Student Support

ADVISORY SYSTEM (middle/upper school)

In the middle school, student are assigned to homerooms and can turn to their homeroom teacher when academic or social issues arise. In addition a team of grade-level teachers, one of whom is that grade's dean, the nurse, the counselor, the dean of students and the director meet weekly to discuss issues students may be facing and how to address them.

As a freshman, each student is assigned an advisor who has been coached to help with everything from adapting to classes with upper classmen to implementing time management strategies. After ninth grade, students choose the faculty advisor they’d like to work with over the next three years. Students almost always develop a long term, close relationship with their advisors, who become counselors, mentors, troubleshooters, advocates and parent liaisons.

LEARNING RESOURCES

LOWER SCHOOL

The lower school learning resources program is designed to work with children who have diagnosed learning differences in collaboration with their families. Support is provided through individualized remediation, modifications, accommodations, and/or consultative services. The lower school reading resource program is designed to support at-risk readers in senior kindergarten through grade four. Students are referred by their classroom teacher and work in small groups.

MIDDLE/UPPER SCHOOLS

Our teachers are committed to making themselves available to students outside the classroom for extra support. For those students who are experiencing more general academic difficulties because of challenges with work organization, time management, reading efficiency, problem-solving strategies, or learning differences, Latin offers a range of services through the Learning Resources program.

In the middle and upper schools learning resources faculty works with students on an individualized basis to customize a program that will best fit their needs. Students can take advantage of these services on a daily basis or only occasionally—depending on what works best for them.

COUNSELING

LOWER SCHOOL

In the lower school, counselors visit junior kindergarten through fourth grade classrooms weekly as part of Latin's nationally recognized Roundtable program. They lead discussions and activities focused on “taking care of ourselves, each other and our school.” Children’s Roundtable is a preventative mental health approach promoting psychological and physical wellbeing and an increasing sense of personal control over one’s own behavior and safety, fostering interest in and respect for differences among people, and supporting responsible, effective participation in small groups and in the community.

Students also may arrange individual or small group time with a counselor by making an appointment. Similarly, parents are welcome to make an appointment to discuss child rearing and developmental or family issues that may be pertinent to a child's school experience.

MIDDLE/UPPER SCHOOLS

The middle and upper school counselors bring an expertise in child and adolescent development to all aspects of school life, including individual students needs, school climate, interaction with families, and school policy decisions. Counseling is available to students and their parents. The counseling team’s mission is to treat each student with dignity and to affirm and advocate for all students.

Counselors offer regular programs and flexibly arranged services, reflecting Latin’s commitment to responding effectively to a wide variety of needs. They work as a team with teachers, learning resources staff, parents and specialists outside the school to support students’ needs. Our counselors also teach Affective Education courses, participate in parent discussions and organize presentations on bereavement, divorce and other areas of special interest.

HEALTH SERVICES

We employ three full-time registered nurses, one in the lower school and two to serve the middle and upper schools. The nurses provide immediate emergency care, do initial assessments and work with parents and health care providers to help children with chronic conditions remain healthy at school. They also educate students, faculty and parents about health issues and good health practices.