Student Support
Our goal at Latin is to help all students achieve their highest potential and become successful, independent learners. We are committed to providing students with extra help when they need it and see parents as partners in the child’s education.
You have a support group at Latin that will pick you up, dust you off, so you can get back at it.
ADVISORY SYSTEM (middle/upper school)
In the middle school, student are assigned to homerooms and can turn to their homeroom teacher when academic or social issues arise. In addition a team of grade-level teachers, one of whom is that grade's dean, the nurse, the counselor, the dean of students and the director meet weekly to discuss issues students may be facing and how to address them.
As a freshman, each student is assigned an advisor who has been coached to help with everything from adapting to classes with upper classmen to implementing time management strategies. After ninth grade, students choose the faculty advisor they’d like to work with over the next three years. Students almost always develop a long term, close relationship with their advisors, who become counselors, mentors, troubleshooters, advocates and parent liaisons.
LEARNING RESOURCES
LOWER SCHOOL
The lower school learning resources program is designed to work with children who have diagnosed learning differences in collaboration with their families. Support is provided through individualized remediation, modifications, accommodations, and/or consultative services. The lower school reading resource program is designed to support at-risk readers in senior kindergarten through grade four. Students are referred by their classroom teacher and work in small groups.MIDDLE/UPPER SCHOOLS
Our teachers are committed to making themselves available to students outside the classroom for extra support. For those students who are experiencing more general academic difficulties because of challenges with work organization, time management, reading efficiency, problem-solving strategies, or learning differences, Latin offers a range of services through the Learning Resources program.
In the middle and upper schools learning resources faculty works with students on an individualized basis to customize a program that will best fit their needs. Students can take advantage of these services on a daily basis or only occasionally—depending on what works best for them.
COUNSELING
LOWER SCHOOL
In the lower school, counselors visit junior kindergarten through fourth grade classrooms weekly as part of Latin's nationally recognized Roundtable program. They lead discussions and activities focused on “taking care of ourselves, each other and our school.” Children’s Roundtable is a preventative mental health approach promoting psychological and physical wellbeing and an increasing sense of personal control over one’s own behavior and safety, fostering interest in and respect for differences among people, and supporting responsible, effective participation in small groups and in the community.
Students also may arrange individual or small group time with a counselor by making an appointment. Similarly, parents are welcome to make an appointment to discuss child rearing and developmental or family issues that may be pertinent to a child's school experience.
MIDDLE/UPPER SCHOOLS
The middle and upper school counselors bring an expertise in child and adolescent development to all aspects of school life, including individual students needs, school climate, interaction with families, and school policy decisions. Counseling is available to students and their parents. The counseling team’s mission is to treat each student with dignity and to affirm and advocate for all students.
Counselors offer regular programs and flexibly arranged services, reflecting Latin’s commitment to responding effectively to a wide variety of needs. They work as a team with teachers, learning resources staff, parents and specialists outside the school to support students’ needs. Our counselors also teach Affective Education courses, participate in parent discussions and organize presentations on bereavement, divorce and other areas of special interest.
HEALTH SERVICES
We employ three full-time registered nurses, one in the lower school and two to serve the middle and upper schools. The nurses provide immediate emergency care, do initial assessments and work with parents and health care providers to help children with chronic conditions remain healthy at school. They also educate students, faculty and parents about health issues and good health practices.
BULLYING PREVENTION POLICY
Bullying is contrary to Illinois law and the policy of Latin School. Bullying will not be tolerated. This Bullying Prevention Policy is based on the engagement of a range of school stakeholders, including students and parents or guardians.
