Guidance Home

NAVIGATING A COURSE FROM POTENTIAL TO SUCCESS!

Our Mission Statement:

The mission of the School Counseling Department is to provide a comprehensive and developmental school counseling program of services that promotes the academic, social/emotional, and career potential of all Scituate Public School students.Through counseling, advocacy, collaboration, leadership, and systemic change, counselors navigate students to achieve personal excellence, to become life-long learners and to be responsible community members.

Important Links:

School Counseling Calendar 2010-2011 – provides essential dates and deadlines for students and families. (under revision)

Naviance/Family Connection – Click here to log into Naviance/Family Connection

Careercruising.com – Click here to access Career Cruising.All students/families can access Career Cruising using the school’s user name: scituatehs; school password: cjcushing.

How to contact us….

Scituate High School Counselor/Student Caseload Assignments

(updated July 2010 – subject to change)

Overview of Counseling Services:

School counselors play an essential role in the academic success of all students.Counseling services are available to all students and parents to assist in educational, vocational, and personal matters. School counselors meet with each student individually throughout the year, along with small group meetings to discuss student interests, abilities, course selections, educational and vocational opportunities, and personal or social concerns. Upon enrolling at Scituate High School, each student is assigned to a counselor who will follow the student through graduation.The counselors work intimately with each student to help develop and implement a successful high school and post-secondary plan that meet their individual goals and objectives. Students and parents should feel free to consult with their counselors at any time during the school year.Throughout the year, the counseling department conducts programs for students and parents/caregivers to assist students in the post-secondary planning and financial aid process. The department hosts college admissions representatives who meet with students in small groups throughout the fall, and also provides opportunities to explore alternatives to the 4-year college route including:technical and trade schools, community college, military options, gap years, etc.

The department coordinates College & Career Readiness Day, an early release day in October devoted to freshmen team building and study skill exercises, the 10^th and 11^th grade administration of the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT); and college and career readiness workshops for 12^th graders.

Career Cruising, our new,on-line, interactive career readiness program is available to all students.Career Cruising enables students to match their interests and abilities with potential careers. Counselors work with their students to develop and update individual career portfolios. Students are also given the opportunity to take the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery), a comprehensive vocational career tool.

Counselors consult and collaborate with the Academic Advisory program to implement the comprehensive and developmental Guidance curriculum such as transitioning for incoming students, learning style inventories and study skill techniques; post-secondary planning tools; and lessons that promote healthy social and emotional decision making.

The School Counseling department also provides informational services and materials for students and parents. Available materials include school and college catalogues; employment, vocational and occupational information; scholarship and financial aid booklets; armed services brochures; and reference information regarding college admissions testing (PSAT, SAT, SAT –Subject Tests, AP and the ACT). The high school library also holds a myriad of guidance-related information that students can peruse at their leisure.

“The Counselors’ Connection,” the department newsletter, is published periodically for all grades, which provides students and parents with information essential to help in planning for their high school career and beyond. Naviance/Family Connection, the web-based collegeand communication network links students and families with the resources and information necessary for academic and post-secondary planning. All students and parents/caretakers are given a Naviance/Family Connection account, and are encouraged to check it often f or important information on the college application process.Training in the use of Naviance/Family Connection is provided for all students and families. This website also provides comprehensive information on all matters relating to academic and vocational success. Our School Counseling Calendar, department forms, news and events, scholarship and award opportunities are updated regularly.

Overview of Department Initiatives:

The Massachusetts Model for Comprehensive School Counseling, also known as the “MA Model”, is an all-encompassing, systematic, data-driven, results approach to school counseling that supports all student achievement and educational reform objectives.  The MA Model is based on the nationally-recognized, American School Counselor Association framework and incorporates the Massachusetts Career Development Benchmarks. The MA model is an integral and essential component of the mission of the Scituate Public Schools and School Improvement Plans. The overarching goal is to develop and deliver programs/services that provide ALL students with the requisite knowledge and skills for success in the academic, workplace readiness, and personal social domains.Under the MA Model umbrella, counselorsto act as leaders and coordinators of program delivery; theyattend to students’ developmental needs in ways that enable them to achieve success in their endeavors in education, workplace & society.Counselors to evaluate, modify, and develop their programs for alignment with the CDE benchmarks for academic, college & work place readiness and personal/social domains. Counselors implement evidence-based interventions and measure effectiveness of program and services.

Current initiatives for the 2010-2011 academic year include research and interventions regarding motivation and policies of homework completion and the development of a Response to Intervention approach to student learning at the high school. The Counseling Department is in the beginning stages of developing a comprehensive career development and exploration curriculum for all 7-12 grade students.