Class of 2014- 2nd Semester
I hope 2nd semester as gotten off to a great start. Here are a few things to remember:
Registration for the 2012-2013 school year will begin soon. Teachers should be talking to students about their recommendations for next year in their current classes. Registration materials will be given out to students during Homeroom on Tuesday, February 7, 2012. If you have a question about your students recommended placement, please talk to their current teacher first. If the issue is still unresolved, please then contact your student’s counselor. If the current teacher cannot change the placement, and you feel your student will be successful taking a different route, you can write a letter of appeal to Mrs. Manno. Your student would have to register for the class they were recommended for, since Mrs. Manno will not look at appeals until after registration is complete. She will then look into the matter and make a decision based on the information she gathers. If approved, the course would be changed at that time. Please remember, the goal of your student’s current teacher and past teachers, is for your student to be prepared and successful.
Registration information and the Curriculum Guide for the 2012-2013 school year are now available on the Saint Viator Webpage. Summer school registration will begin on February 14, 2012. Registration for the 2012-2013 school year will begin on Tuesday, February 21, 2012.
I will be on maternity leave from February 13- April 9, 2012. Stephanie Collins and the other counselors will be filling in for me while I am on leave. You can contact Mrs. Collins at scollins@saintviator.com or x225. If you need to reach someone immediately, please call Mary Lou Smith in the Counseling Office at x261 and she will direct your call.
Appointments and Availability
If you need to see me for any reason, please stop in the Counseling Office before or after school or during your free period. If I am unavailable, please leave a note with Mrs. Smith, and I will be in touch with you as soon as I can. If you don’t leave a note, I don’t know you need to see me.
If you are unable to stop by during the day, please send me an e-mail and I will send you a pass to come see me, if possible the following day. My e-mail address is jkirkpatrick@saintviator.com.
I am available in person, by phone, or by e-mail from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday- Friday. If I am unavailable, I will do my best to get back to you as soon as possible. If you need immediate assistance, please contact Mrs. Smith in the Counseling Department at x261.
Communicating with Students- School Policy
If a student needs to e-mail me, from their personal e-mail address, I ask they also copy a parent on the e-mail. When I respond to all student e-mails, I will respond to the student and copy the parent as well. All student-counselor communication, via e-mail, must also include one parent.
If you need to see me about an immediate concern, please stop in the Counseling Office during your free period or before or after school. If I’m not here, please leave a note and I’ll get in touch with you as soon as possible.
If you are having difficulties in a class, please make an appointment to see your teacher. Meeting with them outside of class time is often very beneficial. They are your best resource and would love to help you! If you are experiencing the same problem in multiple classes, please see me and we’ll try to figure out what’s going on.
Service Hours
If you have any questions about service hours please call Betsy Fons, in Campus Ministry at (847)392-4050 x268. She will be available to assist you. There are many different options available in Campus Ministry.
ROLE OF THE COUNSELOR
The counselors at Saint Viator High School provide many services that assist students in their educational and developmental progress. Counselors work with students on a variety of issues: academic concerns, self-esteem issues, peer relationships, drug and alcohol issues, career planning, college choices, etc. Working with students, parents, teachers, and administrators, we seek to facilitate the educational experience of each student. The Counseling Department places a high priority on availability. A student, however, may at times find an empty office or a closed door because the counselor is busy with another student. In those cases, we encourage the student to leave a note, and we will then make an appointment with that student as soon as possible. Parents are also encouraged to initiate contact with their child’s counselor when the need arises.
SAINT VIATOR WEBSITE (www.saintviator.com)
Check out the Saint Viator High School website for invaluable information. If you go to the faculty webpages and click on your student’s teachers, you will be able to discover what homework has been assigned for the coming week. These pages are updated by 3:00 pm every Monday whenever possible. While teachers will not update daily, we do think this will be a benefit for our parents and students to monitor what is going on in classes and to help students when they miss school.
NEED EXTRA HELP?
Saint Viator has a variety of different resources available for students to get extra help if they are experiencing difficulties in a class. Meeting with the teacher and going in for extra help from them is always the best approach to try first. Saint Viator does have a Math Lab, Foreign Language Lab, and Writing Lab available to students every day during school hours, staffed by teachers. The Math Lab is in room 239. Students may have their agendas signed by a teacher and go to any of the labs during their lunch period or free time.
PEER MEDIATION AT SAINT VIATOR
Has your son or daughter ever come home and talked to you about having a conflict with another student? At Saint Viator, we have a Peer Mediation program, which is a student-led process designed to resolve conflicts between two people in disagreement. We currently have 32 students trained as mediators, and they are on-call each day in case any students are referred for mediation. Teachers, coaches, administrators, staff members, or other students can refer someone for a mediation. Referral forms are located in various offices throughout the building, and the person making the referral is always kept anonymous. Over the years, our program has been very successful in helping students resolve their problems, which helps them avoid potential disciplinary measures. As parents, you can encourage your student to use this process when needed. If you have questions about Peer Mediation please call Mr. Majkowski at extension 248.
