Morristown
High School
Resource
Book
2014-2015
TEENPRIDE COUNSELING
Contact: Jeff Macko – (973)292-2000 ext. 2225, jeff.macko@msdk12.net
Marlene Scrivo – (973)292-2000 ext. 2225, marlene.scrivo@msdk12.net
Founded in 1989, TeenPride Counseling assists teens from Morristown, Morris Township and Morris
Plains in the development of social, educational and vocational skills. TeenPride strives to help young
people improve their lives by providing free individual, group and family counseling so they may build
self-esteem, self-reliance and practice healthy lifestyles. Our counseling program is centered at
Morristown High School with services also offered at Frelinghuysen Middle School. TeenPride provides
individual, group and family counseling to approximately 300 students each year. The TeenPride staff
consists of licensed mental health professionals, in addition to counselors with an expertise in drug and
alcohol prevention and career counseling. Our counselors work with students struggling with academic,
social, emotional, psychological and behavioral issues. Counseling takes place during the day or in the
evening, on school premises, in a client’s home, or at a mutually agreed upon location.
TeenPride Counseling offers many groups to our students. The below list consists of groups that are
being offered for the 2013-14 school year.
GROUPS
MEETING DAY/TIME
Boys Group
Wednesdays/6:30 PM
Latino Boys Group
Tuesdays/7:30 PM
Girls Group (MHS)
Mondays/3:30 PM
Grad Group
Mondays/6:30 PM
Girls Group (FMS)
Tuesdays 2:30 PM
Cultural Transition Group
Wednesdays/lunchtime
Healthy Relationships Group
Wednesdays/lunchtime
Alateen
Tuesdays/8:45 AM
Social Skills Group
Fridays/lunchtime
Jose’s kids (college prep)
Monday/Wednesdays - varies
CORE TEAM
Contact: Smitty Horton – (973)292-2000 ext. 2110, smitty.horton@msdk12.net
Mike Bruchac- (973)292-2000 ext. 2110, mike.bruchac@msdk12.net
The Core Team is a support service for all students comprised of support staff from all areas of the high
school. School staff and parents may request assistance/review in the identification and resolution of
issues regarding students’ known or suspected drug/alcohol use and other health issues which may
interfere with student achievement. The committee will recommend interventions designed to assist a
student and the family in overcoming individual problems related to learning and personal well being.
504 COORDINATOR
Contact: Heidi Heinsohn – (973)292-2000 ext. 2013, heidi.heinsohn@msdk12.net
The 504 Coordinator at Morristown High School oversees the identification, design, and monitoring of
504 plans for students. Section 504 is a part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that prohibits
discrimination based upon disability. When a parent request for a 504 plan comes in, the 504
Coordinator coordinates meetings with the student, family, guidance counselor, and teachers to design
a plan to meet the needs of a student. The designed plan ensures that the needs of students with
disabilities be met as adequately as the needs of the nondisabled are met. The 504 Coordinator assigns
each case to a 504 Case Manager, the students Guidance Counselor, who oversees the implementation
and execution of each plan.
HARASSMENT, INTIMIDATION & BULLYING
Contact: Heidi Heinsohn – (973)292-2000 ext. 2013, heidi.heinsohn@msdk12.net
The Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying Coordinator at Morristown High School serves as the
School’s Anti-Bullying Specialist. The School’s Anti-Bullying Specialist serves as the chair of the school
safety team. In addition, the Anti-Bullying Specialist oversees the investigations that take place
regarding Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying at the high school. Within the school, the Anti-Bullying
Specialist is responsible for preventing, identifying, and addressing incidents of harassment,
intimidation, and bullying in school.
STUDENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Contact: Karen Jones-Williams (973)292-2000 ext. 2132, karen.jones-williams@msdk12.net
Susan Mele – (973)292-2000 ext. 2173, susan.mele@msdk12.net
Morristown High School’s Student Assistance Program is a response to the numerous, varied and
complex challenges that many students endure. Among the concerns that students bring to school are
alcohol and other drug use, parent drug and alcohol use, eating issues, pregnancy, loss and grieving,
physical and sexual abuse, family and peer conflicts and adjustment struggles. Academic focus and
success for some teens is nearly impossible unless these significant challenges are recognized and
addressed.
At MHS, the Student Assistance Program seeks to identify struggling students and to intervene and offer
support and direction. Often, referral to treatment professionals and/or community agencies becomes
part of the response. This program’s efforts are to identify poor decision-making and self-defeating
patterns of behavior with the aim of assisting students and their families with the development of more
constructive coping strategies. Our belief is that teens are more likely to experience learning and success
in the classroom when we acknowledge and approach their needs in a multidimensional manner.
