What is the role of the Guidance Office?
When a student’s Shawnigan Journey comes to an end, they need to be ready for the next stage of their education. That’s where the Guidance Office comes in.
The purpose of the Guidance Office is to support students’ plans for life beyond Shawnigan: What are their next steps? And how can they meet their goals?
The Guidance Office works with students, families and teachers to plan a path to success — however a student might define that — in advancing to post-secondary pursuits. Most of the work is done one-on-one, especially starting in Grade 11, as counsellors help students make plans and personalized timelines, and create balance and reduce stress wherever possible as they think about everything from deadlines to scholarships.
is a lot for students to keep track of as the idea of post-secondary education becomes more realistic, and the Guidance Office is there to help students keep track of the many little pieces.
The seeds for post-secondary success are planted when students arrive for Grade 8. Although it isn’t directly related to the Guidance Office, Grade 8s take Health and Career Education classes, while exploring things that will apply to their educational future, like their learning style or what makes them excited.
In Grade 9, students who are looking at athletics as a post-secondary path begin working with the Athletic Advisor.
The process ramps up in Grade 10 as students enter Career and Life Education and are invited to join in on university workshops and fairs. They work on selecting courses for Grades 11 and 12, and discuss employment and volunteer opportunities over the summer that can help them achieve their aims.
In the spring of their Grade 11 year, students are assigned a counsellor and begin individual meetings. Students considering studying outside Canada participate in workshops to prepare the writing components required as part of the application process, and take the SAT/ACT/TOEFL/IELTS tests as needed. Counsellors ensure that students guide the process and talk to parents about expectations, financial considerations and options.
Students and their counsellors “hit the ground running” in Grade 12, working on post-secondary applications and scholarships, visiting potential universities, attending workshops and fairs, and taking more classes that align with their goals after Shawnigan.
With the goal of submitting their applications before December break, Grade 12 students prepare applications for a maximum of 10 schools, including a “likely” and a “most likely.” Counsellors make sure the students aren’t just applying to the “best” schools, but the best-fit ones for their needs: academic, social, financial and familial. Counsellors ask students why they have selected those specific schools, what they plan to do when they get there, what drives them, and how attending those schools applies to their future endeavours.
Throughout the process, the Guidance Office strives to keep parents in the loop. Prior to the pandemic, they used in-person sessions to keep parents informed, but now use Zoom meetings more frequently.
After working to support students as they investigate, consider and apply to university options, the Guidance Office looks forward to celebrating with students as they receive their decisions and confirm which institution they will attend.
Applying to post-secondary is a team effort: student, parents, advisors and counsellors. The Guidance Office is with a student from the moment they set foot on campus until graduation.
For more information about Shawnigan’s Guidance Office, please email go@shawnigan.ca
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful Pacific Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
