The Pollard Counseling Department is committed to advocating for all students and to being an integral part of the Pollard community. Counselors assist, guide, and direct students and families with academic planning, social/emotional issues, transition planning, early career exploration/planning, and many other areas relevant in a student's middle school experience. Counselors help students develop a strong sense of self, a respect for others, and offer guidance in making good decisions and helping students achieve their aspirations.

We look forward to working with you!

News To Know

Last edited 10/9/25

Introducing SCOIR to Grade 8!

During the month of October the school counselors will be running the community meetings for all 8th grade clusters to discuss a new program that we'll be pushing out to the grade as a resource for further future career planning called SCOIR. While NHS uses the SCOIR program for their career and post-secondary planning software for their high school students, SCOIR is now available to our 8th graders as an early resource for career and interest planning. During the months of November and December, 8th grade students will begin accessing the program and completing career interest inventories in order to begin identifying their interests and goals as it relates to their future education and possible career paths.

Vocational High School Visits

As students begin to explore their future their work with SCOIR - Pollard looks to support students transition to high school at the end of this year. At this important juncture, students have many opinions including vocational schools. To that end, Minuteman Regional Vocational High School has already presented their programing to the 8th grade students as an option for high school. Any eligible 8th grader interested in attending Minuteman or those who would like more information about the school prior to completing an application are encouraged to attend the Showcase field trip on November 7th. Students can find the applications for the field trip in the counseling suite. Other vocational high school options include Madison Park Vocational School and Norfolk County Agricultural High School. Please reach out to your student's school counselor with any questions.

Needham Veterans of Foreign Wars 2025 Student Essay Contest.

Students in Needham High School and Middle Schools can now participate in the contest, can win cash prizes from the Post, and may be eligible to win even more at the State or National Level contests. The high school contest is named "The Voice of Democracy," and the middle school contest is named "Patriots Pen."

Information for both grades are on this link: https://vfw.org/community/youth-and-education/youth-scholarships. Applications may be picked up at the VFW Post on 20 Junction Street as well.

All submissions should be sent to VFW Post 2498, ATTN Tom Keating, 20 Junction Street, Needham MA 02494 by October 31st. CONTACT: TOM KEATING, VFW POST 2498

508-472-1377 with questions.

CHP MOS 2025 flyer.pdf

Franciscan Children's Hospital, an affiliate of Boston Children's Hospital, is excited to announce a new slate of virtual therapy groups for this fall, designed to support children, teens, and their caregivers across a range of emotional, behavioral and developmental needs. These groups are led by licensed psychologists or social workers from Franciscan Children’s Hospital

Please note: Registration closes Friday, August 29.

Anyone who is interested in participating in any of these upcoming sessions should complete the registration form found here. (see session list below)

If you have any questions, please call us directly at (617) 779-1314. Sessions run from September 22 – December 19, and most insurances are accepted. A more detailed flyer can be viewed here for your reference.

Adolescent DBT SKILLS GROUP.pdf