at CHS we offer our peer counseling elective class. Being a peer counselor can bring many benefits to both students and teachers, these roles provide valuable opportunities for personal growth, skill developments. As a peer counselor you can improve communication skills. engaging in peer counseling and teacher assistance requires effective and strong communication. By actively helping and responding to teachers, students, or phone calls students can develop strong social skills. These skills are not only valuable in the academic setting but also in future personal and professional cases as well. Student Kenzy Phelps shares that answering phone calls in the front office helped her “become more social” and “more comfortable” talking to people she doesn’t know.

As a peer counselor you can improve communication skills. engaging in peer counseling and teacher assistance requires effective and strong communication. By actively helping and responding to teachers, students, or phone calls students can develop strong social skills. These skills are not only valuable in the academic setting but also in future personal and professional cases as well. Student Kenzy Phelps shares that answering phone calls in the front office helped her “become more social” and “more comfortable” talking to people she doesn’t know.

Taking on the role of a peer counselor allows students to develop leadership skills, they learn to help solve problems and make decisions independently while helping their teachers. These experiences can help boost students’ self-confidence and provide a solid foundation for future leadership roles.

As a peer counselor you can provide a lot of support to the staff and educators by assisting with tasks such as, running passes, answering phone calls, grading, or preparing lesson plans. You help take the huge load off teachers even with the little bits of help. Not only can you help with materialistic things, but peer counselors can contribute to a more positive classroom atmosphere, they can help with managing classroom behavior, being inclusive. With less stress and another person to help around it can really benefit the classroom atmosphere Senior Nicholas Schuchard says that the reason he started in peer counseling was because he “wanted to help his teachers, because they have a lot on their plate already, and my help with tasks takes a lot off their shoulders”
peer counselors help in many different ways making a positive impact on our students teachers and staff.

A Tale of Two Cities and Shared Artistry

Caption: Sophomores Chriss Goss and Grace Beno share the sister statue with the public at the Inverness Art Festival on November 4th, 2023, in downtown Inverness (Photo: Paul Saviskas)

Lisbeth Humburg, Student Writer- Nestled in the heart of the Scottish Highlands and bathed in the Florida sunshine, two towns separated by an ocean find themselves united by an unexpected bond—a sister statue. Inverness, a name resonating with history in both Inverness, Scotland and Inverness, Florida, has given rise to a unique connection that goes beyond the mere sharing of a name. “[This art collaboration] represents our community sharing with their community”, said sophomore Grace Beno. All of it started, when Paul J. Saviskas flew to Scotland and came up with the idea when he saw the city name. In fall 2022, the seniors of 2023 which

were in art teacher, Dave Brown’s class started to think of similarities Inverness, Scotland and Florida has, like the Loch Ness Monster and turtles, or the fact that both cities have a natural beautiful landscape. So, they started to work with wood and concrete to make the base of the sculpture.

As the sun dips behind the ancient hills of the Scottish landscape, casting shadows on the cobblestone streets of Inverness, Scotland, a similar glow bathes the tree-lined avenues of Inverness, Florida. While these two locales might seem worlds apart, a testament to their shared identity stands proudly, in the form of a sculpture.

“The base design mostly started with students from last year and then this year we’ve been using different materials like wood or concrete”, said sophomore Grace Beno.

Paul Saviskas and the student’s intention wasn’t just to build the sister sculpture, it was to bring communities closer together. It is to bring more tourism to the world, so people are able to learn about different communities. Around 10 students worked and showed how much they’ve done at the inverness art festival. Paul Saviskas already made a sister sculpture, and our community is more than thankful for all the people working on the sculpture to make it possible so we can have this opportunity.

“The world is big, but if you think about it, it’s actually tiny,” said artist, Paul Saviskas.

The sister sculpture that now graces both Inverness, Florida, and Inverness, Scotland, serves as a tangible symbol of the unbreakable bond between these two geographically distant yet, connected towns. As the sculpted figures stand in solidarity, they embody not only the shared name but also the shared values of community, resilience, and the celebration of heritage. The story of this unique connection reminds us that, despite the vastness of oceans and the differences in landscapes, humanity’s common threads can weave tapestries of unity. The sister sculpture acts as a beacon, inviting residents and visitors alike to reflect on the intertwined histories of these two Invernesses and to appreciate the strength found in unexpected connections. In a world often marked by divisions, the sister sculpture stands as a testament to the enduring power of shared identity and the potential for unity to bridge even the widest of expanses.