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Student Services
Central Staff

Paige Swartz

Paige Swartz, Ed.D., Director
Student Engagement & Retention
Email:  paige.swartz@mymec.org

 

Pam Smith

Pamela Smith, Director
Prevention and Intervention Services
Email:  pam.smith@mymec.org

 

Student Services Staff

 

Student Services Department

Student engagement and retention Logo
Prevention and Retention Logo

The Student Services Department at MECHS is responsible for addressing the academic, social, and emotional needs of all students. At each site, the Student Services Department is composed of highly experienced and qualified personnel who have a heart for students and a mission to see each one succeed in their goal of becoming a high school graduate.

What does Student Services do for students?

Plan of Study

At MECHS, each student has a Plan of Study to guide his/her course progress toward a high school diploma. Counselors review and update Plans of Study to insure accuracy. The Plan of Study is reviewed with parents annually to document approval.

Courses highlighted in green represent those for which the student has already earned credit. Courses highlighted in yellow represent those in which the student is currently enrolled. Courses highlighted in red represent those the student still needs to complete in order to graduate.

College & Career Planning

At MECHS, our goal is for each student to graduate with a high school diploma as well as a viable plan for the future. Students graduate from MECHS prepared for:

  • 4-year University
  • 2-year College
  • Technical College
  • Apprenticeship
  • Military
  • Workforce

TEAM Mentoring Program

At MECHS, each full-time student is assigned a Mentor. Mentors:

  • meet weekly with each student
  • review progress with students and provide encouragement
  • help students set academic, attendance, and college/career goals
  • make referrals to other MECHS staff, as necessary, to support students
  • provide monthly feedback to parents

Dual Enrollment

Georgia's Dual Enrollment program is available to MECHS students. Click here for information about the program as well as who at your site can tell you even more!

Student Incentive & Recognition Programs

Site Events & Off-Site Field Trips

Who is Student Services?

Counselors

  • Conduct preliminary evaluation of student transcripts
  • Assign required courses
  • Create each student’s Plan of Study and communicate with parents for annual approval
  • Meet with each student as they complete courses to review POS and postsecondary plans
  • Counsel students individually and in groups to meet their personal/social, behavioral, and academic needs and assists with appropriate interventions as necessary
  • Schedule and administer tests to assess students’ educational and career planning (i.e. PSAT, SAT, ACT, ASVAB)

Grad Coaches

  • Concentrate on potential graduates for the current school year
  • Track the academic progress of the targeted students and implement interventions to overcome the barriers that are slowing progress in course completions
  • Use the appropriate data to identify students not making academic progress
  • Come to monthly Student Services Department meetings prepared to discuss students and facilitate discussion of intervention strategies
  • Implement student recognition/incentive programs

Social Workers

  • Facilitate a “New Student” Orientation for each newly enrolled full-time student
  • Monitor underage attendance and attend Truancy Court
  • Conduct support groups
  • Communicate with MECHS’s Homeless Liaison about concerns of homeless students
  • Serve as the site contact person for the Migrant Education Program (MEP) staff for students receiving migrant services
  • Serve as liaison between school, family, and community resources and make home visits and/or referrals when needed

C&C Interventionists

CS/BRIDGE

  • Debrief YouScience Aptitude Assessment results
  • Provide appropriate college/career guidance to assist students in making plans for after they graduate
  • Coordinate site events related to college and career options

CS/Dual Enrollment

  • Inform all students about Georgia's Dual Enrollment Program and encourages them to consider dual enrollment
  • Meet with students and parents to complete the necessary paperwork for dual enrollment
  • Closely monitor progress of dual enrolled students on a consistent basis, facilitating academic assistance, as needed
  • Provide assistance to all students for the following:
    • FAFSA completion
    • College applications
    • Scholarship applications

TEAM Coordinators

  • Coordinate the TEAM (Mentoring) program at their site
  • Train new mentors
  • Facilitate Mentor PLC's each month
  • Assign each new student a mentor and monitor to ensure a good "match"
  • Monitor student and parent contacts made by Mentors

Student Information Clerks

  • Meet with each newly enrolled student to collect information to better inform services
  • Administer YouScience (aptitude assessment) to referred students
  • Activate courses in GradPoint (some sites)

Mentors

  • Provide each student assigned to them with a “Caring Adult in the Building” by developing a rapport and interacting with each student at least once a week
  • Monitor each student’s social/emotional, academic, and educational needs and make referrals as necessary
  • Review each student’s Plan of Study (POS) and work to create a monthly plan to help the student set attendance, academic, college/career goals