Moreover, students who are given an opportunity to confront some of their problems are more likely to
experience healthy personal, social and emotional development. Confidentiality is adhered to as
required by Federal Law.
STUDENT SUPPORT COORDINATOR
Contact: Naomi Still, (973)292-2000 ext. 2015, naomi.still@msdk12.net
The Student Support Coordinator assists students who are at risk of failing, dropping out, and/or
becoming classified. The position requires special emphasis to be placed on students who are AfricanAmerican, not in any attempt to exclude other at-risk students from services, but to increase all
students’ likelihood of success within the school environment and to address the district’s identification
by the state as having a disproportionate representation of African-American students in special
education. The Student Support Coordinator works directly with students, parents, guidance, teachers,
TeenPride, ESS and other support systems negotiating agreements that allow students to fulfill their
obligations and allow teachers to better understand their students’ lives and cultural contexts.
EFFECTIVE SCHOOL SOLUTIONS
Contact: Michelle Pugliese – (973)292-2000 ext. 2177, michelle.pugliese@msdk12.net
Effective School Solutions (ESS) is a state-of-the-art therapeutic program provided within the Morris
Township School District. The district brought ESS into Morristown High School in order to provide
clinical support to students particularly {but not limited to} with Emotionally Disturbed and/or
Behaviorally Disordered classifications. Students who present with psychiatric conditions such as
depression, mood disorders, anxiety and school avoidance meet the profile of an ESS student. The
program provides critical clinical and related services within the student’s regular school day that
include:
 Individual and Family therapy
 Group Therapy (4x weekly)
 Instructional Seminar (2-4x weekly)
 Evening Parent Support and Education Program (monthly)
ESS staff at Morristown High School is comprised of 3 Licensed Mental Health Professionals. The ESS
Team is supervised by a Regional Director who oversees the operations of the program. The ESS Team
are:
Michelle Pugliese, LPC – Program Coordinator - 973-292-2000, x2177 – michelle.pugliese@msdk12.net
Ebony White, LPC - Staff Clinician - 973-292-2000, x3753 – ebony.white@msdk12.net
Mary Delorenzo,LAC - Staff Clinician - 973-292-2000, x2177 – mary.delorenzo@msdk12.net
Janet Walek, LCSW-Regional Director - jwalek@effectiveschoolsolutions.com
Referral Process for admission of students: (ESS services up to 27 students)
All referrals are submitted via the ESS referral form by the student’s case manager and/or guidance
counselor. Teachers can contact either department if they are concerned regarding academic and
behavioral performance. The referral goes to Kara Douma, Supervisor of Special Education who will at
that time review with Michelle Pugliese and Janet Walek for approval. Family is contacted and an initial
assessment is conducted. Appropriateness for the program is determined upon completion of the
assessment. Please note the following:
Exclusionary Criteria includes:
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Students with an active substance abuse and/or eating disorder diagnosis’
Students with active psychotic disturbance
Students with a history of violence and gang affiliation
Students with a history of fire setting within the last 2 years
Students who present as imminent danger to self or others
ACADEMIC ASSISTANCE COORDINATOR
Contact: Matt Carmel – (973)292-2000 ext. 2152, matthew.carmel@msdk12.net
The Academic Assistance Coordinator provides academic support for a wide variety of student
populations. Some of the goals of the AAC are:
1) To increase the number of black, Hispanic and economically disadvantaged students who
enroll and remain in Honors/AP level classes.
2) To decrease the percentage of failures among black, Hispanic and economically
disadvantaged students.
3) To increase the number of black, Hispanic and economically disadvantaged students who are
accepted to competitive colleges and universities.
4) To identify students who would like to pursue a non-college career path and facilitate their
acceptance into career and workplace readiness programs.
In an effort to accomplish these goals, the following actions/initiatives have been taken:
-Counseling and coaching for African American and Hispanic Honors/AP students who have struggled
(less than a B) in Honors/AP classes to provide assistance and/or information/strategies about how to
improve academically.
-Creation of the MHS HW Tutorial Program.
-Open after school on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays
-Staffed by two teachers
-Collaboration with the National Honors Society to make them available for tutoring as part of HW
Tutorial.
-Coaching and counseling for a wide variety of students who struggle academically.
-Assistance for 12th graders with the college application process (Including College Essays)
-Coordinating the creation of a Hispanic mentoring program at FMS (Created by Senior, Cesar
Villavicencio).
-Coordination of the Hispanic Mentoring program at MHS (Assisted Peter Cardona)
-Organization and coordination of the Hispanic and Black College field trips.
-Organization and coordination of the Berkeley College field trip.
-Pairing of PGC leaders with “At-Risk” Freshmen for one-on-one mentoring.
-Coaching and counseling for ISLs (Identified Struggling Learners) in 9th and 10th grades to discuss grades
and goals.
