Counseling for Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6

The Lower School has a comprehensive counseling program that is integrated into the educational program. The counselor assists students in learning more about themselves, their abilities, their interests and their needs. The counselor creates an atmosphere that allows for individual students to experience and develop academically, personally and socially. Students learn to maximize their personal strengths, develop problem-solving and decision-making strategies and begin to explore career choices and options. The counselor is an advocate for the student and a resource professional for her family.

GOALS of the Lower School Counseling Program are to:

• Help children understand themselves and others;
• Identify children with special needs and facilitate the appropriate intervention;
• Begin the process of career awareness.

The counselor works with students:

• In the classroom setting on topics such as social skills and conflict management;
• In small groups on topics such as anger management, making and keeping friends, changing families and study skills;
• Individually on personal, social or academic concerns.

The counselor works with parents by:

• Providing testing data and its interpretation as it relates to student success;
• Making appropriate referrals to outside agencies;
• Dealing with school adjustment concerns;
• Emphasizing the significance of effective communication.

Counseling for Grades 7 - 8

Junior High can be an overwhelming experience. The strain of interweaving personal lives with the expectations of teachers, family and friends can be challenging.

The Junior High counselor works to ensure that students make a successful transition from Lower School to Junior High. Students are provided with academic, social and emotional support.

Although adolescence can be stressful, students must realize that their problems are indeed normal and a part of the growing up process. The counselor helps them understand that suitable resolutions do exist and can be achieved through careful thinking and effective communication.

In the area of academic development, the counselor:

• Offers students techniques to improve organizational and time-management skills;
• Provides options for improving grades by teaching study and test-taking skills;
• Works closely with teachers to monitor academic progress and to assist in setting tutoring schedules, if needed.

In the area of social/personal development, the counselor:

• Provides a non-threatening environment for students to discuss problems;
• Teaches students the process of conflict resolution and alternatives ways of dealing with problems;
• Coordinates Empowerment Workshops for parents and teachers to ensure better support for student success.

Counseling for Grades 9 - 11

Individual and small group counseling is available to students.

The counselor for grades 9 and 10 provides an orientation to acquaint students with the demands of High School.

Preparation for college and life-long learning is stressed, and the counselors provide guidance in helping students select classes that will prepare them for college and particular careers.

In the area of academic development, the counselors help students:

• Acquire skills for improved learning;
• Achieve school success;
• Relate school to life experiences.

In the area of emotional development, the counselors help students:

• Acquire self-knowledge and its applications;
• Acquire interpersonal skills;
• Acquire personal safety skills;
• Develop decision-making and goal-setting practices.

In the area of career development, the counselors help students:

• Identify college and career goals;
• Acquire career information and the knowledge needed to achieve these goals.

College Counseling

The main goal of the College Counseling Program is to facilitate the college admissions process for the Academy student and their parents. Every effort is made to make the process more effective and efficient for the student. The College Counselor will advise and guide the student and her family through the process, answer any questions, remind the student about deadlines, provide information about colleges, publicize college visits to the school, submit transcripts and write letters of recommendation.

The prospect of mapping out each student’s future is exciting, rewarding and satisfying. It is important that all students research and spend adequate time on the application process since there are more than 3000 colleges and universities, all with different strengths and characteristics.

Choosing college is not an exact science - what is good for one student may not be good for another. There is NO perfect college. There are, however, many colleges that will be a ‘good’ fit. Finding the right college will take planning and organization.

The College Counselor and all of the Academy’s faculty are available to assist every student through this process.