What is Student Services really for? When I asked one of my friends her opinion, she answered, “They serve students, right?” But how exactly does Student Services help the Harriton community? Who works there and how do they specifically assist individual students?

There are five school counselors: Ms. Carl, Ms. Serratore, Ms. Coleman, Ms. Knight, and Dr. Havlick. Each counselor is assigned a group of students from all four grades, separated by last name. Ms. Carl helps students with last names beginning with A-De, Ms. Serratore with students Di-H, Ms. Coleman with students I-Mc, Ms. Knight with students Me-Sh, and Dr. Havlick with students Sh-Z. Unless the counselors change, a freshman will be with the same counselor until graduation. Ms. Bowlby, the college access counselor; Dr. Fina, the psychologist; and Mr. Bell, the mental health counselor, complete the staff of Student Services.

When asked about her daily routine, Ms. Carl revealed that every day is different. The school counselors deal with college and career counseling, course selection, coursework, academic counseling, and individual crises. While appointments during the school day are one way to get advice and information, there is also an evening program for parents and students where the counselors prepare parents for important steps in the future. There are at least 20 events already scheduled for this school year.

Although each day is demanding for different reasons, Ms. Carl enjoys her time at Harriton. “I really like connecting and working with students,” she explained as her favorite part of her job.

So, now that you know what they do, how do you get to meet up with your counselor? First, you have to make an appointment through Mrs. Daley, who works at the desk that you’ll see when you first enter Student Services. Mrs. Daley leads a central role in Student Services: When Ms. Carl was asked about Mrs. Daley’s duties, she said, “What does she not do?” The secretary keeps Student Services operating at peak efficiency by making sure all students and counselors have their appointments for the right time.

When it’s time for your appointment, your concerns or questions will be solved in a confidential meeting.  If this doesn’t work, the counselor will refer you to one of their colleagues for further assistance.

Well, what is Student Services for? When your friends, parents, and teachers have run out of advice about scheduling, college, or life in general, it would be a great idea to give Student Services a try. For more information, check out http://www.lmsd.org/harritonhs/student-services/index.aspx.