Lower School Supports

The Academy of Notre Dame employs a full-time School Counselor for grades Pre-K to 8 to support the overall academic and social-emotional well-being of students. The counselor is available throughout the day for one-on-one, small group, and classroom level meetings.

Students in Grades K-5

Students participate in Lunch Bunch and small group lunch time play groups in the counselor’s office, which focus on friendship and various school topics.

Students in Grades 6-8

The counselor has an open door policy for older students and is available by appointment during lunchtime for meetings to discuss academic and social needs.

All Students

For all students, the counselor is available for day-to-day support of student needs that may arise.

Classroom Guidance Lessons

The Academy also implements structured classroom guidance lessons that focus on topics such as, but not limited to, friendship dynamics, anger management, kindness, and organizational skills for students in all grades.

Other Support

Additionally, the Academy's school counselor collaborates with representatives of area high schools (including our own Upper School) to coordinate the high school application process for NDA 8th graders. The counselor works with parents to provide information about the process, coordinates teacher references, and submits all application materials to prospective schools on behalf of each student.

For Parents

The counselor assists with parent requests and questions regarding student and is happy to arrange parent teacher meetings upon request.