Guidance Counselor

The counseling program at Holy Name provides short-term counseling to students in all grades. The counselor, Mrs. Connie McFarland, works with students individually, in small group settings, and in classroom settings as needed. Parents and teachers may make referrals to Mrs. McFarland. Students initiate contact with the guidance counselor as well if they wish to do so.

Since confidentiality is important to students and necessary in establishing trust, Mrs. McFarland will contact parents about their child only if it is considered a serious issue. Students may wish to discuss their visit with their parents, or they may wish to work through things on their own. Either way is appropriate and beneficial to the student.

In situations where the counselor believes long-term counseling should be considered, she will contact parents and have referrals available Parents decide whether or not to pursue the counseling referral.

The Guidance Office Offers:

• Short-term, individual counseling for all students
• New student orientation groups: contact with each student to make him/her feel welcome and comfortable during his/her transition
• Group counseling (topics vary each semester)
• Classroom guidance as needed
• SST (Student/Staff Support Team) . This team helps teachers find new ways to work with students, manages all student behavioral and academic evaluations, and provides support and training to the teaching staff.
• Referrals to families for outside counseling as needed
• Coordinating the Duke University TIP programs (4 th , 5 th , and 7 th grade programs)
• Girls' aggression education for 5 th grade girls; our principal meets with the 5 th grade boys about aggression at the same time
• Eighth grade mentoring program: 8 th grade applicants are selected to mentor to younger students within the school throughout the year
• Coordinating and administering the EXPLORE test for 8 th graders
• Assistance in applying to high school as freshmen

If you have questions or suggestions about the program, please feel free to contact Connie McFarland at cmcfarland@holynameschool.org