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Counselor's Corner

The Counseling Office at Nativity Catholic School is dedicated to supporting the social, emotional, and developmental well-being of all students. Guided by our Catholic faith and commitment to educating the whole child, the Counseling Office partners with students, families, faculty, and administration to foster a safe, supportive, and nurturing school environment.


Goals of the Counseling Program
The Counseling Office seeks to:

  • Provide age-appropriate Safe Environment education that promotes personal safety and well-being while reinforcing the belief that every life is a gift from God, deserving of dignity, respect, and care.
  • Encourage students to develop self-awareness, self-advocacy skills, emotional regulation, problem-solving abilities, and healthy conflict-resolution strategies.
  • Support student mental health through education, screening, emotional support, and the provision of resources and referrals for families when appropriate.
  • Foster strong partnerships among students, families, faculty, and the broader school community to support student success and well-being.

Mental Health Screening
As part of our commitment to student wellness, the Counseling Office conducts an annual mental health screening for 5th-grade students. Screening results are confidential and are shared directly with the custodial parent(s) or legal guardian(s). These results are not included in the student's educational record.

Parents or legal guardians who prefer not to have their child participate in the screening may opt out by submitting a written request to the Director of Counseling Services at schoolcounselor@nativitycatholicschool.org.
 

Counseling Meetings
Students, custodial parent(s) or legal guardian(s), faculty members, and administrators may request a meeting with the Director of Counseling Services. Requests may be submitted via email and will receive a response no later than the end of the following business day.

Enrichment and Intervention

To ensure we meet the enrichment and intervention needs of all students at Nativity Catholic School, there is school-wide time in the academic for student support. We call this “Whatever I Need” or W.I.N. time. Enrichment and intervention supports are designed to address the needs of students above grade level, at grade level and below grade level. Students work to achieve their growth target goals to either catch up, keep up or move up in academic achievement.  

 

On-Campus Enrichment and Intervention Programs

 
STREAM Enrichment: This weekly program is for students in grades 2-5 who have demonstrated high academic ability and meet specific achievement criteria as demonstrated on NWEA MAP assessments, the Terra Nova In-View assessment, and/or the SAGES-2 Reasoning subtest. Each trimester will consist of several rigorous, standards-based units of study. Students become immersed in each topic through a variety of activities and assignments. Creativity is encouraged, and students must be able to work independently. The goal of enrichment is to challenge students to further develop their content knowledge, critical thinking, collaboration and problem-solving skills.  
 
Reading Intervention: Nativity Catholic School implements a comprehensive reading intervention program for struggling readers in grades K-5. Our reading interventionist meets with students to identify needs, provide interventions and support reading growth target goals.
 
Resource Program: Nativity Catholic School offers a diverse and differentiated curriculum designed to meet the needs of all our students. If a student struggles academically and classroom interventions are not enough to support them, the school may recommend an evaluation process to identify their specific needs. If a student is identified as having a diagnosed disability, the resource teacher, along with classroom teachers, the assistant principal of academic affairs, and the school counselor, will develop a Diocesan Student Support Plan (SSP), which outlines appropriate accommodations for the student.

Our resource program aims to provide students who encounter academic difficulties the opportunity to achieve success, build confidence in their skills and become their own self-advocates. The resource teacher recognizes each student's unique gifts and learning needs and strives to help each student she serves experience Christ's love and compassion.

Speech: Hillsborough County Public Schools offers speech/language therapy to students on our campus who meet the criteria for speech (articulation) and/or language. The assigned speech/language pathologist provides therapy to eligible students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade in pull-out sessions during the school day on campus.

Title I Instructional Interventions: Title I instructional interventions are delivered via a pull-out program during the school day to address academic challenges for eligible students via Hillsborough County Public Schools. This program is provided by national Title program funding that the public school system receives.
 

Questions?

If you have questions about our academics or curriculum, please contact:
Mrs. Jennifer Seebaran
Assistant Principal of Academic Affairs
813-689-3395