Hawley High School
School Counseling Department
Bill Esterby, M.Ed., L.S.C.
Licensed School Counselor serving grades 7-9
218.483.3555 ext. 1153
Laurie Sandness-Boeshans, M.S., L.S.C.
Licensed School Counselor serving grades 10-12
218.483.3555 ext. 1155
School Counseling Office Hours: Monday-Thursday - 8:00am-3:45pm / Friday - 8:00am-3:13pm
District Office Fax: 218.483.3510
What's happening in the school counseling office?
Upcoming college admissions representative, military recruiter & employment opportunity visits:
North Dakota Air National Guard - December 20 @ Sr. High lunch
U.S. Postal Service - January 13 @ both lunches
Minnesota Army National Guard - January 15 @ Sr. High lunch
Admissions reps will meet with interested 10th-12th graders in the new Student Support Services Office (across the hall from the new main office). Students should get a pass from Mrs. Boeshans in advance to be excused from class.
College-bound seniors - the 2025-26 FAFSA is now open! Apply online at www.fafsa.gov
ASVAB scores and career exploration session - January 3, 1:45-2:30pm. The ASVAB was given at HHS on December 11. Students who took the test will get their scores back, learn what their scores mean, and go through a career exploration exercise. Kaden Murphy, recruiter with the MN Army National Guard, will be leading the session in the collaborative space.
We moved into the new Student Support Services office in late September! Our new office is located by the new main entrance, across from the new high school office. The Student Support Services office houses the school counselors, school-based mental health provider, school psychologist intern, and school social worker. Please stop by to say hi and check out our new space :)
Students who have failed or anticipate failing a required class for graduation and are in need of credit recovery should see Mrs. Boeshans (grades 10-12) or Mr. Esterby (grades 7-9) in the fall. There are multiple credit recovery options available to students during the school year and summer through either area ALCs or online independent study. Students can also retake failed classes at HHS. Find information about credit recovery options here. Summer school is offered in Detroit Lakes and Moorhead. Summer school is not offered in Hawley.
Looking for information about transferring credits? Check out the info on Post-secondary Education tab!
Taking care of yourself resources:
Clay County Linkup website - Clay County used some of its CARES money to build a website to support students, parents, and educators. It shares free resources including videos about a variety of topics (self-care, parenting tips, coping strategies, fun stuff, and more). Sign-up using your school email address (students and educators) or your personal email address (parents).
Did you know there is a variety of mental health resources available right here in Hawley? You find a list of local providers on the Mental Health page of this website.
If you are in need of emergency or crisis services, please refer to the resources listed on our website.
HHS Calm Space - a semi-private space in the student support services office area set aside for students who need a space to calm and collect themselves. To use it, simply stop by the student support services office - it's the area between the plants and the windows. (It's a work in progress as we get settled in our new space!)
Change to Chill - This website is created by Allina Health in collaboration with teens. It's all about mindfulness and stress relief.
Virtual Calming Room - a great collection of free, easy to access resources to help you find some calm in the midst of stress or just take care of yourself on a day-to-day basis. Thanks to the Wayzata High School Counseling Department for sharing this resource!
Nugget PSAs - A series of PSA (Public Service Announcement) videos around specific topics that may be useful to students. These videos are posted on Mrs. Boeshans's YouTube channel.
Taking Care of Your Mental Health in the Face of Uncertainty
What do Licensed School Counselors do?
School counselors are licensed by the Minnesota Board of Teaching and are required to have a master's degree in school counseling. We have specialized training to work with all students in grades K-12 individually, in small groups, and in the classroom setting. We support students, families, and school staff so students can be successful in school! We offer support in three main areas:
Academics
Career Exploration and Post-secondary Education Access
Social/Emotional Concerns
Want to learn more? Check out this brochure from the Minnesota School Counselors Association!
How do students and parents/guardians connect with us?
Students can self-refer or can be referred by parents/guardians or staff members. Students can stop by our office, leave us a note, send an e-mail, or let a secretary know they'd like to see us. Parents and guardians are welcome to stop by, call, or e-mail. (You'll have better luck catching us in our offices if you call ahead!)