The school will determine initially whether a report of bullying is subject to this policy. Bullying falls within this policy if it occurs within one of the following four situations:
(1) during any Latin-sponsored education program or activity;
(2) while in school, on Latin’s property, on school buses or other school vehicles, or at Latin-sponsored or Latin-sanctioned events or activities;
(3) through the transmission of information from a Latin computer or iPad, a Latin computer network, or other similar electronic school equipment; or
(4) through the transmission of information from a computer or an electronic device that is not owned, leased, or used by Latin that is accessed at a non-school-related location, activity, function, or program or from the use of technology or an electronic device that is not owned, leased, or used by the school if the bullying causes a substantial disruption to the educational process or orderly operation of the school. This item (4) applies only in cases in which a Latin school administrator or teacher receives a report that bullying through this means has occurred and does not require the school to staff or monitor any non-school-related activity, function, or program.
Bullying means any severe or pervasive physical or verbal act or conduct, including communications made in writing or electronically, directed toward a student or students that has or can be reasonably predicted to:
(i) Place the student in reasonable fear of harm to self or property;
(ii) Cause a substantially detrimental effect on the student’s physical or mental health;
(iii) Substantially interfere with the student’s academic performance; and/or
(iv) Substantially interfere with the student’s ability to participate in or benefit from other services, activities or privileges provided by Latin.
Bullying usually occurs when there is an imbalance of power. Bullying often is based on actual or perceived race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, military status, sexual orientation, gender-related identity or expression, unfavorable discharge from military service, association with a person or group with one of these characteristics, or any other distinguishing characteristic. Bullying can take many forms including, but not limited to, severe or pervasive physical violence, harassment, sexual harassment, threats, intimidation, stalking, sexual violence, theft, public humiliation, destruction of property, teasing and name-calling, social exclusion, and/or retaliation for complaining about bullying.
Cyberbullying is also a form of prohibited bullying. Cyberbullying means bullying using any form of electronic communication or technology, including but not limited to email, text messages, social media, instant messages, and any other computer or phone-based application. It includes falsely assuming another’s identity or the knowing impersonation of another individual as the author of posted content or messages if the creation or impersonation creates any of the negative effects on the victim listed in the definition of bullying. Cyberbullying also includes the distribution by electronic means of a communication to more than one person or the posting of material on an electronic medium that may be accessed by one or more persons if the distribution or posting creates any of the negative effects on the victim listed in the definition of bullying.
Bullying includes behavior both on and off Latin’s campus. Cyberbullying, in particular, can occur at any time and its messages and images can be distributed quickly to a wide audience. However, not all social conflict constitutes bullying. For example, isolated instances of social rejection, dislike or arguing generally would not constitute bullying unless they were particularly severe. Even if a conduct incident does not meet the definition of bullying in this policy, the Latin reserves the right to investigate and take corrective actions as the school considers appropriate under the circumstances.
When Latin determines that an incident of reported bullying is actionable under this policy, the incident will be addressed immediately, and parents/guardians of all students involved in the incident will be contacted by the Counselor, Dean of Students, or Division Director depending on the specific division within 24 hours after Latin’s administration is made aware of the students’ involvement. Latin will make diligent efforts to notify parents/guardians utilizing all contact information Latin has available or that can be reasonably obtained by Latin within the 24-hour period. The divisional support team will discuss with parents/guardians and make recommendations for specific interventions to stop, prevent and remedy bullying, such as school counseling services, restorative measures, social-emotional learning (SEL) support, or community-based services. The Counselors will provide the involved students (and their family members, if appropriate) with information regarding counseling and support services provided at Latin as well as providing referrals for outside professional social work and counseling services.
"Restorative measures" means a continuum of school-based alternatives to exclusionary discipline, such as suspensions and expulsions, that (i) are adapted to the particular needs of the school and community, (ii) contribute to maintaining school safety, (iii) protect the integrity of a positive and productive learning climate, (iv) teach students the personal and interpersonal skills they will need to be successful in school and society, (v) serve to build and restore relationships among students, families, schools, and communities, and (vi) reduce the likelihood of future disruption by balancing accountability with an understanding of students' behavioral health needs in order to keep students in school, (vii) increase student accountability if the incident of bullying is based on religion, race, ethnicity, or any other category that is identified in the Illinois Human Rights Act.
