Vision and Mission

 

The mission of the Hampton City Schools’ Office of Student Development and Counseling is to provide a comprehensive school counseling program that is preventive and proactive in nature and equips students with the academic, career, and social/emotional skills necessary to contribute positively to their local and global community.  Our students will be college and career-ready and possess the skills necessary to be successful 21st-century lifelong learners.  They will effectively demonstrate cultural awareness and appreciation of the unique contributions of others.

 

Our professional school counselors and college and career coaches will provide opportunities for all students, K-12, to learn about themselves and develop the skills of productive and responsible citizens. 

 

The department focuses on each student’s potential growth within the context of his or her individual, family, and multicultural perspective.  It is a collaborative effort among the school counselor, parents, teachers, and community that promotes student achievement and works to close the achievement gap.

 

Our Beliefs

• All students are capable of achievement and continuous growth.
• All students learn best in an environment that fosters meaningful connections.
• All students have access to a comprehensive school counseling program implemented by a licensed professional school counselor.
• All students achieve academic, career and social/emotional success when given appropriate instruction in a safe and secure environment.
• School Counseling programs are developmentally appropriate in accordance with the Virginia state standards and align with American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Mindsets and Behaviors for Student Success.
• Data is analyzed to create, implement, evaluate and continuously improve school counseling programs.
• School counselors support and promote a climate that fosters kindness and effective communication through character education and school-wide initiatives.

• School counselors will adhere to ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors to make informed decisions for students' well-being and academic success.

• School counselors collaborate alongside stakeholders within the school and community to encourage students to become responsible and productive citizens.

• School counselors have access to ongoing professional development and are involved in professional organizations.

• School counselors believe in the value each individual contributes in creating a culturally diverse environment.

HCS School Counselors’ Position Statement on Equity for ALL Students

 

The counselors in Hampton City Schools support the American School Counselors’ Association position on Equity for all Students. School counselors recognize and distinguish individual and group differences and strive to equally value all students and groups. School counselors are advocates for the equitable treatment of all students in school and in the community. School counselors develop and implement a school counseling program promoting equity and access for students. School counselors are mindful of school and community perceptions of the treatment of underrepresented groups and understand the importance of collaborating with school and community groups to help all students succeed. School counselors demonstrate cultural competence. School counselors recognize and distinguish individual and group differences and strive to value all students and groups equally. School counselors promote the equitable treatment of all students in school and the community.

 

Moving forward:

 

We will continue to evaluate our current system, programs and processes to ensure equity for our students of color.

We will continue our professional development in areas of cultural competence, equity and trauma informed practices and look inward to examine our own perspectives and biases to strive for continued growth.

We will further ourselves in our charge to be change agents and advocates.

We will listen and hold space for our colleagues, students, staff, and families of color. 

We will collaborate with school leaders and stakeholders to examine and dismantle the existing racism, inequities, and access gaps in our schools and districts.

In Unification,
HCS Professional School Counselors

NAVIANCE STUDENT

 

Hampton City Schools is proud to announce a new opportunity for students/parents in middle and high schools! As school counselors implement Naviance™, a web-based service to track and analyze data about college and career plans, students and parents will have access to Family Connection – a comprehensive website that you and your student can use to make plans about colleges, and careers.

 

Naviance Student allows your student to:

• Get involved in the planning and advising process – Build a resume, complete online surveys, and manage timelines and deadlines for making decisions about colleges and careers
  

• Research colleges – Compare GPA, standardized test scores, and other statistics to actual historical data from our school for students who have applied and been admitted in the past
  

• Research careers – Research hundreds of careers and career clusters, and take career assessments
  

• Create plans for the future – Create goals and to-dos, and complete tasks assigned by the school to better prepare your student for future college and career goals.

Naviance Student also lets us share information with you and your student about upcoming meetings and events, local scholarship opportunities, and other resources for college and career information. All middle and high school students have an individual account and parents can create one as well. Please contact your school counselor for more details.

 

PHOEBUS https://student.naviance.com/phoebushi

HAMPTON  https://student.naviance.com/hamptonhi

BETHEL https://student.naviance.com/bethelhi

KECOUGHTAN https://student.naviance.com/kecoughtanhi

BRIDGEPORT https://student.naviance.com/campuslee

SYMS https://student.naviance.com/bsymsm

LINDSAY https://student.naviance.com/calm

JONES https://student.naviance.com/fjmm

PHENIX https://student.naviance.com/gpp

ANDREWS https://student.naviance.com/hbandrews 

TARRANT http://connection.naviance.com/tarrant

KILGORE http://connection.naviance.com/spratleygc 

EATON http://connection.naviance.com/tem

Parents contact your student’s school counselor if you have questions or concerns about:

• Your student’s academic progress
• Your student’s social or emotional adjustment
• Setting goals for their educational experience and post-secondary planning
• School and/or community resources available for your student
• Identifying your child’s special needs

Parents help your student to be successful in school and in life.

• Make school important
• Encourage your student to do their best
• Attend open houses, back-to-school nights, conferences
• Get to know your student’s teachers and school counselor
• Encourage reading and writing
• Help your student set goals for their future
• Praise and encourage your student
• Celebrate your student’s successes
• Pay close attention to communications from the schools (newsletter, ParentSquare messages, Peachjar eFlyers, webpage)
• Be aware of your student’s Rights & Responsibilities
• Encourage your student to ask for help
• Institute a work first/play later policy
• Challenge them to take on the more difficult course work

Preparation for All Students for College & Careers

 

The States’ Career Clusters Initiative (SCCI) has established Career Clusters as a tool to assist a student’s transition from education to a career.

