Meet Your School Counselors

We are fortunate to have three school counselors at our school. Below is some introductory information about each one:

6th Grade Counselor: Ms. Jillann Starr

Ms. Starr was born in Madras, India. She was adopted as a baby and grew up in Clayton County, GA with her three older brothers and younger sister. In her free time, Ms. Starr loves spending time with family, riding horses, spoiling her pup, working on her house, traveling, working out, and supporting the Atlanta Braves.

Education:

• Bachelor of Science in Education - Georgia College & State University
• Master of Science in School Counseling - Mercer University

Certifications:

• P-12 School Counseling
• Middle Grades ELA (Grades 4-8)
• Middle Grades Reading (Grades 4-8)

7th Grade Counselor: Ms. Kristin Cristelli

Ms. Cristelli is from Niagara Falls, New York. She loves spending time with her three sisters and six nieces and nephews. A huge sports fan, she is an EXOS Sports Performance Specialist. You can often find her at the gym or the batting cages. She also enjoys gardening.

Ms. Cristelli began her educational career as an elementary school teacher. She then went to the middle school setting and worked as a 6th grade math teacher at J.C. Booth for nine years before moving into her current position as a school counselor. She serves as a board member for PFLAG in Peachtree City and is also involved with the Safe Schools Coalitions of Atlanta.

Education:

• Bachelor of Science (Minor in Psychology) - State University of New York Oswego
• Master of Education in School Counseling - University of West Georgia

Certifications:

• P-12 School Counseling
• P-12 Health and Physical Education
• Middle Grades Education (Math and Social Sciences)
• P-5 Elementary Education

8th Grade Counselor: Mr. Joseph Kelly

Prior to beginning his work as a school counselor in 2007, Mr. Kelly taught for 10 years. He taught 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students at Valwood School in Valdosta, Georgia, beginning in 1994. In 1998, he moved to Arcadia, Florida, where he taught at DeSoto High School for six years before moving over to the Counseling Department in 2004. He was District Teacher of the Year in 2002. After experiencing hurricane fatigue, Mr. Kelly moved to Griffin in 2007 and was Lead Counselor at Griffin High School for 10 years. He also worked at the Griffin Regional College & Career Academy and most recently Spalding High School. He is grateful for his return to middle school.