Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions of students and parents.

1. How does my child contact a counselor?
2. Does my child need to see a specific counselor?
3. When should I contact the guidance office?
4. Does my child have to see a counselor if he/she does not want to?

How does my child contact a counselor?

Counseling sessions can be set up in a variety of ways.  Parents can 
initiate contact by calling or emailing any one of the counselors or the 
Guidance Secretary, Linda McCluskey.  Students can also ask a teacher to 
help them set up an appointment with a counselor, or just come to the 
guidance office to set up an appointment.

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Does my child need to see a specific counselor?

Each of the two guidance counselors are assigned to specific teams, and the 
social worker works primarily with a specific case load.  For students on 
the Bodwell, Dalton, or Bibeau teams, Mrs. Binger is their assigned 
counselor.  For students on the Bridge, Myers or Merrow team, Mrs. Selsby is 
their assigned counselor.  However, we understand that some students may 
feel more comfortable with a counselor that is not assigned to their team, 
so every effort will be made to accomodate these situations.

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When should I contact the guidance office?

Any time a student experiences a situation that may impact their educational 
and social well-being, we appreciate hearing from parents that these 
situations have occurred.  Even if you think that your child will not be 
impacted at school by these events, we are often approached by teachers who 
have noticed small differences in a child's behavior.  The more information 
that we have, the easier it is to appropriately address the situation.  We 
would rather have too much information than to have too little information.

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Does my child have to see a counselor if he/she does not want to?

With a few exceptions, we allow a student and parent to decide if they want 
to participate in counseling services.  If a child decides they do not want 
to participate, that is their decision and no consequences will be linked to 
this decision.  However, on many occasions, we work closely with the 
Assistant Principal to address minor behavior or discipline issues with the 
goal of avoiding larger issues.  In these cases, a student's decision not to 
participate may require the matter to be addressed by the Assistant 
Principal.  In addition, many of the students that work with the Social 
Worker have Individualized Educational Programs (IEP) that requires services 
to be provided until a Pupil Evaluation Team (PET) makes a determination to 
change those services.  In these cases, the parent is an active participant 
in the PET and will have the opportunity to express their concerns.

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