Counseling Program | Balboa Academy

At Balboa Academy we offer all our students and their parents Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). Where appropriate, we liaise with outside professionals, while high School counselors provide assistance to our college-bound students to support selection, applications, research, and scholarships, providing a much needed helping hand for students making these important decisions.

Elementary School Counseling Program

Our elementary counseling program takes a three-tiered approach to social-emotional learning.

This comprehensive program helps our students develop five social and emotional competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making. It responds to the needs that are developmentally characteristic of our students as well as to the needs that arise from life circumstances. The program responds to requirements identified by teachers, parents and students.

Through bimonthly storybook-based mini lessons, students in 1st through 4th grade have the opportunity to learn developmentally appropriate social-emotional skills such as making and keeping friends, developing empathy and compassion, and self-regulation, among others. These lessons comply with American School Counselor Association Standards for Students and follow CASEL guidelines for Social and Emotional Competencies

Some students participate in focused groups designed to support specific needs, for example new students, a group for Girls in Real Life Situations and others as necessary. Students also have the opportunity to participate in peer mediation meetings, where students communicate with each other about a problem and reach agreements that are part of the solution.

Through individual meetings, students establish personal goals and learn problem-solving skills to manage day to day interactions that might be temporarily disrupting their learning.

The counseling program recognizes that the partnership between, school, parents and students is vital to student success. Escuela Para Padres meetings throughout the year provide tools to help parents better support their children.

Middle School Counseling Program

The role of the middle school counselor is very important. We try to understand the students’ perceptions of the world and guide them to make the best decisions.

Our program fosters self-discovery using patience, understanding, and above all, empathy.

Activities include:

Classroom guidance
Small group/individual counseling
Student observations
Parent/teacher counseling
Mediation
Conferences with teachers, specialists, parents, and students
Referrals to community services
Parent conferences
Newsletters
Professional Development for teachers
Our hope is to have a positive impact on all our students’ lives, so that their passage from childhood to adolescence is as smooth as possible.

High School Counseling Program

Balboa Academy counselors work closely with students diagnosed with medical, psychological, behavioral, and/or social problems, which may affect their performance at school, at home, and in the community. Counselors work diligently to protect the students they serve and to promote the use of positive and effective methods of support. Counselors also act as a resource for school personnel, helping with the implementation of effective intervention strategies that facilitate positive individual development. We also promote mediation among students, parents, and teachers. Counselors take an active role in promoting and leading family/parenting education at school, and we have an extensive list of supportive people within the community to refer students to when needed.

College Success

Balboa Academy high school counselors are proud members of International Association for College Admissions Counselors and American School Counselor Associations. As active members of the school community, we help and support all students to reach their full academic potential, alongside their personal and social development. We also provide college and career counseling to prepare students’ for their next steps after school. Our focus is ensuring our student's success, whether they wish to attend college or start their careers.

Our high School program equips students with developmentally appropriate coping strategies that can be incorporated into their daily lives and we strongly believe that through leadership, advocacy and collaboration, and in parallel with the educational opportunities available at Balboa Academy - we are preparing our students for future success.

College Counseling

Throughout the year, we proudly host over 250 universities from around the world. We work with each student individually to provide exposure to the many universities that visit us. We value and recognize the individual needs of each student and help to personalize a plan for them to select and gain acceptance to the school that will be the best fit for them.

College counselors at Balboa Academy have many years of experience and keep up to date with changes and trends in the college admissions world. They serve as resources to help all students with questions and concerns that may come up throughout the college application process.

Here are some links to help with the college search process:

BigFuture College Search

College Data

NCES College Navigator

Testing

Most colleges around the world require students to submit some form of standardized testing during the application process. We require all of our students in the 10th and 11th grades to take the PSAT in October in order to help them prepare for the SAT, which is a test used for college admission in the US and in other countries around the world. Please see the links below for more information.

Balboa Academy is also an official test center for SAT and ACT, so students are able to register and take the test in an environment where they feel comfortable.

Test prep (official partner with College Board and offers free test prep)

SAT: College Board

ACT: ACT

TOEFL: ETS

Balboa Academy counselors also provide resources for students who may need SAT prep courses at an additional cost.

Find out how your child could benefit from our exceptional pastoral care program by getting in touch today.

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