The basic, most important function of guidance is counseling; that person to person interaction in which one person, the counselor, endeavors to help another person, the student, become more effective in dealing with both school and social life. Guidance takes place mainly in the counselor’s office and matters are brought to the attention of the counselor by the student, teacher or parent. The counselor helps the student decide how to handle a particular problem through self-evaluation and decision making techniques. Learning how to go about reaching solutions in general, while actively engaged in finding a specific solution, is the goal of a student in quest of maturity. The counselor is the person designated to be available, to be “aware and there” throughout this quest.
Students are, therefore, encouraged to come to the Guidance Office at any time to take advantage of the many services and counseling opportunities available to them during their years at Ramapo/Indian Hills. These services and counseling opportunities include help with personal problems, academic concerns, post high school plans and career development.
Helping students cope with their changing physical, social and emotional development is a personal counseling service. Counseling is a helping relationship and, as such, is a service for assistance with long-standing problems or crisis situations.
Academic problems are recognized and addressed through the services of the counselor. Teacher and parent conferences analyzing academic performance attitudes are very important in helping the student overcome academic difficulties. Such conferences can be initiated by any of the four key parties: parent-student-teacher-counselor.
The development of student awareness of the full range of educational opportunities after high school is achieved through individual and group counseling sessions, student and parent orientation meetings and bulletins, daily announcements, visitations by school, college and armed services representatives and access to Naviance, our college tracking service.
A particularly important part of the students’ overall plan for the future is the selection of high school subjects best suited to their needs and objectives. The student meets with the counselor throughout the year. One of these meetings is for the purpose of planning the student’s program of studies.
The wide variety of subject offerings presented in this handbook should enable each student to select courses that will be a part of a well-balanced educational experience and enable the student to develop some of the understandings, skills and appreciations necessary for the future. In the selection of the high school program, the student should consider the occupational and educational requirements of post high school plans. In addition, course experiences should serve as avenues for exploration and development of new interests. Course selections are part of a team effort-involving student, parent, teacher, and counselor. Courses should be chosen only after careful consideration. The classroom teacher will provide general information about course requirements in order to provide direction for each student.
The Guidance Department offers services to the students in self-appraisal as well as self-awareness and presents an opportunity through Naviance, our career and college program. The Naviance system offers an extensive amount of college and career counseling.
This program, plus individual and group counseling sessions, career seminars and speakers, and utilization of aptitude tests and interest inventories help the student gain insight into aptitude, interests, and attitudes and aid in developing realistic career goals. Students will develop an awareness of available career guidance materials through the Naviance program.
The school district has addressed itself to the development of career awareness through teacher-student classroom units and the counseling and information-dissemination activities of the Guidance Department. District curriculum proficiencies in career exploration and development have been established and are as follows:
- Students will display an awareness of their interests and abilities by reviewing the results of aptitude tests and interest inventories with their counselors.
- Students will be able to relate their interests and abilities to appropriate career fields and learn about such career fields through classroom and guidance activities.
- Students will develop an awareness of available career guidance materials in the Guidance Office.
- Students will select subjects for each school year on the basis of their career interests.
- Students will be given the opportunity to attend Career-Speaker Programs and shall been encouraged to do so.