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  upper school students and parents should refer to the Stratford Futures box under Resources in My Stratford 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

Meet Our Counselors:
Gena Chalfa - Lower and Middle School Guidance Counselor

Gena Chalfa is our new Lower and Middle School Guidance Counselor. Gena graduated from Stratford in 2001 and received her Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Advertising from the University of Georgia in 2006.  After working as an Office Manager for a Raymond James Financial Services branch in Atlanta for several years, she decided to change careers to pursue her love of working with children. She received her Masters of Science in School Counseling from Mercer University in 2017.  Prior to moving back to Macon, she spent three years in the Cobb County School District where she worked with students ages K-12.  She is also a National Certified Counselor and will complete her Education Specialist degree in School Counselor Education in May of 2020. 

This year the Counseling Department created and implemented a school wide Character Education Program, a program that promotes moral development in our students so they can develop habits of civility and kindness towards others inside and outside of the classroom.  Mrs. Chalfa goes into the lower and middle school classrooms each month and teaches guidance lessons on the character trait of the month.  In addition, she works closely with teachers and administration to help our students academically, socially, and emotionally.  Mrs. Chalfa is available to meet with students individually by student or parent request. To make an appointment, please contact Gena.Chalfa@Stratford.org or by phone, 478-477-8073, ext. 214.

Alex Minor - Upper School Guidance Counselor

Alex Minor is the Upper School Guidance Counselor at Stratford Academy. Alex graduated from Stratford Academy in 2011 and earned her Bachelor's of Arts in Psychology from the University of Alabama in 2015. She then received her Masters of Education in School Counseling from the University of West Georgia in 2018. Alex worked in Bibb County as a school counselor prior to working at Stratford. 

Alex is the club sponsor for SALSA and ADL, which includes our anti-bullying program, No Place for Hate. She also sponsors Girl Talk, a club in which high school students serve as leaders to middle and lower school girls and discuss important topics that they face while growing up. She leads along side Lower and Middle School Guidance Counselor, Gena Chalfa, in implementing the Character Education Program. She works with students individually as well as in groups. Mrs. Minor is available to meet with students and/or parents by request. To make an appointment, please email Mrs. Minor at alex.minor@stratford.org or by phone at (478)477-8073 ext. 283.   

Parent Resources Concerning COVID-19:

How to Talk to Your Child About COVID-19 - National Association for School Psychologists:

Talking to Kids About the Coronavirus - Child Mind Institute

Accommodations Guidelines - Grades 7-12
List of Counseling Resources

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