Knowing every student: Streamlining support with August Schools
At Seattle Academy, a 6th through 12th grade independent school in the heart of Seattle, the motto is simple yet profound: "Know the kid." This guiding principle shapes every aspect of the school’s approach, especially in the counseling department, where Leigh Hopkins, the Director of Counseling, leads a dedicated team of five full-time counselors. Seattle Academy is a community that deeply values the social and emotional well-being of its students.
“We really believe in early intervention,” Leigh shares, “mental health wellness is a lifetime condition for people and if students can get help and support, the better longevity they have for life.”
But as the school grew, so did the challenges of managing a vast array of student needs, particularly for a school with a strong focus on neurodiversity.
“My job is helping kids understand and accept their learning differences, not seeing it as a deficit. There's sometimes a lot of shame or embarrassment around that…but using accommodations isn't a crutch. It's about leveling the playing field so they can do their best work as students.”
For years, the counseling department relied on paper files to document student interactions—a system that was not only cumbersome but also prone to inefficiencies.
“Everything was on paper files… it was definitely a challenge,” Leigh recalls.
Counselors had to manually pull files to update records, a task that became increasingly difficult as the team expanded. It became clear they needed a better solution.
The search for an electronic record system that was secure, easy to use, and specifically tailored to the needs of school counselors was long and frustrating.
“Other platforms were really geared towards clinical counselors versus school counseling. They were looking for diagnosis and treatment plans and things that we don't do as school counselors. We were looking for something that was secure, easy to use and that could interface with our school system database. It was really hard to to find.”
But everything changed when Leigh found August Schools.
“August Schools was really created to be for school counselors,” she says, noting how the platform felt like it was made just for them.
One of the most significant benefits was the streamlined process for note-taking.
“August has been huge. It has saved us a ton of time,” Leigh shares.
Instead of spending precious time searching for paper files, counselors could now quickly document student interactions directly within the platform.
“It’s super nice because you can start a note, and, if you haven't finished it, you can come back to it, which is a huge part of our work. You have a plan and then you get interrupted and you can come back to that note.”
Instead of searching through old notes or digging through their SIS, Leigh’s team can now quickly access student information within August thanks to the seamless, bi-directional sync with Seattle Academy’s SIS—no switching tabs or windows.
“[August] pulls all the data from a student's profile because it interfaces with Veracross. You can just click on the student's name and all their information automatically is just there for you.”
But it wasn’t just about saving time—August Schools also transformed the way Leigh and her team could use data to make decisions.
“The analytics part is super fascinating. I would say that’s one of the best parts of August Schools,” Leigh emphasized.
With August Schools, Leigh can now run reports to identify trends and patterns among the students they see.
“It’s interesting to see how many kids we’re seeing in each grade level… Are there similar patterns that we’re hearing?”
These insights allow her to be proactive, addressing potential issues before they escalate and tailoring interventions to meet the students' needs.
August has also given Leigh the data she needs to give Seattle Academy’s leadership insight into the state of student wellbeing.
“In terms of my job as the director, I often am tasked by the administration to talk about how many kids are we seeing, what issues are the most frequent. I can actually run a report [in August] to be able to say, this is what we're seeing.”
For Leigh, the ability to access her team’s notes and manage workloads more effectively has been invaluable.
“I can go in and actually look at notes that my team are doing… Who are they seeing? What happened?” she explains.
This oversight helps her support her counselors better and ensures that no student slips through the cracks.
When a parent calls with concerns, Leigh can quickly access relevant notes, providing informed responses that strengthen the relationship between the school and families.
The impact of August Schools on the counseling department at Seattle Academy has been profound. Leigh no longer worries about losing valuable time to paperwork or missing critical information. Instead, she and her team can focus on what they do best, supporting students.
“I’m really grateful that August Schools came around when it did because we’d been looking for a really, really long time,” Leigh reflects.
The platform has not only made her life easier but has also empowered her to lead her team with confidence, knowing they have the tools they need to truly know—and support—every kid at Seattle Academy.