School Counseling
At Hoban, we care about the intellectual, spiritual and physical well-being of every student.
The student services office makes it possible for students to grow in all of these areas aligning with our mission and True to You motto.
Goals, Services and Programs
Freshman Year
The freshman year at Hoban is a time of transition and self-discovery. Freshmen face the challenge of adjusting to an increase in responsibility and independence at the same time. They are also experiencing excitement and nervousness about being at a new school, making new friends, taking challenging college prep courses and participating in a variety of clubs and teams. Support is offered to each student for these transitional issues through diverse guidance services and programs provided by the freshman counselors.
Among these programs is a special group of students called the Peer Mentors. The freshman and sophomore counselors train and utilize these upperclassmen to help support the freshmen and sophomores through their unique experiences. The Peer Mentors offer to the freshman class events to help build class unity, classroom time to seek guidance and discuss a variety of issues and topics, and study sessions for both winter and spring exams.
Goals of the Freshman Year
- To welcome all new students
- To foster independence, academic and personal responsibility, and a positive self-identity within each student.
Freshman Year Services and Programs
- Freshman orientation parts I and II (first quarter)
- Activities fair (first quarter)
- Making High School Count assembly for freshmen (first quarter)
- Freshman pregame social sponsored by peer mentors (first quarter)
- Classroom Guidance: “Being a Responsible Student” (second quarter)
- PSAT for freshmen in honors math or English (second quarter)
- Classroom Guidance: “Preparing for Exams / Your High School Transcript” with peer mentors (second quarter)
- Cookies, Cocoa and Cram sponsored by peer mentors: study session for semester exams (second quarter)
- Individual student interviews (first semester)
- Anti-bullying unit through health classes
- Classroom Guidance: “Academic Planning / Registration” (third quarter)
- Registration for upcoming freshmen (third quarter)
- Classroom Guidance: “Naviance: Personality Assessment” with peer mentors (fourth quarter)
- Classroom Guidance: “Naviance follow-up” with peer mentors (fourth quarter)
- Spring Outta Stress (SOS) sponsored by peer mentors: study session for semester exams (fourth quarter)
Sophomore Year
Sophomore year can be a time of great change for students.
As they mature both academically and personally, they can encounter conflict and uncertainty. They will discover more about themselves as learners and develop strategies for meeting their unique learning needs.
During sophomore year, students will begin their career exploration process. They will identify specific areas of interest and examine these interests based on their individual strengths and weaknesses.
Goals of the Sophomore Year
- To identify one’s personal learning style and develop strategies to accommodate that learning style so as to promote academic success
- To complete a self-assessment of interests, skills, strengths and weaknesses
- To identify several potential career goals and articulate the path needed to achieve those identified goals
- To develop skills in standardized testing and prepare for college admissions tests (SAT, ACT)
Sophomore Year Services and Programs
Age-appropriate guidance lessons are provided to assist students in reaching developmental milestones in academic, personal/social, and career areas. Care is taken to guide students toward continued success at Hoban and toward their personal goals through small groups and individual counseling sessions.
The following programs are prepared for sophomores
- Classroom Guidance: “Study Smarter, Not Harder: How to Study for your Learning Style” (first quarter)
- PSAT for all sophomores (first quarter)
- Classroom Guidance: Choices regarding drugs and alcohol (first quarter)
- Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Conference: Sophomores complete applications from which committee chooses a representative and alternate. (second quarter)
- Pre-ACT testing for all sophomores: practice for the ACT and Career Interest Inventory (second quarter)
- Classroom Guidance: “How to Prepare for Exams/ Exploring Your Strengths” (second quarter)
- Cookies, Cocoa & Cram sponsored by Peer Mentors- study session for semester exams (second quarter)
- Classroom Guidance: “Exploring your strengths and interests" (third quarter)
- Classroom Guidance: “PSAT and Pre-ACT Interpretation: Getting the Most Out of Your Results” (third quarter)
- Iowa Test for all sophomores (third quarter)
- Classroom Guidance: “Naviance Career Exploration”
- Preparation of course recommendations/ application for honors courses (third quarter)
- Classroom Guidance: “Registration and Planning for the Future” (third quarter)
- Junior Leadership Akron: Two sophomores are selected by committee to participate in the program for the coming school year. (fourth quarter)
- Classroom Guidance: “Making the Transition to Junior Year” (fourth quarter)
- Spring Outta Stress (SOS) sponsored by Peer Mentors: study session semester exams (fourth quarter)
Junior Year
The junior year is a time to focus on future options and to prepare for college and career choices.
Students become familiar with the standardized college testing programs beginning with the PSAT in October, and continuing with taking the SAT/ACT beginning in the fourth quarter. At the end of the junior year, students will have an idea of what their next steps towards determining their future will be. They will have considered possible colleges to which they will apply at the beginning of their senior year.
Goals of the Junior Year
- To assist students in their personal, academic, and career development
- To be available to parents and to confer with them regarding concerns involving students
- To be available to students who seek individual counseling
- To prepare students for college admissions standardized testing
Junior Year Services and Programs
- Obtain information about juniors’ future planning. Materials obtained include a single page information sheet regarding plans for ACT/SAT testing, major, colleges, etc. and instruction sheet for an autobiographical sketch. (third quarter)
- Testing: discuss and advise students as to the appropriate college admissions test they should take: ACT, SAT or both. All juniors take the ACT at Hoban (third quarter).
- Introduce students to Explorer Scouts via their Career Survey (fourth quarter)
- Visit classrooms to present information on dealing with stress related to academics, college planning and life in general
- Use the computer labs to introduce college exploration using the Naviance program
- Meet individually with each junior and their parents to discuss career and college plans
Senior Year
The senior year is a time to apply to colleges and prepare for other career choices.
At the beginning of their senior year the senior counselor will begin meeting with seniors to discuss plans for the future. Services vary depending on the needs of the individual student, and could include helping develop lists of colleges, advising future life goals or helping a student meet graduation requirements. The senior counselor helps with scholarship applications and securing placement in college throughout the year. The goal is to make sure all graduates are ready to go to the next step in their lives.
Goals of the Senior Year
- To assist students in their personal, academic, and career development
- To be available to parents and to confer with them regarding concerns involving students
- To be available to students who seek individual counseling
- To prepare students for the college admissions process
- To help students apply to the colleges of their choice
Senior Year Services and Programs
- Review proper credits for graduation
- Review proper courses for admission to college
- Coordinate college representative visits. (first quarter)
- Distribute and review college application procedures via English 12 classes (first quarter)
- Hold parent college planning and financial aid meeting (first quarter)
- Process college applications for seniors (first-third quarters)
- Provide Help in completing the FAFSA by using the resources of a local college
- Write letters of recommendation. (first-third quarters)
- Assist students and parents with college scholarship applications and financial aid in general. (first–fourth quarters)
- Testing: discuss and advise students as to the appropriate college admissions test they should take: ACT, SAT or both. Discuss test results of ACT/SAT (first–fourth quarters)
- Coordinate lists of seniors who qualify for various awards. (Ohio Department of Education Award of Merit, President's Award of Educational Excellence, President's Award of Educational Improvement) (fourth quarter)