When you walk through the halls of Smith-Wade-El Elementary, there’s a good chance you’ll see School Counselor Janet Henninger crouched down to meet a student eye-to-eye, laughing with a colleague, or even dancing and skipping to brighten someone’s day.
For Janet, there is no “typical” day in her role but those small, everyday interactions are the heart of her work, and that’s exactly what she loves about it.
Janet’s journey to becoming a counselor began long before she ever stepped into Smith-Wade-El. Born in Philadelphia and raised in Delaware County, she moved to Lancaster at 23 and, as she puts it, “never looked back.” Her path wasn’t always straightforward. As a child, she dreamed of becoming a marine biologist, but found herself drawn instead to psychology. She earned her degree in the field from Neumann University, then went on to Millersville University for her master’s in K-12 School Counseling. Along the way, she spent a decade as a therapeutic support staff, including several years as a school-based therapist at McCaskey.
Her inspiration came from her older brother. Growing up, she watched him struggle with his mental health and saw how few supports were available in schools. “I wanted to be for others what he never had,” she explains. “And I have a soft spot for ‘the strong ones’ who suffer in silence, because that was my experience too.” That perspective continues to shape her approach seeking out the students who might not ask for help, but who need someone to notice.
Now in her third year as school counselor at Smith-Wade-El, Janet says there is no such thing as a “typical day.” Her work is a constant mix of greeting students at the door, leading guidance lessons, running small groups, making community referrals, and supporting students in moments of crisis. She collaborates with teachers, checks in with families, and reflects on how to continue growing in her role. Each day looks different, but each one is anchored in connection.
This year, she’s especially proud of the new Tier 2 support groups she and the school social worker have launched through the MTSS team. These groups give students additional opportunities to build skills and confidence while connecting with peers. For Janet, these supports are a tangible way of making sure no student falls through the cracks.
Her colleagues know her not only as a counselor, but also as someone who can always bring levity into the building. She and her team often joke that anyone who needs a mood boost should just check the hallway cameras: “You’d probably catch us crawling, dancing, skipping backwards, anything we can do to help students having a hard time smile a little bit.”
Outside of school, Janet and her husband are devoted to their three rescue dogs, Yoda, Arlo, and Pearl. She’s also a die-hard fan of The Outsiders, a book she has read more than 50 times and a movie she’s seen 518 times. Her passion for the story has become legendary among colleagues, who know exactly who to call if they’re planning a unit on the novel.
Looking back on her career, Janet says what she values most about SDoL is the sense of community. “I truly believe our district has more heart than any I’ve worked in,” she reflects. That heart is evident in the way she shows up each day for her students, families, and staff, meeting challenges with compassion, humor, and a belief in the power of connection.
Janet’s story reminds us that being an educator isn’t just about the lessons taught in classrooms, but about the relationships that give students the courage to learn and grow.
At Smith-Wade-El Elementary, she is building those relationships every single day, and we are proud to shine this week’s staff shoutout on Janet Henninger for the many ways she embodies what it means to care deeply for students and their growth.