Student Services

Tutorial is a time for students to make up missed work, to ask questions, and to receive individual explanation, enrichment, or extra help. If a teacher must be absent from a tutorial, he or she will arrange another tutorial time or another tutor from the same department. Teachers are available to work with students, individually or in small groups, every afternoon. Teachers may require students to attend tutorial. Tutorial is not an in-depth remediation program. Middle School Help Session runs from 3:15 - 3:30 p.m. Upper school tutorial is 3:20 - 3:50 p.m.

At Stratford our goal is not to package students for colleges but to find colleges that offer the best possible fit for each of our graduating seniors. Our focus is on helping students cultivate their particular talents and interests in ways that will serve them well throughout their lives as well as in the college admissions process. Once their academic and extracurricular strengths and passions are apparent to them, we help seniors zero in on those colleges that will serve them best in achieving their goals.

The college admissions process for a Stratford student begins in pre-kindergarten. Stratford’s curriculum is designed to lead all students to achieve at the peak of their potential from the first day they arrive until the day they graduate. The journey continues through lower and middle school where children are encouraged to explore their particular interests through enrichment activities as well as clubs. The first formal introduction to our college office and the college admissions process comes in ninth grade when college counselors address freshmen and their parents at the freshman orientation session. The College Office provides general information relevant to college admissions throughout the freshman and sophomore years. Sophomores and juniors take the PSAT in October of every year, and the school provides feedback to students on their performance. Juniors who take the PSAT compete for the prestigious designation of Commended Scholar or National Merit Scholar, designations awarded to top performers on the PSAT each year by the College Board. Juniors and seniors take the SAT and/ or the ACT.

In the winter of their junior year, students and their parents are invited to a college kickoff night where they learn about the college admissions process and are provided with a copy of The Stratford Academy College Counseling Handbook. Following kickoff night, juniors and their parents attend an individual college conference with our counselors and the college admissions process is formally launched. Throughout the year, the college office hosts a number of special sessions for juniors and their families, communicates information about college fairs in our area, and helps individual students narrow choices and set specific college goals.

Seniors have opportunities every week in the fall and early winter to visit with college representatives visiting our campus. Students work closely with the college counselors to see that every application is complete before it is mailed. College counselors help students gather letters of recommendation and offer detailed guidance to students related to their list of college choices. Virtually every senior applies to multiple colleges, some deemed to be reach schools and some safety schools. At the end of the journey, our goal is that every senior will have more than one exciting acceptance.

Stratford students and parents should refer to the College Office tabs under the student and parent portals for up to date information relevant to college rep visits, local scholarships, forms and specific guidelines pertaining to their particular class and graduation year.

Stratford Academy’s Counseling Department provides support services to students who may be experiencing any impediments to the process of learning. Interventions include but are not limited to short term counseling and guidance, crisis intervention and referrals to appropriate community resources. Provided also are opportunities and support for strengthening social and emotional development in the context of identifying and reinforcing individual student strengths. Through the implementation of age appropriate programs and educational opportunities we work diligently to promote and foster a climate that is inclusive and thorough.

Counselor’s Responsibilities

Program Management and System Support

Individual and Group Guidance

Counseling Services

Student, parent and faculty consultation

Coordination of Interventions, Conferences and Referrals

Student Assessment, Standardized Testing, Classroom Observations

Compliance with Professional Standards and Best Practices as Developed by the American School Counselor’s Association

 Accommodations Guidelines - Grades 7-12
List of Counseling Resources

** Read these articles selected by the Stratford Counseling Department:

The Guidance Office will offer an interesting and helpful article or weblink, on a quarterly basis, to parents on a subject that is useful and timely. If you find an article that you find and think that our parent community would benefit from please email it to me at tina.wootan@stratford.org or jaqui.wilson@stratford.org.

Academics

Defeating the summer slide. Summer slide is when reading ability or other academic skills decline during summer months. Some ways to combat summer slikde.

7 Ways to stop summer slide. Super easy activities to use this summer to promote life-long learning.

Depression

What's driving the rise in teen depression? Examining the contributing factors that have led to the increase.

Parenting

What to do this summer with kids? UNICEF has a list of bonding activities for your family if your brain has gone on an “idea vacation.”

Archived Counseling Articles

The Help Desk is a free tutorial service at Stratford that provides students with individualized help in science, math, and writing. Staffed by teachers and qualified student tutors, the Help Desk is available every period of the school day. Students may sign out of their study hall to attend the Help Desk as needed. The location of the Help Desk changes each period and is posted in both the study hall room and throughout the school.

Stratford Academy is committed to providing opportunities for students to develop their individual abilities and skills within the context of a rigorous curriculum. Begun in 1998, the Learning Support Center is staffed by learning specialists, tutors, and part-time teachers who understand learning differences and offer individualized and small group instruction to students who are experiencing academic difficulty. The underlying goal of the Learning Support Center is to prepare students to become successful, independent, life-long learners.

While providing the school more flexibility in working with students, the implementation of the Learning Support Center does not reflect a change in Stratford Academy’s standards of admission.

For more information or for a copy of the Learning Support Center fees schedule, please contact Patsy Hayslip, Director of Stratford LSC at 478-477-8073 extension 222 or by email at patsy.hayslip@stratford.org.

Accommodations Guidelines - Grades 7-12