Guidance provides academic, career, social, and emotional counselling for students at B.H.S.S. We are happy to connect with students and parents/guardians as needed to support them as they navigate through the exciting journey of high school. Our dedication is to creating independent and resilient students who feel in control of their academic and mental well-being.
The Guidance office is located by the front entrance doors across from the main office, and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Students are welcome to pop-in with a quick question and/or book a guidance appointment Meet your Guidance Department.
Meet the Guidance Team
| Counselor | Student Focus | Portfolio of Interest | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| P. Finn (Guidance Secretary) | All students | Student registration, records management | ext. 114 |
| S. Dampf (Counselor) | Last names A-D | SHSM (Specialist High Skills Major) | ext. 182 |
| S. Kearsey(Counselor) | Last names E-K | International and MLL Students | ext. 184 |
| J. Jamieson (Counselor) | Last names L-M | Grade 8 Transitions | ext. 185 |
| N. Musa (Counselor; Student Success Teacher) | Last names N-St | Student Academic Success, Peer Tutoring and Mentorship | ext. 182 |
| V. Kumar (Counselor, Head of Department) | Last names Su-Z | Out-of-Province Postsecondary Applications, Dual Credit | ext. 183 |
What we do
Our guidance department serves the school community in a variety of ways:
- Supports students in academic planning and course selection.
- Helps students to seek out special pathways programs in secondary school that support their learning styles, interests and needs.
- Helps individual students to envision a plan for post-secondary and target some short and long term goals.
- Provides information around all post-secondary pathways (workplace, college, apprenticeship, university) and career pathways.
- Supports students in establishing effective study habits and exam preparation.
- Coaches in the scholarship application process.
- Supports students in such life skills as decision-making, problem-solving, conflict-resolution, stress and time management and relationship awareness.
- Provides personal counselling and referrals to community resources.
- Provides crisis counselling and referrals to community resources.
Experience secondary school.
Looking for volunteer opportunities?
Check out the Civic York website for volunteer opportunities.
Explore My Options
There are many opportunities beyond the regular classroom to explore your education and career choices. Your first step in trying a new opportunity is being aware of those options.
- Secondary School Programs. There are many different programs available in secondary school that let you explore your interests and build your skills and experience. Learn more about secondary school programs. Know what interests you? Search for programs by sector.
- Alternate Ways of Learning. There are many different ways to access learning beyond the regular school day and classroom. This includes summer learning programs, night school, adult learning and more. Learn more about our continuing education programs.
- Opportunities Outside of School. How you choose to use your time outside of school can also have an effect on your personal growth and future planning. There are many possible ways to explore your initial post-secondary destination outside of school. Learn more about opportunities outside of school.
- Post-Secondary Options. There are many post-secondary education options and opportunities available after secondary school, including apprenticeship, college, university and private career colleges. Learn more about these options and how to plan for them. Learn more about post-secondary options.
- Explore Careers. There are many online resources that can help you learn more about yourself and your employability skills, and explore jobs and careers. Learn more about career options.