sandyimanse GUIDANCE COUNSELOR
March 1, 2021
To Whom It May Concern:
As a school guidance counselor in a small rural school district, the suicidal death of a popular senior traumatizes everyone in the school. When this happened to my school, about 20 years ago, I knew I needed some kind of counseling program for my students and staff before another student may be lost. A school secretary told me about Mrs. Bonita Mitchell and her Thread of Hope Records program. I thought expressing our grief through music would be the perfect counseling approach to use, especially with children. With one phone call, Mrs. Bonita Mitchell was in my school, visiting students in the elementary, middle school and high school to form an all school choir. They worked on a personal musical program, written and sung by our students, along with performers Mrs. Mitchell brought to help us. The theme of the music program was Celebrate Life & Pursue Your Dreams and it was performed in our gymnasium, beautifully decorated with many balloons, with our whole school and some parents in attendance. Music can touch and soothe the soul. With that performance my school was able to be together and draw strength from each other. That wouldn't have been possible without Mrs. Bonita Mitchell and her Thread of Hopes Records program. As a licensed clinical social worker in both Michigan and Indiana, I continue to work with Mrs. Bonita Mitchell in whatever way I can to keep this musical counseling program moving forward to reach and help our children and families.
Sincerely,
Sandy Imanse, LCSW
24
Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software