Consequences for violations of this policy, including incidents of retaliation for those reporting bullying or participating in a bullying investigation, will be determined by the school, taking into account a variety of factors such as the severity of the behavior and the age(s) of the student(s) involved. Consequences may include, but are not limited to:
- Parent, teacher and/or administrator conference to review a student’s conduct and explanation of expectations for the student’s future behavior
- Creation of behavior plan/contract with the intention to correct behavior
- Immediate removal from the classroom
- In-school suspension
- Out-of-school suspension
- Behavioral probation
- Restorative measures or remedial requirements, such as apologies, reflections and restitution
- Expulsion
Making a good faith complaint of bullying (including cyberbullying and harassment) will not prejudice an individual’s future at Latin, even if the complaint cannot be substantiated. However, any person found to have made a false or unsubstantiated report of bullying as a means of bullying, reprisal or retaliation will face appropriate disciplinary consequences as determined by the school, including the consequences listed above.
Procedure for Reporting Bullying
If students feel that they have been, or are being bullied, or if anyone witnesses bullying, it is expected that the individual shall notify a trusted adult in the school. The school will accept anonymous complaints of bullying via Suspected Bullying Activity Anonymous Form; however, no formal disciplinary action will be taken based solely on an anonymous report. All persons reporting suspected bullying are encouraged to identify themselves to the school to help the school respond most effectively.
Any act of retaliation toward any person reporting bullying or participating in the investigation of a bullying incident will not be tolerated. Any acts of retaliation will be reported to the Dean of Students who will take the appropriate remedial actions, including for students the consequences listed above.
The designated individuals to address reports of bullying in each division are:
Lower School
LS Counselor Sarah Everson, 312-582-6298, severson@latinschool.org
LS Director, Bliss Tobin, 312-582-6202, btobin@latinschool.org
Middle School
MS Counselor, Cristina Vasquez, 312-582-6308, cvasquez@latinschool.org
MS Counselor, Perla De La Torre, 312-582-6308, pdelatorre@latinschool.org
MS Dean of Students, Richard Dickinson, 312-582-6306, rdickinson@latinschool.org
MS Director, Tray White, 312-582-6302, twhite@latinschool.org
Upper School
US Counselor, Anneliese Kranz, 312-582-6468, akranz@latinschool.org
US Counselor, Jane Knoche, 312-582-6408, kjnoche@latinschool.org
US Counselor, Perla De La Torre, 312-582-6468, pdelatorre@latinschool.org
Dean of Students, Bridget Hennessey, 312-582-6296, bhennessey@latinschool.org
Dean of Students, Amy Merrell, 312-582-6405, amerrell@latinschool.org
Asst. US Director, Karen Horvath, 312-582-6406, khorvath@latinschool.org
Interim US Director, Nick Baer, 312-582-6402, nbaer@latinschool.org
There will be a prompt investigation of all actionable reports of bullying, including the following:
Making all reasonable efforts to complete the investigation within 10 school days after the date the report of the incident of bullying was received and taking into consideration additional relevant information received during the course of the investigation about the reported incident of bullying.
- Involving appropriate school support personnel and other staff persons with knowledge, experience, and training on bullying prevention, as deemed appropriate, in the investigation process.
- Notifying the Head of School or a designee of the report of the incident of bullying as soon as possible after the report is received.
- Consistent with rules governing student privacy rights, providing parents and guardians of the students who are parties to the investigation information about the investigation and an opportunity to meet with the Head of School or a designee to discuss the investigation, the findings of the investigation, and the actions taken to address the reported incident of bullying.
At least every two years, Latin reviews and re-evaluates our Bullying Prevention Policy to assess the outcomes and effectiveness of the policy and make any necessary or appropriate revisions. Our review includes, but is not limited to, factors such as the frequency of victimization; student, staff, and family observations of safety at a school; identification of areas of a school where bullying occurs; the types of bullying utilized; and bystander intervention or participation. This policy will be updated in accordance with the Illinois State Board of Education’s guidance and template when that is released and available on or before January 1, 2024.