Newman Middle School

School Counselor Spotlight

Mrs. Karen Branscum - with 20 years at our school and 29 years in education, our counselor has seen it all—and loves every minute of working with middle schoolers! Some of her favorite parts of the job are witnessing student growth (that aha! moment when social-emotional skills click) and building strong relationships so students always have a trusted adult in their corner.

When she’s not supporting students, you’ll probably find her spending time with her family, sipping on root beer, enjoying a 3 Musketeers, or making a stop at Dutch Bros (her absolute favorite!)
💥Fun fact: she’s married to her high school sweetheart—how sweet is that?!

Her advice to students is simple but powerful:
✨ Always be kind—you never know what someone else is going through.
✨ Be yourself and choose friends who appreciate you for who you are.

Students should know that the counseling office is a judgment-free zone—a place to talk about everything from friendship drama and social media stress to electives and future goals.

If students had to describe her in one word? Approachable

Her go-to advice for students: Advocate for yourself, and always be kind—even when it’s hard.
She wants students to know that the counselor’s office is a safe place—big or small, we’re here to help with it all.

One word she hopes students would use to describe her? Kind

School Counselor Spotlight
Mrs. Cara Paulk -with 26 years in education, she has a heart for helping middle schoolers navigate this important stage of life. She says her favorite part of the job is all of her students—they keep things fun, and helping them grow is a true blessing. When she’s not at school, you might find her spending time with family or coaching cheer and tumbling, probably with popcorn and an unsweet tea close by. One fun fact? She’s a former NMS student and has worked at NMS ever since graduating college—talk about school pride!

Her go-to advice for students: Advocate for yourself, and always be kind—even when it’s hard.
She wants students to know that the counselor’s office is a safe place—big or small, we’re here to help with it all.

One word she hopes students would use to describe her? Kind

Bulldog Families,

Based on the most current forecast, we will be IN SCHOOL and IN PERSON tomorrow. Current projections indicate that weather impacts will hold off until early evening, we are confident we can hold school and get everyone home safely. Out of an abundance of caution, all after-school activities, Friday evening events, and all Saturday events are cancelled. 

In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, school will not be in session on Monday, January 19th.