Our Focus

Staff

Child Study Team

School Based Youth Services

Special Education Department

Our Department

Student Services is a department in Crossroads North & South Middle School that includes School Counselors, Child Study Team, and Secretarial Support Staff.

Our Commitment

The Student Services Departmant is committed to working collaboratively with building staff in meeting students' academic, social, emotional, and health realted needs.

Our Philosophy

It is the philosophy of the Student Services Department to focus on many integral components of growth and development in assisting students' progress.  The intent of the Student Services Department at Crossroads is to assist students in the following three general areas of growth and development in contributing to the well-rounded evolution of our middle school students.

Educational Growth

The Student Services Department is committed to assisting students in working to their fullest potential.  Counselors and Child Study Team members facilitate the connection between students' academic needs in various educational programs and initiatives.

Social & Emotional Growth

There is an array of one-to-one counseling services, support groups, and other consultative services available to parents, teachers and students designed to foster the development of the whole child. The focus includes topics such as conflict resolution, peer relations, stress management and appreciating uniqueness and diversity.

Health & Safety

Health and personal safety are foremost in the education of the child.

Our Focus

We strive to address the students' needs for their Educational Growth, Social and Emotional Growth and Health and Safety.

Our Staff

	North	South
Social Worker		Brooke Matthews
Psychologist	Jade Glinka	Kelsey Mininger Jade Glinka
Learning Consultant	Angela Racz	Lori Gaynor
Speech	Melissa Garber	Lauren Goldfinger
Guidance Counselors	Deborah Robey Matthew Bobchin Susan Dailey North Counselor Website	Barbara McCarthy Linnette Galindo Michael Dugan

There are specific requirements of the law regarding the role of the team members and the process of working with parents and students. Each member of the Child Study Team serves as a Case Manager for a number of classified students.  Classified students also each receive a school counselor.  Specific legal requirements for testing, preparing IEP's, conducting Annual Reviews, etc., bind the team member to a workload and time line.  The CST members are available with expertise in their various disciplines, to act as a resource or consultant to staff in the areas of Learning Processes, Psychology and Social Work. There are specific legal guidelines allowing classification, after all information is gathered and analyzed.  The team members cannot violate or abrogate the law. For example, a student who learns at a slower pace may have no basis for classification.  The school must then continue to find ways to modify his/her program appropriately, always aiming for the highest level of achievement possible. 

With the assistance of the Special Education Supervisors, Special Education Teachers, Related Service Providers and Paraprofessionals, Crossroads helps to meet the needs of students eligible for Special Education and related services as outlined in the students' Individual Education Plans.  Crossroads offers a range of services which include Life Skills, Multiple Disabilities and Language Learning Disabilities Programs and instruction in the Resource Center, In Class Support and In Class Resource settings.  Individual needs of students are closely and continuously monitored and addressed.

The School Counselor can serve as the primary contact between parents, students and teachers.  Counselors facilitate the development and implementation of 504 Plans.  They serve as a liaison with Student Services specialists including the Child Study Team. They facilitate the process of student referral to Student Services when all instructional interventions show no positive results and there is need for comprehensive information gathering and examination.

Counselors also meet with students' in-need to provide short-term counseling and support related to academic, social or behavioral issues in these areas.  They conduct mediations and encourage appropriate school conduct among students.  Counselors will deliver a developmental curriculum as designed in collaboration with administration.  They facilitate transition for incoming and outgoing students.

Students may ask to see a counselor by requesting a pass from the teacher.  Parents may also make contact to arrange for conferences.  Counselors are a resource in regard to all outside agencies and professionals working with the students we service.

Counselors also meet with grieving students. For information about helping your school age child cope with loss, please click here.

As a part of a grant from the State of New Jersey, we have the resource of clinical staff, (mental health counselors) from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey University-Behavioral Health Care, to provide individual, group and family counseling for more in-depth needs.  Referrals are made by many sources including the student's school counselor.  School Based Counselors are located in the middle school buildings and adhere to professional standards and clearly defined interagency procedures regarding confidentiality.  School Based Youth Counselor Services also provide information about various issues faced by middle school students, including smoking, drugs, bullying and stress, for example. Referrals to outside services are made when necessary and consultation with teachers are offered, as well.

The BRIDGE Center is a dynamic partnership between South Brunswick School District and Rutgers University Behavioral Healthcare (UBHC), a division of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.  The primary objective of the program is to help assure that pre-teens and teenagers have readily available access to quality counseling and other support services.

The BRIDGE Center provides a range of free, confidential recreational and mental health services at South Brunswick High School and Crossroads Middle Schools to all middle and high school students.  Services include individual, group, and family counseling, conflict resolution, parent support groups and recreational programming.  Referrals to the center can be made by students, parents or school staff. Parental permission is required for participation.