Fr. Michael Goetz Catholic Secondary School
Student Services
The Guidance Programme will attempt to respond to student needs throughout their secondary school years. The Programme shall provide opportunities for students to acquire the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary to:
· know and appreciate themselves
· relate effectively to others
· develop appropriate educational plans
· explore career alternatives
The program will be delivered by counsellors through personal counselling, small group sessions and classroom instruction.
The following are among the services offered:
· academic counselling/planning
· career exploration and planning
· study skills sessions/ career interest inventories
· support groups, peer tutors
· college and university information
· night school and summer school information
· job bulletin board
Students are encouraged to request an appointment with a counsellor as required. To request an appointment simply drop by the Student Services Area, fill out a request form and leave it with the secretary. Likewise parents/guardians are encouraged to become involved in their son/daughter's concerns, planning, etc. by contacting his/her counsellor.
Timetable Changes
All course changes must be completed within the first 5 days of each semester.
Students wishing to change add, or delete a course must make an appointment with their guidance counselor to determine if the change is possible. Changes will only be considered for the following reasons:
§ Credit has already been earned for a current course.
§ The pre-requisite has not been completed.
§ New course is required for graduation.
§ New course is required for post-secondary plans.
§ Student has an incomplete schedule.
Students MUST continue to follow their most recent timetables until the counselor has finalized and approved the change.
Students wishing to change the level of a course must request the change within the first 4 weeks of each semester.
Child and Youth Worker
Fr. Michael Goetz S. S. has Child & Youth Workers (CYW) available in the Student Services Department. CYW’s are members of the support services team. With an educational background focused on children’s mental health and behaviour, CYWs engage with students, parents, and all members of the school staff to provide social/emotional/behavioural support, including counselling, to students who may be struggling with challenges in their lives both within and outside of school. Students often connect directly with the Child and Youth Worker or may be referred by administration, teachers, guidance staff, parents, or other support services staff. As members of the support services team, CYWs endeavour to assure that students are linked to the support they need both within school and in the community.
Social Worker
Your school Social Worker is there to help you around a wide variety of problems - family difficulties, trouble with relationships, self esteem, depression, coping issues, etc. If you would like to see the Social Worker, ask your guidance counselor, or drop by Student Services on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Psychologist
The psychologist’s role in the school is to work with students, parents and teachers to promote mental health and effective environments for learning. For example, we can help to identify why a child is having problems with learning, by providing specific information about learning styles. We can diagnose various intellectual, perceptual, behavioral and emotional disorders and provide confidential counseling. In addition, we can provide organizational, homework and test taking suggestions.
The psychologist is in the school 2 days a week. Appointment slips are available in the Guidance office.