No Child Left Behind at BHS  

We occasionally hear that a parent has concerns that a daughter or son will "fall through the cracks" at BHS.   Read further to learn about all the avenues that we use to make sure that ALL students' needs are met.

General Information

The first person you should contact regarding academic concerns is your child's classroom teacher, who can be reached most easily via e-mail, in this form:  steacher@branford.k12.ct.us.  Links to teachers' e-mail addresses can be found on our website: http://www.branfordhigh.org/, under the Academics tab, School Staff link.

Your child's Guidance Counselor not only meets with students during course registration periods, but at any time that they need advice or support.  Students can come down to the counseling area during a study hall or self-directed study, or to see Mrs. Wynne, Guidance Secretary, to schedule an appointment.  She can also be contacted at 315-6730.

Academic Assistance Center

Newly revamped and now located in the library at BHS, the Academic Assistance Center is available for ALL students.  Every period the center is staffed by three or four certified teachers: two tutors, one math, and one Learning Strategies teacher.  Though not designed to provide specific single-subject tutoring on a daily basis, the goal of the Academic Assistance Program is to provide support to students in areas including organization, homework completion, writing, reading, and math.   National Honor Society members are also available to provide support in specific subjects such as Chemistry, Physics, and Spanish as their schedules permit.  Students can be assigned to the Academic Assistance Center through their Guidance Counselor.

The Student Assistance Model:  SAM

If a student is experiencing difficulty in any area - academic, social, or emotional - parents, teachers, and other concerned staff members are encouraged to make a referral to the Student Assistance Model Team regarding that student.  The SAM team, comprised of members from all support areas as well as teachers, administrators, and a Branford Counseling Center liaison, meets approximately ten times a month to discuss strategies related to student concerns.  Once a referral is made, a SAM team member contacts a parent, interviews the student, collaborates with the team to develop support strategies, acts as a liaison to teachers, and monitors student progress until the area of concern is ameliorated.  Among the charges of the SAM team is to review student progress reports and report cards every five weeks in order to address concerns regarding attendance, credit, and academic performance.  If there is a concern in any of these areas, the student is automatically discussed at a SAM team meeting and follow-up occurs.  For more information contact Len Bonn, Chair, at 315-6729.  

Horizons

Some students benefit from a smaller class size and more structure than is typically found in a comprehensive high school.  At BHS, our Horizons program is designed to meet the needs of those students.   Staffed by a part-time Social Worker and two teams of academic teachers, one for the a.m. and one for the p.m. program, the Horizons program provides instruction in all required areas.  Contact Mike Griffin, Department Chair, at 315-7889, for information regarding admission.

Counseling and Career Center

An in-depth discussion of the many important services provided by this center can be found on page 34 of the 2007-2008 STUDENT GUIDE.  Your child's Guidance Counselor can also give you further information. 

Online Information

The BHS website, http://www.branfordhigh.org/ provides updated information about school events; several teachers use their own pages to post assignments or other information.  Others have developed their own wiki pages or blogs in order to communicate to you and to their students.  In addition, the Special Education Department posts assignments for any classes supported by a special education paraprofessional or co-teacher at http://bhsassignmentcentral.wikispaces.com/.

Other areas of concern
If your child has a medical or emotional condition that necessitates changes, accommodations, or modifications to her academic program, he or she may be eligible for a 504 accommodation plan.  Contact Len Bonn, 315-6729 for further information.

For concerns about emotional or personal issues of a clinical nature and for referrals to outside agencies, we can provide support for your child through our Licensed Clinical Social Workers Suzanne Serviss or Jennifer Miller (Horizons). They can be reached at 315-7827 or 315-7821, respectively.

If you have a question about attention issues, emotional functioning, or other issues related to learning, School Psychologist Virginia Aiello can be reached at 315-7824.

In addition to our School Nurse, Sharon Porrello (315-6733), the School Based Health Center is a fully staffed health clinic located at BHS and staffed by a  Clinical Social Worker, Sue Sacchetti, as well as a Nurse Practitioner.  Call 315-6727 for further information.

We make every effort to address our all of our students' needs so that they can benefit fully from their experience at BHS.  Please contact any of the faculty or staff mentioned in this reference article should you need support for yourself or your child.