FAQ:  Frequently Asked Questions

About Counseling Services
Counseling services aim to help students become more aware of themselves and their environment so that they can realize their full potential. We try to help students with anything that interferes with their education

The Main Office of the Counseling Services Office is located in Room 441 (4th floor) at Hunter High School.

Does My Child Have a Counselor?
When Should I Contact my Child’s Counselor?
How Do I Reach my Child Counselor?
How Can I Make an Appointment with My Child’s Counselor?
How can My Child Arrange to Meet with His/ Her Counselor?
How Do I Contact my Child During the Day?
What Should I Do if I am Concerned About and Academic Problem?
What Should I Do if I am Concerned About Attendance?
What Should I Do if My Child Has a Disability?
What Should I do if My Child has a Health or Physical Problem?
What Should I Do if my Child Has Emotional Difficulties?
How is Confidentiality Maintained?
What is the “Counseling Folder”?
How Are My Child’s School Records Handled?
Where can My Child Get Information about Service Learning?
How Do I Get Information about Colleges and Financial Assistance?
GLOSSARY OF IMPORTANT TERMS

Does My Child Have a Counselor?

Your child has been assigned a counselor who will work with your child for several years.  Students in the 7th and 8th grade loop with their counselor for two years, and then are assigned a counselor to work with them from ninth thru the middle of the eleventh grade.  Students are split up amongst the counseling staff for the college process.  Please click here to see members of the department and their assignment.

When Should I Contact my Child’s Counselor?

A counselor can be helpful with a change or problem at home, peer relationship, study habits, adjustment to the school or to a class,  setting goals, decisions making skills, study habits, time management, learning difficulties, and adolescents development issues. Counselors also can refer you to others, both inside and outside the school, who can help you and your child.

How Do I Reach my Child Counselor?

You can reach your child’s counselor by phone or email (link to staff chart). Your child’s counselor may not be available to speak with you when you call. You can leave a message on voicemail, or call the main Counseling Office number:  212-860-1268.  Please do not leave and confidential information on the answering machine. However, do tell us your child’s name grade, the counselor’s name, and a phone number at which you can be reached during school hours.  (Repeated calls, especially on the same day, are not necessary. Be assured that the counselor has received your message, but may need some time to return your call.)

How Can I Make an Appointment with My Child’s Counselor?

Because counselors often are in meetings with students, it is best to schedule an appointment at least one week in advance. Because many of you lead busy lives, an appointment for a telephone conference may work, better than an in-person meeting.

How can My Child Arrange to Meet with His/ Her Counselor?

Students can fill out a Request for Interview form, located in the cabinet across the hall from Rm.441. The completed from should be placed in the counselor’s mailbox in the counseling office. Alternatively, your child can meet the counselor during her/his weekly “walk-in” periods.

How Do I Contact my Child During the Day?

The school cannot relay message to your child, such as notifying him/her of canceled doctor or dental appointment. Set up a system of contact with your child that accommodates such needs.  Calls to your child during the day should be reserved for emergencies only. In such cases, call the Principal’s office directly.

What Should I Do if I am Concerned About and Academic Problem?

First speak to your child’s teacher and / or the department Chairperson. Often they can work out solutions to academic difficulties. If, after speaking to teachers, you are concerned about a pattern of problems across several classes, your child’s counselor should be contacted to help you determine what the issues are and how to best deal with them.

What Should I Do if I am Concerned About Attendance?

Speak to the Assistant Principal in charge of your child’s grade. It is important to report extended absences to your child’s counselor as well, so the counselor can assist you in contacting your child’s teachers about the nature of the nature of the absences and, in some cases, help your child coordinate make-up work, It is also important for you to review attendance policies in the Umbrella.

What Should I Do if My Child Has a Disability?

When a diagnosed learning difficulty exists, we ask that you provide your child’s counselor and the learning specialist with documentation from an appropriate professional, including the recommendation that professional; including the recommendations that professional has for helping your child. The learning specialist can then help to coordinate and inform your child’s teachers about recommended accommodations for your child. This information should be updated at least every three years.

What Should I do if My Child has a Health or Physical Problem?

The nurse’s office should be informed about any health or medical problems, including any and all medications taken by your child. Please be diligent about this, as drugs can cause side effects that may affect your child’s behavior or performance.

What Should I Do if my Child Has Emotional Difficulties?

It can be helpful for your child’s counselor to now the diagnosis of you child’s problem, as well any recommendations your child mental health professional may make. We encourage you to give us permission to contact your mental health professional and to share pertinent information with your child teachers. That way, we can all work together in helping your child.

How is Confidentiality Maintained?

Counselors are ethically bound to uphold confidences, except in cases where a child is a danger to him/herself or to others. Because we are part of an educational community, however, it is important that we share pertinent information with those people who directly interact with your child.

Professionals working with your child or your family, such as tutors, doctors, therapist and, learning specialist, should be encouraged to openly communication with your child’s counselor. They need to hear about what we see in school, and we need to hear about ways the school can support your child.

