• Welcome to OVMS Counseling!

    Office Hours: 7:30am - 3:30pm, School Counselors' Hours: 7:40am - 3:05pm
    Phone: 856-582-5353, Fax: 856-589-0197
    Note: For crisis, use our district Community Resources List

    School CounselorsASCA NJSCA
    Our school counselors have Master's Degrees and are professionally trained in the three domains of school counseling: academic success, college and career readiness, and social/emotional development. Click here for the American School Counselor Association description of the middle school counselor. Under Multi-Tiered System of Supports, direct counseling services include: school-wide activities, classroom lessons, individual planning or counseling, group counseling sessions, referral to resources.
     
    Department Vision/Mission
    The District School Counseling Department is Building Better People by helping all students achieve school success and plan for their future.
    BBP

    All About Our Staff! 

    School Counselor Assignments 
    Assigned by grade level, students stay with the same school counselor all three years of their middle school experience. We do not honor counselor change requests from students or parents. See the most current listing below and feel free to contact your counselor at any time for assistance.

Phone: 856-589-5176 Ext. 5620

Email:

Degrees and Certifications:

Mrs. Rebecca Burr, Counseling Secretary

Mrs. Burr joined the OVMS School Counseling Office as their secretary in August 2018, and before that worked in the Central Administration Office for 6 years. She is extremely excited to be a part of the amazing counseling team and looks forward to getting to know and work for both the students and staff of Orchard Valley! 

Phone: 856-582-5353 Ext. 5624

Email:

Degrees and Certifications:

BA, Psychology - University of Maryland MA, Art Therapy - Marywood University MEd, School Counseling - Wilmington University Certification: School Counselor

Mrs. Pauline Kolodzey, 6th Grade School Counselor (Ms. Lianna Gillespie, Long-Term Counselor)

Mrs. Kolodzey is currently on leave. Ms. Gillespie is assigned as the Long-Term Substitute School Counselor. Contact her at x5624 or ligillespie@wtps.org. 

Mrs. Kolodzey joined the OVMS in 2015. Prior to becoming part of the OVMS team, Mrs. Kolodzey was a Child and Adolescent Therapist at NewPoint Behavioral Health Care, a School Counselor at Wedgwood Elementary, and a School Counselor at Caroline Reutter School. She serves on the OVMS I&RS team, 504 committee, and is a member of the Gloucester County Professional Middle School Counselors Association.

Mrs. Kolodzey holds a M.A. in Art Therapy, a M.Ed. in School Counseling. In addition to being a certified School Counselor, she is also a Registered Art Therapist.

Mrs. Kolodzey enjoys running, snowboarding, drawing, going to the beach, and spending time with her family.

Phone: 856-582-5353 Ext. 5621

Email:

Degrees and Certifications:

BA, Art Education - Rowan University MA, Counseling in Education Setting - Rowan University Certifications: Art Teacher, School Counselor, Supervisor, Director of School Counseling Services, Principal

Mr. Daniel Jedwabny, 7th Grade School Counselor

Mr. Jedwabny is looking forward to meeting the OVMS Class of 2023 and helping them take advantage of all that Orchard Valley has to offer.

Mr. Jedwabny been a School Counselor at OVMS since 2011. Mr. Jedwabny is involved with many organizations and committees, such as the I&RS Team, the 504 Committee, and the Gloucester County Professional Middle School Counselors Association. Prior to joining the school counseling department, he was an Art teacher at OVMS for ten years. Mr. Jedwabny is the 8th grade class co-advisor, and advises the OV Flag Football and Indoor Soccer programs.

In addition to being a certified School Counselor, Mr. Jedwabny holds New Jersey certificates of Art Teacher, Supervisor, Principal, and Director of School Counseling Services. Mr. Jedwabny is a proud graduate of Rowan University (’01,’08) and Wilmington University (’12). He has been honored as OVMS Teacher of the Year in 2011, GCPMSCA Middle School Counselor of the year in 2017, and NJSCA Gloucester County School Counselor of the year in 2018.

Mr. Jedwabny enjoys rooting for Philadelphia sports teams, watching movies, creating artwork, working on projects around the house, and spending time with his family and friends.

Phone: 856-582-5353 Ext. 5623

Email:

Degrees and Certifications:

BA, Psychology and Childhood Studies - Rutgers University MA, Counseling in Educational Settings - Rowan University Certification: School Counselor

Ms. Natalie Marakowski, 8th Grade School Counselor

Ms. Marakowski joined the OVMS staff in 2016.  Prior to joining the staff at OVMS, Ms. Marakowski held the position of Middle School Counselor in Delanco Township, NJ. She serves on the OVMS I&RS team and 504 committee. She also is a member of the District Crisis Counseling Repsonse Team. Ms. Marakowski is a member of the Gloucester County Professional Middle School Counselors Association and the New Jersey School Counseling Association.

Ms. Marakowski has a Master of Arts degree in Counseling in Educational Settings from Rowan University and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology and Childhood Studies from Rutgers University. She holds the certificate of K-12 School Counselor. Ms. Marakowski is currently continuing her education at Rowan University to receive her Student Assitance Coordinator (SAC) certification.

In her spare time, Ms. Marakowski enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, reading, and loves to relax at the beach during the summer.

Ms. Marakowski is very excited to start a new school year with the 8th grade class! Ms. Marakowski looks forward to providing support as the 8th grade class finishes their last year in middle school and transitions to the high school.

Phone: 856-582-3535 Ext. 5324

Email:

Degrees and Certifications:

BA, Psychology - Stockton University MS Ed, School Counseling - Monmouth University Certification: School Counselor

Ms. Alison LaBella, School Counselor/Traveling Counseling Interventionist

Ms. LaBella received her B.A. degree in Psychology from Stockton University in 2012, and then earned her M.S.Ed degree in School Counseling from Monmouth University in 2017. Ms. LaBella entered the field of school counseling in 2017, and has since worked with students ranging from 5th grade -12th grade in a variety of diverse school communities. This is Ms. LaBella’s first year joining the WTPS Middle School Counseling Department, and she is excited to bring her knowledge and wide array of experience to WTPS. Ms. LaBella regularly utilizes mindfulness in her interactions with students, and believes all students have the ability to meet academic and social/emotional success.

Ms. LaBella will utilize MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) to provide direct and indirect services to each middle school. Under this system, Ms. LaBella will provide individual and small group counseling to students, counseling lessons, crisis intervention, and many other tasks as needed. Additionally, Ms. LaBella serves as the Anti-Bullying Specialist (ABS) for all 3 middle schools.

Ms. LaBella has a passion for traveling, home decor, movies, music, and spending time with loved ones.