The Holy Names High School Counseling Department is committed to providing assistance, support, and resources for each student and her parents, throughout the high school experience. The Counselors offers academic, personal and college counseling to help ensure that each Holy Names student has the opportunity to identify and attain her unique academic, personal, spiritual, and intellectual potential, enabling her to achieve her goals while in high school, and setting a strong foundation for future success.
Academic Counseling includes:
- Four year academic planning and annual course selection for high school graduation and college preparation
- Study and organizational skills
- Academic progress monitoring
- Summer school and tutorial services information
- Facilitation of Parent/Teacher/Student communication
- Support through our Academic Success after school study program
Personal Counseling includes:
- Individual counseling upon request to discuss issues of a personal or interpersonal nature
- Adjustment and development issues
- Conflict resolution
- Crisis intervention
- Parent conferences and referrals to outside resources and services
College Counseling
Counselors work with students to ensure that they are informed about all aspects of the college search and application process. The college planning process is introduced during the freshman year, increasing in detail each year, and culminating in assisting students in completing applications and making their college decisions in their senior year. We encourage our students to begin their exploration as early as their Freshman and Sophomore years, but the process intensifies during the Junior year. Holy Names hosts over 25 college and university representatives throughout the fall and all students regardless of grade are encouraged to participate.
College counseling services include:
- Individual career and college counseling sessions
- Large and small group career and college information sessions
- Campus visits by representatives from colleges and universities
- College application workshops
- Promotion of college preview days, summer enrichment programs and scholarship opportunities
- Financial aid workshop for parents
- College admissions test (SAT & ACT) information presentations and practice
- College Information Night and Financial Aid Night for parents and students
The counselors invite all students to visit the Counseling Office to become familiar with the resources available to students at all times such college resource handbooks, SAT or ACT testing information, college viewbooks, resource guides as well as information on college fairs, summer opportunities, volunteer opportunities and scholarships.
The Counseling Department is a great resource for our students throughout their four years at HNHS. They will be assigned a counselor during their freshman year with whom they will continue to consult until graduation. This arrangement has been very successful and allows a comforting “constant” mentor in the young women’s lives. Counselors meet with all students for formal appointments twice a year, once each semester. The counselors are also available for drop-in counseling and may request additional individual appointments. Parents are also encouraged to email or call their daughter’s Counselor with questions or concerns and attend evening workshops.
In addition to the above services, Counselors also provide classroom guidance curriculum.
Career Exploration
Sophomores begin to focus on their career interests and possible college majors by using the results of the ACT “PLAN” test over a week long Career Unit in the spring. Students complete several career and personality assessments, research career choices online, and practice interviewing skills. Students also receive an overview of the college admission process.
Project Chrysalis
Juniors spend two weeks researching colleges, identifying good college matches, possible scholarship opportunities and create a resume through the completion of the College Exploration Unit.
Beyond HNHS: College Selection and Application
During the fall college application period, Seniors use the skills learned in the previous years to complete their applications. The Counseling department provides students with a college application handbook and assistance with every step of the application process. The English department works with students on their college essays. Counselors act as a liaison between the students and the colleges as needed.
Services for Student with Learning Disabilities:
Our Educational Care Plan Model:
Holy Names High School understands that all students learn in different ways and that all have a desire to be successful. Our Educational Care Plan approach is designed to assist students with identified learning differences who need additional support to be successful in our college preparatory environment. Once a student’s educational testing is received, the Coordinator of Services for Learning Disabilities reviews the report and schedules a meeting with the student and her family. Holy Names, in partnership with the student and her family, carefully craft an Educational Plan that contains information about the student’s disability, her strengths, areas of relative weakness and effective accommodations and instructional methods to be implemented across the curriculum. This formal list of accommodation is then disseminated to all her teachers. These plans are typically written when a student enters as a ninth grader or transfer student, and are meant to provide teachers with concise, practical information to help them work productively with the student. The Coordinator distributes these profiles to the teachers to be used as a reference throughout the school year. Students with educational plans are carefully monitored and supported by the Coordinator who works closely with students, families and teachers. Many also choose to participate in our Academic Success after school study program for additional support and coaching.