-Creation of the 3.0 Peer Mentoring Initiative for black and Hispanic 10th graders with at least a 3.0 GPA.
-Visited Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx for Professional Development with Peter Cardona and
Kevin Rooney.
-Gained insight into steps being taken to engage/encourage academic excellence for African
American and Hispanic males.
-Visited Morris County Vo-Tech.
-Coordination and implementation of the Alpha Phi Alpha mentoring program at MHS for 9th and 10th
grade African American males.
-Coaching and counseling for African American college bound 11th graders.
*In the process of coordinating the Princeton Reach Out-College Awareness Program, in conjunction
with the NABE and Drew University.
BILINGUAL ACADEMIC ASSISTANCE COORDINATOR
Contact: Michele Lombardi – 973-292-2000 ext. 7554, michele.lombardi@msdk12.net
The bilingual social worker is a grant funded position intended to provide an intensive outreach model
to Hispanic students and their families at the secondary level in the Morris School District. There will be
a focus on working with students to over-see and monitor the academic and social progress of these
individuals. These students will include those who have been referred to Core Team, Crisis Team or
I&RS, as well as students whose parents may not have a strong background in our secondary
educational system. The social worker will also provide support and outreach to families in order to
help connect them with community agencies and resources. This individual will work in concert with
the guidance counselors and ELL staff.
COLLEGE & CAREER COUNSELOR
Contact: Robert Miller – (973)292-2000 ext. 2108, robert.miller@msdk12.net
Melanie Talesnick – (973)292-2000 ext. 2128, melanie.talesnick@msdk12.net
The College and Career Counselor works to ensure that all MHS graduates transition from high school to
future endeavors with ease. Whether it be college, internships, work, or the military, the College and
Career Counselor assists students in accomplishing their goals through one-on-one and group work
instruction and mentorship. The College and Career Counselor works with all grades, through a
curriculum that stresses academic achievement and career exploration. The College and Career
Counselor is additionally charged with created and facilitating programs to educate and empower
students (and their parents/guardians) concerning the college application process. The luxury of the
College and Career Counselor lies in the fact that they are not assigned a caseload of students. They
have ample time and opportunity to work in great depth with students and their families. The College
and Career Counselor also regularly works with teachers, presenting in class on various topics ranging
from writing an effective essay to resume creation. Examples of programs that the College and Career
Counselor created and regularly facilitates are:
Common Application Workshops
Interview Preparation Seminars
College Visitation Tips
SAT/ACT Seminars
Financial Aid Seminars
Gap Year Seminars
College Essay Writing Workshops
Resume Writing Seminars
GUIDANCE COUNSELORS
Contact: Scott White – (973)292-2000 ext. 2332, scott.white@msdk12.net
At Morristown High School, the School Counselors oversee the educational, social and emotional growth
and adjustment of their students. Each counselor has approximately 200 students, 50 in each grade.
Counselors work with teachers, clinicians, child study team members, administrators and other school
resources (such as Teen Pride and ESS) to ensure that every student's educational and emotional needs
are met. Each student meets with his/her counselor each year for an individual scheduling conference
and each junior and senior has an individual post-high school planning meeting. Parents are encouraged
to regularly communicate with their child's counselor.
CRISIS TEAM
Contact: Suzanne Olimpio - (973)292-2300 ext. 2040, suzanne.olimpio@msdk12.net
The Crisis Team meets bi-monthly to discuss plans for students who have been in crisis. The team meets
to develop plans to meet student needs and develop consistent policies and procedures that best meets
the needs of students, follow state mandates and laws and are conducive to the educational process.
INTERVENTION & REFERRAL SERVICE
Contact: Scott White - (973)292-2000 ext. 2332, scott.white@msdk12.net
The I&RS process is a state mandated program to address the needs of students who are struggling
academically. There are 4 I&RS teams that meet bi-monthly. The teams each have 2 school counselors,
a classroom teacher, a student assistance counselor, an administrator and a child study team member.
Students are referred to I&RS by teachers and others who work with students. An educational plan is
developed for each student and followed up upon by a member of the I&RS team.
FRESHMAN EXPERIENCE COHORTS
Contact: John Pallino – (973)292-2000 ext. 2110, john.pallino@msdk12.net
The Freshman Experience is arranged so students are placed into one of four cohorts that exist for the
Freshman Class. Students in a cohort will have the same four core teachers (English, Math, Science, and
Social Studies). The four cohort teachers meet weekly to discuss strategies and their effectiveness in the
classroom , as well as, student progress and concerns . Additionally, cohort leaders meet weekly after
school to discuss progress in their cohorts, examine student achievement and what is being
implemented in the classroom to improve student achievement.