School Counseling

School Counseling and Guidance Program:

Through classroom guidance lessons, small group counseling, and individual sessions with school counselor, theSchool Counseling Program at Bishop Guilfoyle aims to help students achieve positive personal, social, and academic growth.

Personal/Social/Emotional Counseling

Individual Meetings

Individual personal counseling is a vital function of the school counseling program aimed at helping students to explore themselves in order to foster personal growth and understanding. Students are welcome to visit the counseling office at any time during the school day. However, students are encouraged to sign up to see the counselor or to make an appointment prior to first period. Students can come to the counseling office to talk about any issue they are facing, topics could include: bullying, stress, peer drama, traumatic events, academic concerns, employment, financial aid assistance, interest inventories, career planning, college admissions guidance, etc.

In addition to any meetings set up by the student, the counselor often calls students to the office for a variety of reasons. Each student has at least one formal individual meeting per year with the counselor which consists of discussing current academic standing, social needs, and family dynamics; each grade level also receives individual counseling in the following areas:

Freshmen: Adjustment to Bishop Guilfoyle (March-April)
Sophomores: Matching electives to post-high school plans (February-March)
Juniors: PSAT score results (December-January)
Seniors: Post high school plans (September- November)

Classroom Guidance Lessons

Each month, each student receives at least one classroom guidance lesson taught by the school counselor. During these sessions students are encouraged to focus on their own personal, social, academic, and career development. Lessons are tailored to the age group being taught; below is a sample of the curriculum by grade level:

Freshmen: Bullying/Cyber Bullying; Transition to High School; Legacy; Study Skills
Sophomore: Job Applications; Healthy/Unhealthy Relationships; Career Exploration
Junior: Mock Job Interviews; SAT/ACT Planning; Pinpointing Your Passion
Senior: Letters of Recommendation; Transition to Life After High School; Stereotypes

Small Group Counseling

During the school year, we are constantly accessing the needs of our student body. When we see that a certain challenge is facing a number of our students we offer small group counseling. Small groups can be formed for a variety of concerns, such as: grief and loss, time management, social skills, organization, anxiety, stress, anger management, and relational aggression. These groups usually run after school from 2:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Confidentiality Statement:

Information that a student shares with the school counselor in the counseling setting is considered confidential. This information is not disclosed without permission of the student, unless: (1) a student is a harm to self; (2) a student is being harmed; or (3) a student is a harm to others. These three reasons follow Bishop Guilfoyle's policies and procedures to break confidentiality, as well as meet the requirements for mandated reporting by the state of Pennsylvania.

Academic Counseling

All students are assisted in curricular planning and scheduling. Questions pertaining to the academic programs and academic success are often directed to the Counseling Office.

The counselor facilitates meetings with teachers, students and parents to share academic concerns and to provide additional help to overcome academic challenges. Consultation regarding achievement and aptitude testing results of individual students is extended to students and parents.

Every year, the PSAT is given to sophomores and juniors. These test scores are shared individually with each test taker, and are available to parents for academic and college planning purposes.

BG offers the professional services of a reading specialist to assist students with minimal or moderate language learning or attention difficulties. Students are offered the tools and strategies for academic achievement. Faculty members are aware of these services and work collaboratively with the reading specialist.

College Counseling

SAT/ ACT

Students are assisted in the college admissions process throughout their four years of high school. A SAT preparatory course is provided for both Math and Verbal during both the fall and spring semesters. When available, other area SAT preparatory courses are advertised and we can assist students in registering for the courses. During their junior year, all students take the PSAT. The PSAT is used as practice for the SAT and is also used for eligibility and qualification for the National Merit Scholarship.

Today, most colleges will accept both the ACT and SAT. Therefore, choosing which test is personal preference. Nevertheless, it is important that you check the admission requirements for each college you are interested in applying to attend. In general, if you are planning on pursuing a college major that is heavily science based (ie. Biology, Pre-med, Pharmacy, Chemistry, etc.) it is recommended that you take the ACT because there is a science section included in the test.

Students who wish to take the SAT should sign up atwww.collegeboard.org

Students who wish to take the ACT should sign up atwww.actstudent.org

Please be sure to enter BG's School Code: 390050 when prompted. When you register for the SAT/ACT you will be given up to four schools to which you can send your scores for FREE. You are advised to pick schools that you think you may want to attend. Most schools will accept your SAT/ACT scores that are included on High School Transcript, but not all will. If you have any questions please check with the admissions department at the college you are interested in attending.

College Admission Process

The counselor offers families individual sessions to discuss the college admission planning and selection process. These sessions are by appointment during or after school hours. The goal of this input is to secure the best college fit for the student.

Each fall, nearly 30 college admissions representatives from regional universities, technical schools, and military academies visit BG to discuss specific curricular, admission requirements and other selection variables. Students are alerted to these visits, and seniors are invited to schedule their attendance in a small group setting or as an individual meeting. All students are permitted to attend three in-house representative meetings. During the spring, more representatives visit BG, at this time juniors are invited to attend the informational meetings.

Parents of juniors and seniors are invited to a College Fair at Altoona Area High School in October which accommodates more than 75 college and universities for an evening of face-to-face discussions. Students receive information on the fair as it becomes available. Additionally, each April the sophomore class attends the Altoona Rotary Career Fair at the Convention Center where they have a chance to interact with local representatives working in various local professions.

Seniors are helped extensively with their college application process, including essays and letters of reference. Scholarships are tracked and advertised by the Counseling Office.