Commonly Asked Question and Answers… for Parents from the Counselors

 
How can I best reach my child’s counselor?  The quickest way to get in touch with your child’s counselor is through email.  Counselors’ email addresses can be found on the counseling main page.  You may also choose to leave a voicemail but due to the large volume of telephone calls counseling receives we are finding we can serve you faster through email.

 
How can my student access you? Students are our top priority.  Counseling has walk-in hours for students every day during students’ lunch – no appointment necessary.  Any day your child is in need of help or has a question they may walk in and see a counselor at student lunch.  At the beginning of each semester, due to schedule changes, there can be a wait but once we are settled into the semester counselors are widely available during student lunch.

 
How do I keep up with my child’s grade or progress in a class? Spend some time the first week of school going over each teacher’s course outline/class rules.  It will be important for you to establish lines of communication with each teacher. Teachers' email addresses and phone extensions can be found in the Faculty Directory.  In addition to school wide grade reports every 6 weeks, each teacher has their own way of communicating with parents – some may post information on a website (including actual grades), some may have a homework hotline, some may send a weekly or monthly assignment calendar or progress report home, etc.  Once you have established communication paths with  each teacher you should be able to easily access information on your child’s progress.  In addition, we have a school wide Friday progress report you can ask you child, on any given Friday, to take around for a recent update on their progress.

 
How does this Friday progress report work? Friday progress reports are green and may be found inside the counseling office waiting room door.  Students can pick up these reports any day but we ask that they be circulated on Fridays.  When a student walks into a classroom on Friday, we suggest they either hand the report directly to the teacher (or place in a conspicuous spot on teacher’s desk) AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD and then retrieve the report at the end of the period.  The most troublesome part of the Friday progress report is getting it home in your hands!  Here is a suggestion…have a two part reward:  one part for simply bringing home a completed report (regardless of what it contains) and one part for what the report states.  Counselors find that if students will only be in trouble for bringing home a bad report they tend to “lose” the report before it gets home.  Use rewards and consequences that make sense – such as responsible behavior earning privileges. 

 
My child has ADHD.  Is there any special help for my child?  Children who have ADHD, to the extent that it is significantly impacting their education, may qualify for a 504 accommodation plan.   In other words, a diagnosis of ADHD alone does not automatically qualify your student for 504 accommodations.  If you suspect your child’s ADHD is a significant factor in their poor classroom performance, please contact your child’s counselor to set up a 504 team meeting.  In the meantime, do take advantage of extra help already available to all students, such as free after school  tutoring.  It will also be important for you to communicate with the school nurse and, as you see fit,  your child’s teachers with information about your child’s ADHD. 

 
What can I do if my child is doing poorly in a class? First and foremost talk with your child.  See if you can problem solve with him and determine the root of the problem…is he doing his homework?  Is he understanding the material?  Are there personal issues getting in the way of his success?  After you have a discussion with your child the next step is to communicate with the teacher.  Ask them for their perspective on what they see happening.  At this point you should have a better understanding of what is going on.  If not, it may be necessary to schedule an appointment with both your child and teacher present.  If you are still in need of assistance, after meeting with the teacher,  this would be a good time to contact your child’s counselor.

 
How can I help my child navigate their way to college?  Planning for college should begin prior to your child entering high school as well as “check ins” along the way each year.  A good place to start is with RBV’s own course catalog.  Information about college pre-requisites as well as suggested guidelines for college bound course sequencing is available in this catalog.  It’s also suggested that you visit RBV’s College and Career Center as well as a host of websites developed specifically for college bound students and parents (see reverse side).  In addition, each fall counselors sponsor a college night for parents and students.  At this night we have representatives from the Community College, CSU, UC and a private school presenting valuable information.   In winter counselors hosts a financial aid night (designed primarily for 12^th grade students/parents but anyone may attend).  In spring, please plan on attending one of our grade level parent workshops for purposes of high school course selection and college preparation.  These workshops are an excellent opportunity for you to help plot out your child’s future and have some personal time with your child’s counselor.  Along the way, if you have any questions feel free to email your child’s counselor or the College and Career Center Technician.  Check out the rbvhs.org website for email addresses and workshop dates!