Guidance Department
Boone Grove High School Guidance Department provides academic, personal, and social/emotional counseling to students, as well as college and career planning. Counselors meet with students several times a year. Students can also schedule appointments with their counselor by messaging their assigned counselor via Schoology Messaging. Parents are encouraged to contact their student’s assigned counselor at any time during the school year. Students may meet with a counselor during a study hall or lunch, before or after school, by appointment, or when an immediate issue exists.
Mrs. Jennifer Gibbs, Counselor – students A thru J
Ms. Hannah Ryzewski, Intervention Coordinator – students K thru Z
Mrs. Karen Krause, Guidance Secretary, Registrar
Why School Counselors?
Secondary School Students’ Developmental Needs
High school is the final transition into adulthood and the world of work as students begin separating from parents and exploring and defining their independence. Students are deciding who they are, what they do well, and what they will do when they graduate. During these adolescent years, students are evaluating their strengths, skills and abilities. The biggest influence is their peer group. They are searching for a place to belong and rely on peer acceptance and feedback. They face increased pressures regarding risk behaviors involving sex, alcohol and drugs while exploring the boundaries of more acceptable behavior and mature, meaningful relationships. They need guidance in making concrete and compounded decisions. They must deal with academic pressures as they face high-stakes testing, the challenges of college admissions, the scholarship and financial aid application process and entrance into a competitive job market.
High school years are full of growth, promise, excitement, frustration, disappointment and hope. It is the time when students begin to discover what the future holds for them. Secondary school counselors enhance the learning process and promote academic achievement. School counseling programs are essential for students to achieve optimal personal growth, acquire positive social skills and values, set appropriate career goals and realize full academic potential to become productive, contributing members of the world community. The professional high school counselor holds a master’s degree and required state certification in school counseling. Maintaining certification includes on-going professional development to stay current with educational reform and challenges facing today’s students. Professional association membership is encouraged as it enhances the school counselor’s knowledge and effectiveness.
High school counselors are strongly encouraged to implement a comprehensive, data-driven counseling program that serves the needs of ALL students. The Boone Grove High School counseling program is working towards this goal of implementation using the ASCA (American School Counseling Association) model.
Confidentiality Guidelines
Your confidentiality as a student is important to us! In our school counseling office, what is said
here, stays here, with the following exceptions, as required by law and/or ethical standards:
1. Harm to self or others
This could include things like a suicide attempt or plan, cutting or other self-injury, eating
disorders, addictions, fighting or other physical violence, illegal behaviors, threats, etc. —
anything that puts your health or safety, or someone else’s health and safety, at risk.
2. Abuse or neglect
If you talk with one of us about abuse (physical, emotional, verbal, sexual, or other abuse),
whether to yourself or to another minor, we are required by law to report it to the Department of Child Services, and possibly the police. If you tell us about an abuse case that’s already been addressed
by DCS or the police, we still may need to make a call to double check.
3. Court or other legal proceedings
By law, if we are subpoenaed (required by law to attend a hearing or other court proceeding), we cannot guarantee that your information will be kept confidential. We will always do our best to reveal as little as possible in a legal setting, but we must cooperate with the police, DCS, and the courts.
If there is ever a need to reveal information, we will let you know in advance, and work with you
to handle the situation in a way that respects you, your feelings, and your needs.
Local Resources
Though schsool counselors have extensive knowledge to support students and parents in the academic, college/career, and social/emotional domains, they also know when to refer families to local resources for additional support. Below is a list of local resources to utilize: