Dina Spaggiari, M.S.
DHS Counselor
B.S. Psychology - CSU Chico
M.S. Counseling - University of La Verne
The counseling program at Durham High School assists students and
parents in planning for their education both in high school and beyond. We offer
a variety of services for educational planning, academic achievement,
career education, personal concerns and crisis situations.
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Aside from daily appointments with the counselor and career technician,
the department provides various outreach programs to assist students:
Eighth Grade Parent Night Ð Held each spring during pre-registration.
This
program provides an overview of graduation requirements, college
options,
vocational options, and 4 year planning guidelines. Parents of all
incoming
freshman are invited to come.
Freshman Orientation Ð This is held in late August before the first
week of
school. It is an opportunity for students and parents to learn about
the
policies and procedures of the campus. The students list of classes is
available for their review, however, specific class times are not
indicated
as this is not determined until the first day of school.
Freshman Parent Night Ð This is held in early February for parents and
freshman students. It is an opportunity to revisit the policies and
procedures of the campus as well as address graduation requirements in
more
detail. The students have 1 semester completed which has given them
time to
get a true feel for areas of concern. It is based on a question and
answer
format.
Junior Parent Night Ð Held in the late spring to discuss overview of
activities that take place during the senior year. Parents of juniors
are
encouraged to come.
Going to College Ð Counselor visits the Civics/Economics class in early
fall
to discuss the path for applying to different colleges during their
senior
year. Financial aid is also covered during those presentations.
Financial Aid Workshop Ð Held in early December when the federal
financial
aid forms become available. Each year thousands of dollars become
available
for students demonstrating financial need, academic excellence, etc.
This
workshop is scheduled to assist students and parents in filling out the
financial aid forms.
Group Counseling Ð Groups are formed at the beginning of each semester
for
students to join. The topics of these groups vary from grief
counseling to
substance abuse issues. The students are referred to the programs if
there
is an interest on the studentÕs part. Parents must sign a permission
slip.
Peer Counseling Ð Students who are interested in helping fellow
students
with personal issues, problems with friends, school questions, and the
like
volunteer to be a peer counselor. All the peer counselors are trained
at
the beginning of each year and are available to help with new studentsÕ
orientation and on an on-call basis when the need arises.
Class Room Counseling Ð During different times of the year, the
counselor
will drop into the social science class and health/computers classes to
reach all grade levels to discuss pertinent information regarding grade
specific counseling. For example, introduction and four-year planning
for
freshman; follow-through and checking in with sophomores, identifying
plans
after high school for juniors and finally, WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE with
seniors.
Career Counseling Ð The Career Technician visits the different grades
to do
some interest inventories and skill testing. Introduction to the
different
computer programs available in the Career Center, such as Eureka, are
explained in a hands-on presentation in the computer lab. Port-folios
are
developed for each student beginning in their freshman year and
following
through their senior year. Students gain a better understanding of
their
interests, skills, how to build resumes, writing essays for colleges
and
scholarships, and finally college or vocation programs of their choice.
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