Counselors: Ms. Silva and Mr. Nevarez
Howdy! My name is Brenda Silva, and I proudly serve as a School Counselor at Leon Valley Elementary. This year marks the beginning of my seventh year dedicated to school counseling, contributing to a much larger, overall career of seventeen years in education. My professional journey began in the classroom, where I spent a decade as a teacher at Villarreal Elementary, another valued school within the Northside Independent School District. My extensive background in both teaching and counseling within the NISD environment provides me with a deep understanding of the diverse needs of our students and the community we serve.
I graduated in 2009 from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a Bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies-Bicultural Bilingual Studies. In 2019, I received a Master of Arts in Education-School Counseling. Go Runners! Meep, Meep!!
As a school counselor, I am dedicated to supporting the academic, social, and emotional growth of every student. Through individual guidance, small groups, and school-wide initiatives, I strive to create a safe, inclusive environment where all students feel valued and empowered to reach their full potential. I collaborate with families, staff, and the community to ensure each child has the tools and support they need to succeed both in and out of the classroom.
This year, I service students in Kinder, 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade.
Hello, my name is Daniel Nevarez, one of the Leon Valley School Counselors. I have been in education for eight years, making this my first year as a professional school counselor. I was a bilingual teacher for 5th grade at Dr. Joe Ward Elementary before becoming a school counselor.
I received my Bachelor’s of Science degree in Criminal Justice in 2012. In 2025, I received my Master’s of Science in Professional School Counseling from Angelo State University.
As a Professional School Counselor, my mission is to support students as they navigate their academic and personal growth. Whether I am working 1-on-1, leading a small group, or teaching a classroom lesson, my goal is always the same: to ensure every student feels seen, heard, and empowered to succeed.
I am currently serving students in Pre-Kinder, ALE, ESCE2, 2nd and 4th grade.
The Northside Independent School District Counseling Department will provide a comprehensive developmental school counseling program that is implemented by Certified School Counselors, at the campus level, PK - 12.
Components
The Northside School Counseling Program on each campus supports the educational, career, personal, and social development of all students PK - 12, and is designed to include the following components: Guidance Curriculum, Individual Planning, Responsive Services, and System Support.
Guidance Curriculum
School counselors provide classroom guidance lessons that facilitate student growth and development in the areas of educational, career, personal, and social development in four curricular content areas: Intrapersonal Effectiveness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Post-Secondary Education and Career Readiness, and Personal Health and Safety.
Individual Planning
The individual planning component guides students to plan, monitor, and manage their own educational, career, personal and social development. Each student is provided with necessary steps toward his/her established goals.
Responsive Service
In this component, school counselors intervene with or on behalf of those students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grades whose personal circumstances, concerns, or problems are threatening to interfere with or are interfering with their healthy educational, personal, social, career and/or educational development.
System Support
The System Support component describes management activities which assure the delivery of a high quality school counseling program, and service which indirectly benefit students by supporting other programs.