By Stacy Cruz
Staff Writer
Mira Costa added Keshia Fields and Eliza Hynes to the Student Academic Support program as the new support counselors for the 2013-14 school year.
As recent arrivals to SAS, both new counselors seek to broaden and enhance the program to better help the students in SAS.
“They’ll be working with our SAS students,” Principal Dr. Ben Dale said. “They’re, in theory, just like the CCC and are going to continue the great program.”
As counselors, Fields and Hynes work on scheduling and one-on-one counseling with students. They also team up with teachers, fellow counselors and administrators to construct graduation and college plans.
“We work closely with the Academic Support teachers to implement the SAS curriculum into the classroom,” Fields said. “We teach weekly lessons, and the topics we cover vary from academic tools and skills, to social skills, to career planning.”
Fields and Hynes are also the representatives for Costa at the bi-monthly School Attendance Review Board meetings, where they assist students with attendance and behavior problems. They also counsel students with 504 plans or with mental, psychological or physical disabilities.
“Our goal is to increase motivation, to help students build on their strengths, and to understand the value of knowledge, learning and growing,” Fields said.
The SAS program is designed to help students complete homework during school hours so that they can better understand the material. Counselors come in during the week to aid students and assist them with their work.
“The program is so amazing because it gives you time to do work and study for tests, which you don’t usually get to do during school,” sophomore and SAS student Ryan Quigley said.
According to Dale, the SAS program is expected to remain as helpful as students have found it in the past with the addition of the new counselors.
“We are both thrilled to be the new Academic Support counselors and feel so lucky to be a part of Mira Costa High School.” Fields said.
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