Guidance Counselors

Phone: 631-744-1600 ext. 6028

6^th Grade – Patrick Panella

7^th Grade – Courtney Honan

8^th Grade – Janine Quigley

Middle School Naviance

About the Guidance Department

(Available in Spanish)

Guidance services are an integral part of the school program. Counselors serve as liaison persons for parents and students with teachers and administrators.

Middle School counseling is also a unique opportunity to guide early adolescent students through challenging years of development. We are excited to have this opportunity to assist in the educational development of your child as a component of the student/school/home team.

What does a Counselor do?

(Available in Spanish)

 As guidance counselors we provide various services to students and parents including:

• Promoting positive self-esteem and attitudes throughout the student body
• Aiding teachers and parents in helping students achieve their highest potential
• Assisting students with concerns and issues that are related to the natural process of “growing up!”
• Coordinating the efforts of other school specialists such as teachers, school psychologists, etc.
• Providing a safe environment for students where they can express their concerns

What are Middle Schoolers Like?

(Available in Spanish)

As children grow, they begin to experience physical, intellectual, and emotional changes. The way they learn, feel, see the world, and relate to other people becomes different from when they were younger. These changes, along with demands from present-day society and peer pressure, create conflicts and tension in the adolescent, which are reflected in their behavior in school and at home.

Young people at this age show a good number of contradictions and conflicts, which is normal. There is no "model" adolescent. All young persons are individuals with strong and weak points and with positive and negative qualities. There are some common characteristics that should be kept in mind in order to understand and help the middle schooler in daily activities at home and at school:

• Adolescents have high levels of physical and emotional energy, which may contrast with long periods of idleness, generally disapproved of by adults.
• They take risks, are curious, and love danger and adventure, yet their feelings can be hurt easily. This is the time when they feel immortal, but they worry a lot about what their friends think about them.
• They want to be independent from their families, and at the same time, they need to be pampered and protected.
• They withdraw and want a private life, and at the same time, they worry about being accepted by their peers.
• They demand privileges but avoid responsibilities. At the same time, they are developing an awareness of social problems and the welfare of others.

Adolescents from other cultures sometimes face an additional burden as they develop their identities and try to comply with the requirements of home and school. On one side, they have the values and customs of the home that the family wants to maintain, and on the other, they have to respond to the demands of their peers and teachers, who have a different set of rules.

Comprehensive Attendance Policy

(Available in Spanish)

Regular school attendance is both mandatory and essential for successful learning to take place. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to ensure that a student attends school. Notification Sequence for excessive absences:

After 5th absence
Main office letter sent home.

After 10th absence
Letter and phone call requesting meeting with guidance counselor.

After 15th absence
Letter and phone call requesting meeting with Asst. Principal

After 20th absence
Required meeting with Principal. Required medical documentation. PINS/Outside agency considered.

After 25th absence
Required meeting with Principal. PINS consideration if no medical documentation provided. Outside agency contacted if no medical documentation provided.

After 28th absence:
Principal’s decision on retention regardless of academic standing and immediate loss of credit for credit bearing courses

* The school may contact an outside agency at any point if a pattern of irregular attendance develops.

Team Concept:

Students are taught and advised by a group of teachers who compose a grade level team. These teachers meet regularly to plan curriculum and discuss the needs and progress of the students. This team structure works dynamically with the Middle School schedule to encourage interdisciplinary planning as well as constant communication about students across the grade level.

Since team teachers have the same planning period, they are able to plan for curriculum integration, interdisciplinary units, field trips and special activities for their students. Communication and support among teachers is much greater with this approach. Parent conferences and special education meetings are made easier by the fact that all of a student’s core curricular teachers are available at the same time of the day. The team helps provide the child (who is accustomed to elementary school) an atmosphere which is a transition from their elementary school

Team Meeting Requests

For students, success in middle school is due in large part to support and communication between school and home. A framework for communication was created to further support a partnership of teachers, parents and students working together to ensure the best learning environment at Rocky Point. We strongly believe that communication is essential for continued success for all our students. It is hoped that the following information will answer any questions and reinforce successful communication.

An email or a phone call is most appropriate for:

• Clarification of an assignment or grade
• Questions about progress reports and/or grade
• Questions regarding procedures or the schedule

At times, a team meeting with your son’s/daughter’s team may be more appropriate. A parent/guardian may want to schedule a team meeting if he/she would like to discuss:

• Behavior concerns
• Schedule concerns
• Medical/emotional concerns
• Questions about the curriculum
• A dramatic change in student’s behavior
• Concerns about below average grades, fluctuating grades, or a recent decline in a student’s grade.

To request a meeting with your child’s team of teachers, please email your child’s counselor. In addition to your request, include your reason for the meeting and concerns you would like to address.