Be Guided, Be Mentored

Guidance at delbarton

The Guidance program at Delbarton is led by grade-specific Guidance Counselors who guide our students through their academic experiences and serve as the chief liaison between parents and teachers.  From Grades 9 to 11, each grade level Guidance Counselor is assisted by a team of trained faculty and staff Advisors who work with a dozen students daily during Homeroom.

Advisors welcome their Advisee groups at the start of 9th grade and guide them until the end of 11th grade. Together, Guidance Counselors and Advisors provide extensive opportunities for our young men to be known well by several adults outside of the classroom. In Grade 12, Delbarton College Counselors assume the role of Advisors, and the Advisory Program shifts its focus to the college search process and transition beyond graduation.  See the Delbarton School Advisory Program Handbook here.

In the Middle School, because of its small size (less than 70 students in grades 7 and 8), the Director of the Middle School and the Middle School Moderator serve as the Guidance Counselors for these students.  In grade 12, Seniors are counseled by the four College Counselors, who perform both college counseling and overall guidance roles with these students.  In the Senior year, the grades 9-11 Advisory groups are used as small group settings for discussion when grade level Advisory meetings are held twice a month during Homeroom.

Guidance Counselors and Advisors regularly meet with students individually to oversee their academic, personal, and social development, in small groups, and by grade level to discuss issues that pertain to the grade as a whole. Counselors and Advisors are aware of each student’s academic performance, co-curricular involvement, and learning style, thereby enabling the counselor to guide the student according to his individual strengths and weaknesses and to help him shape his academic future accordingly.

Grade-level meetings of teachers, chaired by the Guidance Counselors are held at the midpoint of the fall and spring semesters. The purpose of these meetings is for teachers and guidance counselors to share information in order to provide support and assistance to the boys. Guidance counselors and Advisors also facilitate communication between teachers and parents.

At Delbarton, the entire faculty actually shares in the guidance program. Our teachers, moderators, and coaches are involved in the daily lives of the boys and serve as role models, mentors, and advisors. Our collective mission is to develop young men who will become independent and responsible citizens and who will make a valuable contribution to our society.