Click here to learn more about the Student Support Team
We have three School Counselors in the Tutorial House, who oversee all Tutorial House students and act as their primary case-manager or point-of-contact. The name of each child's School Counselor is listed on Veracross:
T1 students: Charles Edwards / Demmy Lukas / Sarah Maley
T2 students: Charles Edwards
T3 students: Sarah Maley
T4 students: Demmy Lukas
School counselors design and deliver school counseling programs that improve student outcomes. They lead, advocate and collaborate to promote equity and access for all students by connecting the school counseling program and services to the school’s academic mission.
Program Planning: They work through the advisory and through small group sessions to address social emotional development and relevant trends in adolescence. This is done in collaboration with the Advisory program and is delivered as sessions integrated into the already-established Advisory program.
Counseling: School counselors provide professional assistance and support to individual students or small groups of students during times of transition, heightened stress, academic difficulties or other situations impeding student success. School counselors provide short-term counseling services; they are also prepared to recognize and respond to student mental health needs and to assist students and families seeking additional resources, which may include working with the school psychologist, learning support /language support teachers, or outside referrals. This is done in collaboration.
Referrals: A referral system is in place to identify students and intervene in response to student concerns /challenges noted by teachers, staff, family members, peers, or by student self-referral. Referrals are discussed confidentially among the Student Support Team, weekly.
Confidentiality is important. Some information must be shared. For more details about this, students are encouraged to review this Counselor Confidentiality Flow Chart.
Based on: www.schoolcounselor.org.
STUDENT SUPPORT OFFICE HOURS:
Our Counselors, Learning/Language support teachers, and School Psychologists are available daily to meet with students between the hours of: 8am and 4pm, via drop in, or by appointment. Appointments can be made in person or via email the grade counselor, learning/language support teachers or school psychologist.
*Counseling is available to all students. Learning support and language support services are done through a referral process, led by the grade level counselor.
TUTORIALS
Academic Tutorials are available to all students as provided by the Academic Departments. Tutorials are useful in cases for which students need brief reinforcement on the week's lessons taught. For further information will be provided within the first weeks of school via school newsletter.
The learning success specialist serves as a part of the Student Support Team: they teach classes and workshops in study skills and organization for students, and provide in class co-teaching and coaching to support teachers in differentiation. Learning Support teachers also provide one-on-one and small group academic and organization support for students.
Students are assigned to work with a learning support teacher based on our referral process which is initiated by the school counselor.
Additionally, students with Individual Learning Plans or Individual Educational Plans would typically work with the Learning Specialist. Based on the findings of the referral, a student may be scheduled to work with one of our learning specialist in one or all of the following areas:
Support in Math/Science: Donghuan Fu
Support in English/Humanities/Writing: Ixchell Tolentino
Students who are English Language Learners (ELL) may receive additional language support from our Student Support Team. Please contact our Team Leader for ELL, or Fran Yoshida (Language Support) at fyoshida@unis.org.
Individual Educational Plans/Individual Learning Plans are documented ways to support students with identified learning differences, executive functioning deficits, and other exceptionalities, providing students with the support they need for further effective learning. These plans are typically developed resultant of our Referral Process and in most cases involve an external evaluation referral. Once the support plan is developed and determined by our Support Team, it discussed and shared with the student and family; relevant aspects of the support plan are then confidentially shared with the student's teachers, to help ensure continuity of the plan and the most effective learning outcomes for the student. As part of the IEP or ILP, Learning support is provided through a variety of strategies which evolve with the maturity of the individual learner as he or she progresses through their course of study
Through a student focused and collaborative approach to teaching and learning, we aim to support diverse learning profiles and styles. All teachers are responsible for addressing differentiated student needs in collaboration with our Learning Support Team.
For further information on IEPs or ILPS, please contact the school psychologist.
As part of the Social Emotional Learning lens, we believe that all students need a safe and secure place to clarify and communicate their concerns and issues. Advisory groups fill that need by providing a structured, ongoing, and positive vehicle to foster an atmosphere of trust and learning among adults and students, and by serving as a mechanism for developing the shared values of our community.