Sometimes parents ask us to not tell students that they are calling us. This is not helpful in our work with students. Understandably, you are concerned about your child, but also know that your child benefits by understanding that you are a concerned, involved parent. Our model is to work with both you and the child through open convocation.

What is the “Counseling Folder”?

Counselors maintain a folder for each student that provides a “picture” of their development through the years at Hunter. This folder begins when students enter 7th grade and continues through graduation. Counselors use the folder to help us understand your child’s special talents, interest, and skills, particularly when your child is ready to apply for college.  The counseling folder is not the same thing as a permanent record, which is maintained by the Main Office.

In 8th grade, students attend a workshop (“Learn About Your Transcript”) that describes he Counseling folder. They are encourage to build their folder by submitting a list each semester of activities both in and about of school. Ideally, the folder will include such items as Praise Sheets (located in the cabinet outside Room 441); examples of work (art audiotapes, personal essays performance programs); awards won (both in and outside the school); newspaper articles about and by child; academic work; creative writing, poetry; recommendations from outside; even literature about outside programs and activities. Photocopies of originals documents are fine. We encourage you to add material to your child folders.

How Are My Child’s School Records Handled?

No records are sent are sent out without your written consent. For this reason you are asked to sign permission for any transfer of records- whether it is for transcripts, applications to schools, camps, after-school programs, and discharge from schools, etc. Please assist us by providing your permissions two weeks before documents need to be sent out.  Forms to request release of transcript are available outside the Counseling Services Office (Room 441). Your child can pick up these forms and return the completed form, with your signature, to the counseling office for processing. For other information about acquisitions or inspection of your child’s records, consult the Umbrella.

Where can My Child Get Information about Service Learning?

The Service learning Office is another excellent means of finding relevant summer activities—and finishing up the services learning requirement of 75 hours as well. Dr. Audrey Maurer, the Director of External Programs, can help guide your child.  Her office is located on the second floor.

To obtain Working Papers, have your child contact Ms. Gladden, in the Main Office, Room 240.

How Do I Get Information about Colleges and Financial Assistance?

Counseling Services is very involved in the college admissions process. We have considerable information about colleges that we make available to students and parents through Family Connection/Naviance. You will be invited to attend the important college information meetings for 10th and 11th graders parents. Check your PTA calendar for the specific time and date. When your child is ready to apply to college, he/she will be assigned a counselor for the college admission process.

GLOSSARY OF IMPORTANT TERMS

AP (Advance Placement) TESTS are administered by the College Board. They are tests of introductory college level knowledge that are recognized for credit by some colleges. Students typically AP exams in the subject after taking AP coursed in those subjects in the 11th and 12th grades.

BIG SIBS help to orient 7th and 8th grades. Eleventh graders may apply to Big Sibs. Those selected to be Big Sibs attend 7th and 8th grade official classes to provide support and information about how to navigate our school. Big Sibs also work with the 7th and 8th grade Term Advisors to plan social and fund-raising activities for grades.

The Cognitive Abilities Test is a standardized test of verbal, quantitative and non-verbal reasoning and skills administered during 7th grade. Results are available upon request from child’s counselor.

A COLLEGE MAIL FOLDER is assigned to each student during the second semester of 11th grade. This folder, placed outside of the Counseling Office, is used by counselors to leave messages for students during the college admission process. It is important that students check their mail folders daily.

The COUNSELING FOLDER contains important information about your son/daughter. Students and parents contribute important artifacts related to interest, talents, and achievement.

THE HUNTER SCHOLARS PROGRAM is the term used to refer to senior year at Hunter. During this year, students may take college level courses, college credit and Advanced Placement (AP) courses. In addition, students may choose an internship. Students can speak with Dr. Maurer in the spring of their junior year to help them with their planning for the senior year.

ORIENTATIONS SKILLS CLASSES are given once a week in 7th grade. This class teaches students how to access services in out school, as well as study and note-taking skills.

PRAISE SHEETS are forms that students ask teachers to complete. Teachers place the completed forms in the students counseling folders. They are used to describe students’ positive personal traits and academic abilities. We recommend that students give these forms to teachers who know them well. The forms are available outside the Counseling Office. They are particularly helpful in the college admission process, and we recommend that each student have from several Praise Sheets in their Counseling Folder when they begin the process.

The PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test) is given once a year in October. Based on their scores, juniors can qualify for merit status for the National Merit Scholarship.  We recommend that 10th graders take PSAT for practice.

REGENTS/ ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT EXAM are given in June of every year, beginning in 9th grade. Regents exams are state wide subject-orientated standardized test that are required in NY at the end of the particular course or sequence of courses. Many departments have received state approval for substituting their own Alternative Assessment exam that are better suited to our students’ academic level. Please have your child check with each subject teacher for specific requirements.

The SAT I/SAT II are College Board Exams used by most colleges in making admissions decisions. You will hear about these exams as the college admissions process nears.

The TERM ADVISOR is a teacher assigned to grade to coordinate social and fund-raising activities with the student.