School Counseling Department
500 Beech Street
Holyoke, MA 01040
Phone: 413-534-2030
Fax: 413-534-2098
Office hours: 7:30 PM – 2:30 PM
Contact
Katelyn Fenn, School Counselor & Department Head
kfenn@hps.holyoke.ma.us
Rena Holder, School Counselor
rholder@hps.holyoke.ma.us
Kimberly Izquierdo, School Counselor
kizquierdo@hps.holyoke.ma.us
Mark Rodrigues, School Counselor
marodrigues@hps.holyoke.ma.us
Laura Vazquez, School Counselor
lvazquez@hps.holyoke.ma.us
Anna Rigali, College and Career Counselor
arigali@hps.holyoke.ma.us
Kimberly Casiano, School Counseling Department Secretary
kcasiano@hps.holyoke.ma.us
Adjustment Counselors
odfeliciano@hps.holyoke.ma.us
Hannah Finnigan
hfinnigan@hps.holyoke.ma.us
Additional Resources
- HHS 21-22 School Profile (PDF) | En Español (PDF)
- Programs of Study & Course Catalog 2022-23 | Proximamente en Español
- Information about Early College and Dual Enrollment
- School Counseling Calendar 22-23
- School Counseling Curriculum Map
- Events, college counseling information, and college access programs
- Schoolbrains Community Portal (log-in or request account)
About
HPS School Counseling Department: Supporting Students on Their Pathway To Success.
The School Counseling Department at HPS supports all students on their individual pathways to personal, socioemotional, academic and vocational success through an equitable and inclusive, multi-tiered comprehensive school counseling curriculum with individualized supports. School counselors partner with school staff to ensure the best outcomes for all students striving to achieve their personal, academic and vocational goals.
Important Notes:
- Admission counselors can now go to CounselorCommunity.
com to schedule an appointment with our high school.
Counseling Department at Holyoke High School North Campus
Each student has a school counselor assigned to them. The counselor assignment will depend on the student’s freshman team or their academy. School Counselors play a role in the following:
- Deliver curriculum to all students about school success, college and career preparation, and academic planning.
- Guide students in their academic and vocational choices, both through individual meetings and classroom lessons.
- Assist students in keeping track of their progress toward graduation.
- Assist students in choosing courses for each year of high school.
- Assist students in planning for and applying to colleges or careers.
- Counsel students who are seeking help with conflict, academic struggles and related topics.
- Contribute to the social-emotional and academic well-being of all students. Counselors are members of the Care Team, the Attendance Team, and academy and freshman teams, all of which help to support students in need.
- Connect students with the HHS work-based learning program for internships and other career focused experiences
- Connect students with opportunities and resources that support their overall wellbeing and development
Ways for students to communicate with their school counselor:
- Book an appointment with your school counselor or the college & career counselor using their online appointment calendar (calendar links can be found in the School Counseling Google Classroom)
Way for parents and guardians to communicate with the school counselor:
- School Phone or Google Voice Phone Number
- Talking Points messaging
| Academy | Counselor |
| Performing & Media Arts | Kimberly Izquierdo |
| Engineering & Life Sciences | Katelyn Fenn, Mark Rodrigues |
| Community & Global Studies | Rena Holder, Laura Vazquez |
| Newcomer Academy | Laura Vazquez |
| Grade 9 Team AVID | Rena Holder, Kate Fenn |
| Grade 9 Team Showtime | Laura Vazquez, Rena Holder |
| Grade 9 Team Next Generation | Mark Rodrigues |
Ways for students and parents/guardians to learn about information and events related to college, career and school counseling topics
- Join the School Counseling Google Classroom for your grade/your child’s grade (parents who do not currently have access should email a school counselor to get a new invite sent)
- Ensure that you are receiving Talking Points text messages from the school (if you are not, contact the school to verify your phone numbers)
- Visit the College Counseling webpage for an upcoming events calendar and the College Counseling newsletter
School adjustment counselors (SAC’s) and school social workers are trained mental health professionals with a degree in social work who provide services related to a person’s social, emotional and life adjustment to school and/or society. Some individual students work with a school adjustment counselor on a regular basis as part of their individualized education plan. Other students can access the support of a SAC in the Student Support Room. The SAC team at HHS supports all students by delivering TRAILS social emotional learning curriculum to all students.
Testing Information
ACT (Junior/Senior Year)
HHS School Code 221018
The ACT (American College Testing) is a timed standardized test widely used by college admission counselors in the admission process. The test consists of 4 sections: math, reading, grammar and science reasoning with an optional 5th section of writing. We highly encourage our students to take an ACT and SAT before the start of their senior year. The ACT is as widely accepted for college admission as is the SAT. For more information, please visit www.actstudent.org.
SAT (Junior/Senior Year)
Holyoke High School’s code: 221018
SAT I (Scholastic Aptitude Test) is a standardized, timed aptitude test used widely by college admissions counselors in the admission process. It consists of math, critical reading and writing sections. It is offered eight times per year nationally. Students may use calculators on the math sections. Generally, we encourage juniors to take the SAT in the spring and seniors to take or retake the SAT in October or November. Students may take the test on any test date. If the test is taken more than once, many colleges and universities will consider the best scores from each section and not just from one testing session. Sophomores may also take the SAT but we would recommend they at least attempt the PSAT first before they take the SAT.
For registration information, deadlines and cost, please visit: http://sat.collegeboard.org/register/
Advanced Placement Tests (AP) (Sophomore, Junior, or Senior Year)
Students enrolled in AP courses will receive instructions on how to register for their AP exam(s) and the costs involved with the test from their AP teacher. For more information please see the College Board’s website:
Accuplacer (Senior Year)
The Accuplacer is a placement test used once a student is accepted to a college. Two year and four year colleges use placement tests to:
- Schedule students into classes
- To identify if students must take remedial before college level courses.
- Some colleges will use scores from the SAT or ACT in place of the Accuplacer
ACCUPLACER offers a suite of tests that determines your knowledge in math, reading and writing as you prepare to enroll in college-level courses. All Massachusetts community colleges, state colleges and universities utilize the ACCUPLACER. Most private colleges will utilize the ACCUPLACER or a similar test.
Any placement test administered by a college is used to identify a student’s strengths and weaknesses in each subject area. The results of the assessment, in conjunction with your academic background, goals and interests, are used by academic advisors and college counselors to place you in the appropriate college courses that meet your skill level.
Practice tests are encouraged and available free of charge at: http://accuplacer.collegeboard.org/students
Many colleges have opted to allow students to apply without submitting test scores. Even more colleges have decided not to require test scores (SAT/ACT) due to the limitations caused by the COVID 19 pandemic. This website offers a comprehensive list of test optional colleges.