Each student at UNIS has a faculty advisor to provide guidance and support. The Advisor serves as the student’s advocate, mentor, role model, and listener, and works with students both individually and in small groups. Advisory groups meet regularly and functions under the guidance of the Grade Level Coordinators with the close cooperation of the other members of the School’s administration and faculty. (See: Advisory Teams (23-23) )
For Further detail: Tut House Advisory Mission Statement and Purpose
Note: The T1 and T2 Advisory teams lend themselves towards a more social-emotional lens, and serves as preparation for the T3-T4 Advisory years; T3 and T4 lends itself towards CAS, IB, and College readiness.
In the Tut House we, believe, that a common late work policy provides clarity for students and greater consistency among disciplines and teachers. Teachers would require those deadlines to be adhered to; extensions should be granted rarely and with good cause; unexcused late work will be penalized.
Study Halls will be held during the lunch time slots: 1:00pm-1:30pm and 1:30pm-2pm, Wednesday-Friday.
Detailed information can be found in a dedicated section about College Counseling in our Tutorial House Handbook. For questions, contact our College Counseling Office at collegeoffice@unis.org.
The College Office supports students at every stage of the university research and application process. In keeping with the School’s mission, the college counseling program at UNIS strives to empower our students to make informed choices about their future pathways. While respecting the input of the entire family, this is a student-centered process. College counselors help students view the college search and application process as a positive experience and an enjoyable rite of passage to adulthood.
College Counseling Process Overview:
In Tut 1 and Tut 2: for these students and families, the College Office presents an overview of the college application process in order for students and parents to plan accordingly over the Tutorial House years. In addition, the college counseling staff is available to meet with parents of younger students during the designated Parent Conference times in the fall and spring. The college counselors work closely with the administration, school counselors, IB Coordinators and parents in assisting students with course selection.
In Tut 3: Beginning in Tut 3, students and parents are offered several information sessions, including guidance on standardized testing, and a university fair in Term 1. Early in Term 2, all students are scheduled for one-on-one meetings with their designated college counselor, with family meetings to follow. Students are scheduled into college planning seminar groups that meet during the second term. Seminar topics include getting the most out of college visits, effectively researching college options, hearing from ‘the experts’ - Tut 4 students, using Naviance research tools, and starting the Common Application. The College Office also runs college essay workshops to support the application process. The UNIS Spring College Fair for Tut 3 students brings in dozens of universities from around the world to further support students in their college search process. Students also have the option of participating in a customized college tour of some US colleges at the start of the summer between their Tut 3 and Tut 4 years. All Tut 3 students are expected to end the year with a tentative college list and first drafts of application essays/personal statements.
In Tut 4: The Tut 4 year kicks off with the College Office ‘Breakfast with Admissions’ program for students and parents, led by admissions officers representing a range of US, UK, and Canadian universities. In the fall and early winter months, Tut 4 students are able to meet with representatives of over 100 colleges who visit the UNIS College Office. Programming during the year includes a CIS-IB university fair with over 80 admissions representatives, as well as a financial aid workshop presented by a university financial aid officer. In Tut 4, students are expected to work closely with the college counselors in finalizing college choices, application preparation, and making enrollment decisions.
Similar to School Counselors, our Tutorial House School Psychologist partner with families, teachers, school administrators, and other professionals to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments that strengthen connections between home, school, and the community.
Our School Psychologist works in collaboration with the school counselors and learning support team members. Students are often referred to work with the School psychologist when they experience crisis, traumas, and/or may require deeper levels of interventions as it relates to emotional, and/or educational testing/ assessment, beyond what the school counselor would provide.
Long term counseling / therapy is not provided by the school psychologist or school counselor; referrals made to external agencies are made in such cases where, relevant.
You can contact Rafia Chaudhry, Tutorial House School Psychologist, at rchaudhry@unis.org