Counseling

Mount Notre Dame High School has four full-time M.Ed licensed counselors who design and implement a comprehensive counseling program for our students. Through collaborative efforts, our counselors deliver a program that allows students to grow academically, emotionally and spiritually. Our counselors promote and encourage the exploration of careers and a committed vision to college. By remaining with their students all four years, the counselors encourage and create an environment where each individual is empowered to balance her educational goals and the growing need for independence with the demands of school, family and friends.

MND is strongly aware of the current data and trends regarding mental health. In a continued commitment to mental health wellness, the department has a mastered degree social worker with a LISW. The Mental Health and Wellness counselor partners with the school counselors and parents to provide additional support and programming.

The MND Counseling Department also provides a testing coordinator that serves the needs of our young women navigating through the ACT, SAT and other standardized tests.

It’s your journey to success, but we’ll walk with you every step of the way!

Mrs. Kellie Siler Chairperson / School Counselor ksiler@mndhs.org 513.821.3044 ext. 149
Miss Emily Neubauer School Counselor eneubauer@mndhs.org 513.821.3044 ext. 123
Mrs. Carrie Rieth School Counselor crieth@mndhs.org 513.821.3044 ext. 148
Miss Emmy Schwartz School Counselor emschwartz@mndhs.org 513.821.3044 ext. 109
Mrs. Molly Sicking Mental Health & Wellness Counselor msicking@mndhs.org 513.821.3044 ext. 125
Mrs. Eileen Schwartz Testing Coordinator eschwartz@mndhs.org 513.821.3044 ext. 151
Mrs. Ann Miller Administrative Assistant amiller@mndhs.org 513.821.3044 ext. 110

More about our Counseling Program

Individual Support

Individual meetings with students are scheduled several times throughout the year, however Mount Notre Dame Counselors maintain an open-door policy and encourage students to meet with their counselor as needed. It is our goal to guide students in their academic, social, emotional and spiritual development thus graduating as life-long learners and responsible citizens. Students are assigned to counselors based on the first letter of their last name and will maintain the same counselor throughout high school.

Individual student support services include:

• Individual Counseling
• Academic Advising
• Career Exploration
• College Advising
• Post-Secondary Education Planning

Confidentiality
In order to develop a strong counseling relationship, a foundation based on trust must be formed between student and counselor. Mount Notre Dame’s counselors abide by the American School Counseling Association’s guidelines on confidentiality and believe that the safety and well-being of all students is of the utmost importance. Counselors will maintain the student’s request for confidentiality unless the counselor judges that the student is putting herself or someone else in grave danger or if there is suspected child abuse or neglect.

If the student is experiencing significant emotional problems, the school counselor along with the mental health and wellness counselor will contact the parents to discuss options for an outside mental health professional. The Counseling Department staff keeps a list of various mental health professionals who specialize in working with adolescents.

Group Support

Mount Notre Dame offers counseling groups for students that focus on academic and socio-emotional development.

Academic

• Freshman Counseling Groups – Freshman students meet with their counselor in a small-group setting three times a year, in addition to individual advising meetings, to discuss building academic strength, knowing and applying learning styles, managing time and stress, setting goals and building a four year plan.

• Sophomore Counseling Groups – Sophomore students meet with their counselor in a small-group setting three times a year in addition to individual advising meetings. Students engage in career exploration using Naviance Student, to evaluate their strengths, talents and interests. Students participate in a job shadow experience and begin researching college majors. Students also receive a detailed explanation of their standardized test results and guidance on how to prepare for the ACT and SAT.

• Junior Counseling Groups – Junior students meet with their counselors in a small-group setting three times a year in addition to individual advising meetings. Students actively research colleges and majors using Naviance Student, participate in college rep visits, prepare for standardized college admissions tests and plan for the college application process.

• Senior Counseling Groups – Senior students meet with counselors in a small-group setting, in addition to individual college and personal advising meetings, and have the opportunity to attend an August financial aid meeting. Students are guided in the college application, scholarship and financial aid processes.

Personal

All students have the opportunity to meet with their school counselor individually at any time for social and emotional support. Working in partnership with the Mental Health and Wellness counselor, students may receive ongoing resources to support their needs.

Grace Group – Grace Group, offered through Campus Ministry, is a support group for students who have lost a close relative. They meet eight (8) times each school year.