What is BHS Doing to Help Students Succeed?

On By Branford Buzz
By Madeleine Mattson and Rebecca Criscuolo Branford High School has several programs and opportunities to make sure its students succeed. What is Branford High doing to help its students? “A lot,” according to Principal Lee Panagoulias. Students should get help if they need it, whether it involves a psychological, academic, medical or college related problem but how do you obtain it when you don’t know where to look for it? Some are geared toward student futures:
  • Naviance
  • Weekly advisory
  • The Guidance Department
Some are geared toward academic assistance: Some are for psychological help:
  • The student health center
  • The Guidance Department

Purpose of weekly advisory not always clear to students

To address the problems of the individual grade levels, each advisory session hones in on a specific topic: Freshmen advisory is designed to help their transition to high school. Sophomores focus on how to achieve academic success. Juniors focus on post-secondary plans, including college, and seniors use this time for their capstone projects. Advisory meets weekly on Wednesdays for 26 minutes. Despite the goals laid out on the advisory website, the application of those goals is not always clear to many students. Ian Bergman, sophomore class president, says “I don’t think advisory is doing anything but letting the students do their homework.” And when asked about advisory, junior Katherine Salvatore said, “I don’t mind it but it’s unnecessary.” Another freshman said “I don’t understand why we have advisory.” When asked more specifically if the goals of advisory were being achieved, but not necessarily during the 26-minute advisory class, students had a different outlook. However, on the topic of college preparation, Salvatore said “I feel so informed I’ve never felt more informed in my life.”

The Guidance Department offers different assistance for all students

As Branford High School’s mission statement says, the guidance department is dedicated to fostering the successful academic, personal, and vocational growth of every student. Branford tries to fulfill the meaning of the statement in every student, guidance counselors said. Students said they think of guidance counselors as someone more to go to with a scheduling issue than with a problem. Guidance counselor Douglas White gave a few points and information on how Branford High School is looking out for all their students. Starting with juniors and seniors, White says “There are individual meetings set up with the student and parents to discuss the child’s future.” This sort of meeting gets in the best interest in for the student and what they want their future to be, he said. “All through high school we try to emphasize who you are and how to figure out your future” White said. In the spring of junior year students will start to look at college and college testing. Senior year schedules are picked with the students parents and how to correspond it with what the student wishes to do, “we mold the curriculum to interests,” White said. Naviance is another tool Branford High students can use: freshmen start the surveys coming into freshman year to look at their personality and to match them up to future careers. Each summer Branford High does an orientation for incoming students so they know what they are coming into. Freshman Michael White and Damien Maniscalco feel the transition into the high school was very helpful with the orientation.