JA Counseling

At the middle school level, standardized testing is a common academic assessment. Girls in grades six and seven take Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests, while eighth graders take the High School Placement Test (HSPT) and class-specific placement tests (as needed) to assess their readiness for certain high school courses, especially math and foreign languages. Our JA counselor not only helps with academic preparation for tests, but also with any anxiety that comes with the process.

The JA Counselor also provides a variety of other services for students. She assists with scheduling courses each year after meeting individually with students. She offers career awareness sessions so that young girls can begin to imagine themselves in a future career that suits their interests. And, because our youngest Arrows are still growing into their tween years, she helps them learn and practice all executive functioning skills—such as test-taking strategies, study habits, organization, and planning—that will improve their academic experience and provide life-long successful habits.

Middle school can be a time of great uncertainty, but having a core group of friends who share common interests helps a girl get through this tumultuous time. The JA counselor assists in “plugging in” girls to activities and clubs, to learning interpersonal skills such as respecting boundaries, and forming friendships that create a joyful experience during the academic day.   

When a JA Arrow needs a little extra support in a rough time, the JA counselor can provide tips and tools that might make the difference. Focusing on areas such as coping mechanisms, self-regulation, anxiety or stress relief, and basic life skills, the counselor works with individual girls to ease her time through the middle school years and give her tools for managing life.

Our counselors follow the academic, personal/social, and career standards outlined by the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) National Model. They help each student achieve her highest abilities through classroom guidance, individual meetings, small group interventions, and collaboration with the student, parents, faculty, staff, and administration.

Through a variety of methods—small group discussions, peer conversations, or one-on-one sessions—the P/I counselor assists students in working through issues related to mental health, including social anxiety, emotional issues, depression, and other related topics.

The counselor might also create and present specialized programming for the entire school; these programs may address more common issues, such as stress management, anxiety, friendship problems, and techniques for managing ADD and ADHD.

When a student experiences a family crisis, the P/I counselor can help with referrals to outside resources; these resources may include assistance for living situations, help with food insecurity, and support for reliable transportation, for example—for both the student and her family members.

For some students to succeed, they might need coordinated support services from a variety of educational and community resources. The P/I counselor can help a student achieve her highest abilities through classroom guidance, individual meetings, small group interventions, and collaboration among a student and her parents, faculty, coaches, and administration