 

Career Clusters help students investigate careers and design their courses of study to advance their career goals. For this reason, Virginia has adopted the nationally accepted structure of career clusters, career pathways and sample career specialties or occupations.

 

A Career Cluster is a grouping of occupations and broad industries based on commonalities. Sixteen career clusters provide an organizing tool for schools, small learning communities, academies and magnet schools.

 

Within each career cluster, there are multiple career pathways that represent a common set of skills and knowledge, both academic and technical, necessary to pursue a full range of career opportunities within that pathway – ranging from entry level to management, including technical and professional career specialties. Based on the skills sets taught, all CTE courses are aligned with one or more career clusters and career pathways.

 

As school counselors in Hampton City Schools meet with students to discuss future career goals these study plans are personalized to meet the needs of each individual student.

 

Please visit https://careertech.org/career-clusters for a listing of all 16 career clusters and 79 career pathways.

The Early College Scholars Program allows eligible high school students to earn at least 15 hours of transferable college credit while completing the requirements for an Advanced Studies Diploma. The result is a more productive high school experience and a substantial reduction in college tuition. Students earning a college degree in seven semesters instead of eight can save an average of $5,000 in expenses.

 

To qualify for the Early College Scholars program, a student must:
• Have a “B” average or better;
• Be pursuing an Advanced Studies Diploma; and
• Take and complete college-level course work that will earn at least 15 transferable college credits. These credits can be earned by taking Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and dual enrollment courses.

 

Participating students sign an Early College Scholars Agreement, which is also signed by the student’s parents or guardians, principal and school counselor. Students who meet the terms of the agreement are recognized as Early College Scholars and receive a certificate of recognition from the Governor.

 

Students who sign this agreement are allowed to take Virtual Virginia courses at no cost.

• Careers.org
  Career Resources, Career Guide, Online Education and Degree Directory
  www.careers.org

• College Board Major & Career Profiles
  www.collegeboard.com

What do I need, to get into a 4 year college?

 

BestColleges.com  features an interactive guide to understanding the FAFSA.

 

College Application Fee Waivers

 

College Access Challenge Grant Program
The Commonwealth has a number of community-based groups that help citizens gain access to higher education by assisting students through the often complicated process of planning for, applying to, and paying for college.  This State Council of Higher Education for Virginia has  developed a new online resource to help Virginia's students and parents locate these valuable community partners. 

 

SAT & ACT Fee Waivers. What are they, and who is eligible?

 

How to Choose a College Major

 

College Search Information
From this site you may select any Virginia higher education institution's Web page and click on tabs for information on admisions, tuition, enrollment, debt, success, wage, and other data.

www.ed.gov: Portal for federal financial aid. Contains numerous booklets, pamphlets and publications providing information about a child’s education at all ages including the college-ready child.

www.collegeboard.com: Contains test calendars, information and preparation opportunities for PSAT, SAT, SAT Subject Tests, AP and CLEP; interactive college, major and career searches; reproducible articles; financial aid calculators and aid comparison tools.

www.act.org: This student site contains test calendars, information and preparation opportunities for the ACT. Also has quick links to comprehensive information about the ACT testing experience, a college search and financial aid estimator tools.

www.schoolcounselor.org: Contains reproducible and informative articles for parents about the role of the school counselor, as well as tips and resources about school counselor ethical and legal responsibilities.

www.edtrust.org: Contains easy-to-use searchable databases with reports on student achievement, educational opportunity and graduation rates at any four-year U.S. college or university and examples of high school courses that prepare high school students for college rigor.

www.edupass.com: Has specific information for international students, undocumented students and other non-U.S. citizen students; college admission resources, financial aid, visas, culture, scholarships and other forms of aid; links to international student office Web sites, embassies and misceslaneous guides.

www.nacacnet.org: Professional organization material for the counselor including the Statement of Principles of Good Practice, which delineates the ethics of college admission counseling; Steps to College newsletter reproducible for students and parents; listing of national college fairs. Selected materials offered in Spanish.

 

https://www.moneygeek.com/education/college/resources/fafsa-guide/

https://www.moneygeek.com/education/scholarship-search/

 

Resource: ASCA School Counselor - American School Counselor Association, March/April 2006

Dual Enrollment Agreement
Hampton City Schools and Virginia Peninsula Community College

 

The Secretary of Education, the Virginia Community College System Chanceslor, and the Commonwealth of Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction have established the “Virginia Plan for Dual Enrollment between Virginia Public Schools and Community Colleges. Under this plan Hampton City Schools and Virginia Peninsula Community College have developed an agreement to allow high school students to take college-level courses and receive both college credit and high school credit towards graduation.

 

Hampton City Schools and Virginia Peninsula Community College shall provide a pathway for participating students to complete an associate’s degree or one-year Uniform Certificate of General Studies (General Education Certificate) concurrent with their high school diploma. Credit awarded for applicable dual enrollment courses and Advanced Placement courses with qualifying exam scores of three or higher may be applied toward attainment of the aforementioned credentials. 

 

Please see your school counselor for additional information and to discuss the pathways.

• Dual Enrollment Information Session Recording

• VPCC Associate Degree or Social Science

• VPCC General Education Certificate

• HCS High School Dual Enrollment Permission Form