“You might have met us because we were the ones doing temperature checks as students and families approached the Silver Creek campus.”

Mrs. Martha Bejar, the new Student Advisor for students with last names A-L, has about 1,250 students in her caseload. While Bejar describes supporting students with attendance and behavior as her primary role as a Student Advisor, distance learning has greatly varied her tasks.

Staying in primary contact to support students and families with technological issues, providing step by step guidance on how to get to student’s virtual classes, constantly connecting students and families to school and community resources, distributing textbooks, and supervising students are just some of the responsibilities Student Advisors carry every day.

Prior to joining the Silver Creek community, Bejar had twelve years of experience working with students grades K-12 with her background in school counseling. She is also registered with the Board of Behavioral Science as an Associate Clinical Counselor.

While there are challenges having to work in a new position with limited social interaction, Bejar underlines the importance of communication with the Silver Creek community. 

“This school year I would like to get to know students, families, and staff. I believe that building relationships is key in cultivating a positive environment where students are supported,” she said.

During these unprecedented times, Bejar also understands the anxiety and stress students may be under. For students who are struggling with adjusting to distance learning or with handling stress, she suggests that they create and follow their own schedule to stay as consistent as possible. 

Waking up at the same time every day, taking breaks, and setting a time to work on homework assignments will help students stay on track. Bejar emphasizes the need of this kind of continuity to support the social-emotional state of students.

“Right now, distance learning is like being in college. The reality is, that in college you have to figure stuff out by yourself. You have to manage your time and balance workload with self-care time. That’s why I think that self-discipline is a good skill to develop,” she said.

Bejar is currently updating students with materials posted on Google Classroom per grade and is available during her Zoom office hours.  

“Reach out to me if you need help with attendance, safety, social-emotional issues, or you need to help a friend. We are all learning new things every day and no one expected this (pandemic) to happen. But, we’re here and we have to do the best we can to move forward,” she said.