School Counseling

We support our ninth graders with their transition to high school and all the amazing, personalized opportunities that BFUHS has to offer through our Freshman Academy program.  It is extremely important for ninth grade students (and their parent(s)/guardian(s)) to communicate with their Counselors if they have any questions or concerns about their academic, career, or personal/social experiences.  We want the transition to BFUHS to be as smooth as possible.  Students have the opportunity to explore academic interests and set personal and academic goals through engagement in their Personalized Learning Plans (PLPs)

We support tenth graders through opportunities related to exploring careers, college majors, and setting academic and personal goals.  Students have the opportunity to explore the River Valley Technical Center and the Windham Regional Career Center to learn more about technical education programs available to them during their junior and senior years.  Students will also continue to update their Personalized Learning Plans (PLPs).  

We support eleventh graders through individualized meetings with parent(s)/guardian(s) during the second semester, with a focus on discussing post-secondary plans and developing clear pathways to obtain their individualized goals.  We offer opportunities for students to explore careers, college majors, and potential colleges throughout the school year.  Students will also continue to update their Personalized Learning Plans (PLPs).

We support twelfth graders with mapping out and finalizing post-secondary plans (college, career, armed forces, etc.) through individualized meetings.  Students will finalize their Personalized Learning Plans (PLPs).

Currently, BFUHS offers two classes in-house for both high school credit and college credit.  Our Advanced Placement Calculus courses can earn a student college credit through River Valley Community College. Credit through Community College of Vermont can be obtained through successful completion of the following courses: Honors American Literature, and 21st Century Writing.  Students can also earn Dual Enrollment credit by successfully completing courses taken at colleges and universities, with prior approval from the school administration.  Students have the option to take courses at colleges/universities as a level 4-Honors or unleveled.  This must be finalized with their school counselor.

Qualified students can spend their senior year of high school as a fully enrolled college student, thus finishing their requirements for their high school diploma while also completing their first year in college. 

Students can make progress toward earning a high school diploma by earning credit through “on-the-job” experiences.  Our School Counseling Department has a School Counselor who is tasked with helping students create a work based experience that meets the needs of the student and the workplace, while demonstrating sufficient documented new learning to earn credit toward graduation.  While this learning opportunity is available to all students, based upon their interest and available work experiences, these experiences  are most commonly accessed by (1) Special Education students, and (2) students who access one of our two career centers. 

When students have an interest in taking BFUHS courses but have schedule conflicts, they may be able to take a class as an “Independent Study” (if a teacher is available).  Students will only be approved for an independent study if the teacher, school counselor, and administrator all agree that the student has the skills needed to work independently, with a couple of meetings with the teacher in a week, and still meet the expectations of the course in question.