THE PLAYMAKER
"Handwritten notes by teachers, supervisors, and school counselors are not subject to access or disclosure rules under FERPA" - Protecting the Privacy of Student Records, 1997 US Department of Education
FOR COUNSELOR USE ONLY
Student:Kelsi Nielsen Date:October 3, 2004
Note: first visit
Kelsi had a difficult time opening up. Her parents both work during the day and she is an only child. It seems more than anything right now Kelsi just needs a friend. I suggested that she get involved in something. She likes music and verbally committed to getting involved in a club. She thought the drama club might suit her.
-Michael Alvarez, East High Counselor
Date:January 19, 2005
Kelsi came in crying today. She was scolded by one of her teachers for "lack of artistic appreciation." She did join the drama club but feels most club members ignore her. "The popular girl" is "mean to her." We talked about not giving up, having a positive mental attitude, and working to achieve lifetime goals.
-Michael Alvarez, East High Counselor
Date:February 2, 2005
Kelsi came in to thank me today. She is now the pianist for the drama club. She feels very excited. YES!!
-Michael Alvarez, EHC
Date:June 18, 2005
Kelsi came to see me again about "the popular girl." She feels "life isn't fair" and feels angry that "that girl" makes fun of her ideas and (more importantly to Kelsi) "she insults her music".
Note: The popular girl is Sharpay Evans. Numerous students have complained about her and she IS in the drama club. I asked Kelsi directly and she confirmed my suspicions.
She says that she still has "no friends" and that things haven't changed. We talked about expressing ourselves in a positive way and our inability to change others. I encouraged her with her idea to write a musical during the summer break.
-Michael Alvarez, EHC
Date:September 4, 2005
My first visitor! Kelsie err Kelsi. She was surprised that the former counselor (Michael) had retired and was reluctant to talk to me. I decided to "break the ice" with some girl talk (BOYS!). She admitted that a certain boy in the drama club "dances pretty well" and that he is kind to her (I'm pretty sure she's talking about Ryan Evans—I love that family!!). I think there might be another boy there but she wouldn't say. I decided not to push her. Also, she had some folder with her but she wouldn't show it to me. She seems very protective of it. Odd.
I gave her my phone number and told her to call me if she needs to talk.
-Dr. Angela
Date:October 6, 2005
She's back! I offered Kelsie ... Kelsi (why can't I get that right?) some treats today and it seemed to wake her up a little. She seemed really tired. I confronted her about the folder she had last week. She admitted that it was a musical she is working on. She thinks that her musical will get her popularity. I worry about this.
-Dr. Angela
Date:November 1, 2005
Big day today. Kelsi (yay! I got it right!) and I had a major sit-down. We talked about her musical and moving past the day-to-day and thinking long term. She shared some of the lyrics for her songs. "So good to be seen, so good to be heard"? "Breaking Free?" Very disturbing stuff. I'll have to keep an eye on this.
-Dr. Angela
Ps. I've tried contacting her parents to no avail. Oh well.
Date:November 21, 2005
I saw Kelsi in the hall a few days ago (barely) so I was relieved when she came to see me. As usual, she just wanted to tell me all about her musical. Yadda, yadda. This girl is practically invisible. It's bad enough that she looks like a 9-year old but, wow, I barely noticed her! No wonder she doesn't have any friends.
I feel that she is using her musical to make her feel bigger than she really is. I told her that if she wants to be happy she needs to get people to pay attention to her, not her musical. We will meet again after winter break.
-Dr. Angela
Date:January 12, 2006
Kelsi came to "confess" about tryouts for her musical today. It was really boring… so, while I was waiting for her to stop talking I drew a frog. I think it looks great! Meanwhile, Kelsi kept saying the same thing over and OVER again ("I tripped on purpose! I tripped on purpose!"). Blah blah BLAH! As if she actually expected me to scold her for hurting herself! Ha! I offered her two things: 1) another cookie and 2) some advice: tripping over your own piano bench is the wrong way to get boyfriends.
She claims she did it to ensure a certain girl didn't get the lead role and ruin her musical. I have no idea what she was talking about but these masochistic tendencies really have to stop. She smells funny and my head hurts.
-Dr. Angela
Date:January 23, 2006
Kelsi called me over the weekend. She was ecstatic! I'm not sure exactly what happened (when Kelsi gets excited she just kinda blurs all her words together if-you-know-what-I-mean) but I did gather that a couple of her peers performed one of her musical songs and the school "loved it". :) Apparently it brought down the house. :) (I was able to confirm this earlier today with a few other teachers) The story got a little weirder after that… Kelsi said that everyone went back into the gym, finished the game (good so far) and then "spontaneously broke into song and dance". (Huh?) No idea.
Anyhew, the really exciting news is that … (drumroll!) … she had her first date ever! She changed into something that might actually get attention (not exactly what I suggested but closer… we'll work on that) and some guy took her out to Cold Stone. Woohoo! :D :D:D
-Dr. Angela does it again!
Date:February 8, 2006
Kelsi has been a lot more fun to talk to the past few weeks. She's also been dressing a lot snazzier. There have been a few minor setbacks: a few days ago she went shopping with Gabriella Montez and that was a disaster. (Gabriella is another of East High's troubled teens. I've been working with her extensively) Apparently Gabby's new boyfriend Troy Bolton called her up while Kelsi was in the dressing room and Gabriella just took off (Gabby's so stuck on that egotistical jerk I just don't get it, why does she put up with such abuse?). Kelsi was stranded in Nordstrom's for hours until her mom came and got her. On the plus side, she did manage something better than that single-strapped red nightmare she wore a few weeks ago while she was waiting.
-Dr. Angela
Date:April 7, 2006
Note: Dr. Finchley was asked to leave after two other girls at East High admitted that she suggested "losing weight by any method possible or practical." You can guess where that led. I have been asked to come out of retirement until Principal Matsui and the board can find a suitable replacement. After reviewing Kelsi's file I asked her to come in so I could visit with her and see what affect that woman had on her.
Kelsi had an amazing (and unfortunate) success with last Friday's theatre performance. She's finally starting to get the friends she's deserved, but at a price.
She's gained friends but, in so doing, buried a lot of her original personality to try to fit in. She admitted to going so far as to get new clothes so she wouldn't stand out. She and her friend Gabriella even violated East High's dress code on one occasion. They have both been given a light warning given the current situation Angela has left us with. We concluded by talking about finding out where we fit in and belong without having to change who we are. Kelsi's true personality is there but it is going to take some time to recover it.
-Michael Alvarez, East High Counselor