School Counselors are trained and certified in school counseling with unique qualifications and skills to address all students' academic, personal/social and career development needs by the following:​

• Individual Group Counseling

• Classroom Presentations

• Teacher/Parent Consultations

• 504 Coordinator

• McKinney Vento Contact Person

• Intervention Team Facilitator

• Attendance Coordinator

• Character Ed ALL STAR coordinator

• WBAIN Correspondent:  Messages of Character Traits and Bullying Prevention

• Liaison between families and community agencies

Students may be seen by the counselor on an individual or group basis.  They may self-refer by telling their teacher, writing a note or having their parent email or call.  Students may also be referred to the counselor by teachers, administration and parents. ​

Who are the School Counselors at Bain?

​​​​Belinda Swain, School Counselor:​ I am Belinda G. Swain and I am the counselor for Kindergarten, Grades 1 and 2. I have been a school counselor for many years having worked with elementary, middle school and high school.  I came to work in CMS in 2012 from a year in New Mexico working with Native Americans and Hispanic students. I have earned my National Board Certification in School Counseling in 2019 and renewed in 2024.  I love travelling with my family and have a passion for cooking.   

Contact Belinda Swain​​ (opens in new window)

Liz (Thomasson) Eskridge, School Counselor:​ Hello! My name is Liz Eskridge and I am Bain's school counselor for third, fourth, and fifth grade.  I moved to North Carolina in 2023 to be closer to my family. I spent my childhood in Utah, and my young adult life in Virginia, where I got 9 years of school counseling experience. During that time, I primarily worked with students in fifth and sixth grades. I come from a family of educators and am passionate about helping children achieve their highest potential. I earned my bachelor's degree in Developmental Psychology from Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2008, and my master's degree in education for School Counseling from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia in 2014. I recently got married and I enjoy spending time at home with my husband and our two dogs, a Weimaraner and an Italian Greyhound. I look forward to helping your student reach their goals!

Contact Liz Eskridge​​ (opens in new window)

​Counseling - The School Counselor provides individual and small group counseling regarding school-related issues and themes.  Students are seen at the request of teachers and/or parents.  Counseling services in the school setting are generally brief and goal-oriented.  Students in need of long-term therapy are referred for private professional support.

Structured small group counseling is also provided as needs arise. Groups are usually formed from the School Counselor individual caseload or upon the request of teachers. Frequent themes are divorce, self-esteem, anger management, test taking skills/organization/time management and ADHD support.

Classroom Presentations and Character Education - The school counselor provides lessons to classrooms of grade level specific topics throughout the school year.  Classroom guidance is a planned, developmental program of guidance activities designed to foster students' academic, career and personal/social development.  Topics ranging from: self concept / personal development, study skills / work habits, communication skills, problem solving and conflict mediation, recognizing differences, career development, transitions, listening, following directions, building positive self-esteem, the CMS character traits, emotions, getting along with others, test taking and study skills.  Typically these lessons involve story telling, hands-on activities and group discussions. 

Attendance - The School Counselor can assist parents and teachers when circumstances interfere with a student's regular presence in school.  North Carolina does have a compulsory attendance law, which requires every child between the ages of seven and sixteen to attend school.  Although children are not required to enroll in school until age seven, if the child is enrolled, the law applies regardless of age.

The district sets specific guidelines for each school regarding student attendance. CMS policy recognizes the following excused absences:

• Illness of the student

• Death in the immediate family

• Quarantine

• Religious holidays approved by the school system

• Educational opportunities

All other absences are considered unexcused.  Please know that a written note regarding the reason for the student's absence is appreciated.  However, a written note does not mean that the absence will be excused if the circumstances do not meet the policy guidelines.

When a student's absences reach certain benchmarks, a letter will be sent home notifying parents. An individual attendance plan may be developed with the student and parent. With repeated absences due to the illness of a student, medical verification may be requested. Occasionally, court intervention is necessary when parents are not able to comply with the compulsory attendance law.

Tardiness - The school day begins at 8:15 A.M. Students are expected to be in classrooms ready to begin instruction at the bell. Many students actually arrive earlier and are provided instructional opportunities until the official school day begins.   If the student develops a pattern of constant tardiness, the School Counselor will discuss the concern of tardiness with the parent and find ways to remedy the problem.

Bain Bobcats and their families have many ways of helping our community thoughout the year.

Bain Food Pantry  

We are pleased to announce that Bain Elementary has a food pantry. The Pantry is available to the family of any Bain Elementary student. Thank you to those who have made this possible and have already contributed.

The Pantry needs your donations all year long. Please feel free to drop off non-perishable items such as canned fruit, canned pasta, and all-in-one-meals such as Mac-n-cheese.

If you would like to help provide staples such as eggs, milk or other perishables, please donate a Wal-Mart or local grocery store gift card. Any amount would be appreciated. The pantry also supplies personal hygiene items. To donate or if you have questions or a need, contact Ms. Q at 980-343-6915 or click here to e-mail her.