Guidance
The Counseling and Academic Advising Services at the Middle High School focuses on enriching the experiences in our school and planning for post-secondary pursuits. In the fall, it is an exciting time to look at college applications, filing financial aid paperwork and preparing for the next step following high school. For some of the students in other grades, the fall is a time of learning, growing and setting short term and long term goals. For all students, Guidance is now a one stop for all your needs, including anti bullying, student assistance (substance awareness), testing, post-secondary planning, grief counseling, crisis intervention, referral services, academic support, and more. We have two counselors:
- Michelle Masella - Grades 6th & 7th, 8th Grade A-L
- Christine Colon - Grades 9th & 10th, 8th Grade M-Z
- Madeline Rondon - Grades 11th & 12th
Some of the essential guidance services for all grades, especially those that transitioned from the Elementary School is to have academic and social success. Meeting with students to encourage positive behavior as well as setting up academic successes is part of the service we help to offer our students and families. We collaborate with a local agency, Wellspring to bring (evidence-based) education and prevention to our students. In the Fall we offer in class programming for the students. In the spring, we will offer a 6-week evening program at the Middle High School, called strengthening families, that will help with communication between parents and children ages 10-14. This is free for families and will include dinner and childcare (if needed).
We continue to meet with students to discuss all of the important points for their individual needs by grade level. Because we are a small school, we can give each student that personal appointment customizing their specific program for the following year.
The Guidance Office is referred to as the heart of the school. We welcome parents and students to contact us as we have an open-door policy to offer academic, social, and emotional support for each student and family of South Amboy Middle/High School.