"The hardest thing to learn in life
is
which bridge
to cross and which bridge to burn."
-Laurence J. Peter
Parent Communication
Hi there –
Children in school today are arriving with a full array of troubled lives. Many children need the support of a mentor adult to be able to focus on school. To this end, the SUSD Board of Trustees has honored the needs of students and parents by continuing to fund school counseling at all levels in the district. I am fortunate to hold that position at Brook Haven School. My name is JT O’Neill and I am delighted to be working with our middle school students and parents.
I am available daily to students and parents. My goal is to call each student by name and get to know them academically, socially, and personally while they are at Brook Haven. The end of the school year is always bittersweet for me as I have grown quite fond of the graduating class and it is painful to send them on their way – but there is always a new group of children to get to know!
I am out on the yard daily at lunch and in and out of classrooms all day. I want to be visible and easily accessible to students. I am available to help sort out the big issues in life as well as the little things that can really get a person down on any given day. The role of school counselor is to guide through the little things and know when students need more help. If and when that time comes, I talk to the child about more help and gain his or her permission to talk with a parent about professional counseling. We are also fortunate to have ten hours a week of time from West County Community Services therapist Megan Rooney MFT so children with limited resources can receive counseling services on campus.
In addition to serving as a crisis counselor, I am also responsible for creating and maintaining the master schedule. It is always my goal to listen to the schedule preferences of individual students and work toward accommodating them when possible. I also facilitate a progress report system where students (and parents) can monitor their own progress in classes by picking up and taking home weekly progress reports. In January, I will begin working with a group of 7th and 8th graders who have decided to participate in Project Success. This is a weekly program that focuses around acquiring and implementing organizational skills.
I am also excited about Brook Haven’s Career Day coming in the springtime. BH is one of five county middle schools participating in a middle school career exploration grant. Our teachers will have the opportunity to attend career curriculum workshops and our students will benefit from greater exposure to the world of work. Parent volunteers are always welcome!
Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or concerns about your child. I can be reached through the BH office (829-4590) or through email .
I look forward to working with you and your children –
-
--JT
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