At HJ Cody we provide a half-time position for Academic Counselling. Students are encouraged to take advantage of this service to answer any questions they may have as far as future careers are concerned. Another focus of this office is to monitor student progress from grade 10 to 12. Along with keeping track of credits, the counsellor tracks of marks related to scholarship and award eligibility. In keeping with this we also post and provide information about scholarships and awards as they become available during the year.

The fall of the year is used to interview grade 12 students individually to update their credit status, help with post-secondary applications or direct them toward information on apprenticeships, and provide award and scholarship information. We also hold our Awards Night in October and this office helps co-ordinate information to help in the selection of the Award winners.

Another function of the Academic Counsellor is to facilitate a fall career day. This involves having post-secondary institutions from throughout the province come to the school for an afternoon of sessions to provide students from grades 9 through 12 with information on their respective schools. Next fall we will be hosting this Career Fair on November 26th.

With the grade 11’s we begin the interview process after Christmas. In this interview we make them aware of the process regarding applying to schools at the beginning of their grade 12 year. We also go over credits to date, marks, and the requirements for various programs at the post-secondary level.

As spring approaches the Counsellor visits the grade 9 classes to discuss high school requirements with the students to help them make decisions regarding course selection in grade 10. We also touch on the requirements for the Rutherford Scholarship in grade 9 and reiterate this information throughout high school.

In April and May we interview the Grade 10 students to make sure they have the pre-requisites for Grade 11 and 12 courses, upgrade them on their eligibility for the Rutherford Scholarship, and introduce them to summer work experience opportunities.

While a considerable amount of time is spent doing individual student interviews from grade 10 through 12, the office is open for individuals to drop in to find out specific information on any aspect of career development. We also provide students with the opportunity to do interest inventory tests to help them devise a career path. Each month we also provide information through our school newsletter on subjects that are time sensitive regarding academic and career information. Finally, we encourage any parents to come in to visit or phone with any questions you might have about your son or daughter’s progress or future plans.