Social Worker

The social worker is a specialist who facilitates services as an extension of the school into the home and community. Through direct counseling or referral to other services, the social worker helps individuals/families/groups cope with interrelationship pressures.

Special Education

Changes in federal and state laws have brought about a redefinition of Special Education by the New York State Education Department. Special Education is viewed as a comprehensive and integrated approach to assisting students who presently have learning problems which interfere with their maximum potential development. Individualized Educational Programs (IEP's) are developed annually and reviewed several times per year by the teacher, parent, and student. These plans allow for the individual designing of an educational program geared to the student's intellectual, emotional, or physical needs. Students receive specialized help for one or more periods per day in accordance with their individual needs.

The major thrust of the program is to marshal all available resources necessary to help assure the student's success with as much time spent in the mainstream as possible. Teachers with specialized training in the identification and assessment of student needs, remediation techniques, and development of annual as well as short-term objectives direct their efforts toward providing high quality education for all students enrolled in the program.

Speech Therapist

The speech therapist screens 9th grade students and all new students, completes an evaluation of students suspected of needing speech therapy, and works with students individually or in small groups helping them to overcome speech and/or language problems.

Student Assistance Counselor

The student assistance counselor is a professional who works with students, parents, and school personnel to address the various issues that adolescents face in an ever-changing world. The student assistance counselor's specialty is in the areas of prevention, intervention, and identification of community resources available in regard to substance abuse. Student counseling (individual and group) opportunities, staff training and in-service, parent workshops, and community contact are some of the other responsibilities of the student assistance counselor.

Summer School

The summer school programs provide students with an opportunity to retake a middle school or high school course that they may have failed. Permission to attend will be based upon the student: 1) having completed the course and 2) having exhibited satisfactory effort in the failed course. Students withdrawn from a class due to cutting, discipline, safety, or attendance reasons will not be allowed to retake the course in summer school. Students wishing to retake a Regents Science course or Regents examination must have completed all teacher-required lab exercises. Students wishing to retake any Regents examination are strongly encouraged to register for and attend the appropriate course(s). Retaken Regents examinations are not re-calculated into a student's G.P.A. or class rank.

Summer school credit is awarded if a student passes both the summer school course and the appropriate final exam. Summer school final course grades will be calculated into a student's overall G.P.A.

Test Preparation

This program is intended to assist students in preparing for standardized exams such as the PSATs and SATs. The program is offered during non-school hours, generally each semester and is dependent upon sufficient enrollment. Students assume all costs for staff and materials.