Counseling Department

Welcome to the Bronxville High School Counseling Department!

The Counseling Department of the Bronxville School seeks to provide services that recognize and value the academic, social and emotional well being of each student. Counseling services play a crucial role in supplying students with the knowledge and support they need to plan an individualized program of study that will lead to graduation and prepare them for college.

 A student’s counselor is concerned with his or her total development: intellectual, physical, emotional and social. In addition the counselor uses the special services offered by the school to assist students with special problems. The counselor confers with students, parents, teachers and other in house support professionals, and interprets results from standardized tests and makes referrals for outside services as needed. The counselor helps the student plan a program of studies suited to the student’s abilities and aims. All students are encouraged to meet with their counselor frequently throughout the year.

The Director of Counseling Services is Mr. Aaron Kind. The counselors are:

 Ms. Ellen Cohen
Dr. Alyssa Levy
Ms. Deana Hasandjekaj
Ms. Marina Ford

Students and their parents are invited to meet individually with their counselor to discuss educational goals, future planning and course selection for each year. Additional individual conferences with students and/or parents are held as the need arises and may be initiated by the teacher, counselor, student, parent or administration. One of the main purposes for individual conferences is to exchange information about the child and to facilitate working together for the student’s benefit. Appointments should be made through the Counseling Office.

The Counseling department provides group guidance on a broad range of issues. Transition into the ninth grade, developing four-year plans, honing study skills, advocacy training and focusing on becoming a contributing member of the high school community are important considerations. For sophomore year the focus is educational and social issues with an introduction to career exploration. During junior year, students begin to look at post high school options. A systematic approach for the college search and application process is emphasized.

Regarding off-campus College Visits, students are required to complete a Planned Absence form signed by their parents prior to the visit. A maximum of three days annually may be considered legal absences for this purpose.
 

Aaron Kind
Aaron Kind began his school counseling career at the Bronx High School of Science, where he served students for nine years. He has been a counselor at Bronxville High School for three years. As a school counselor, he advises students on course planning, works with students to set academic and college goals, provides individual counseling, collaborates with teachers to best serve the needs of students and presents workshops in classrooms. He is also the adviser of the Student Faculty Legislature. He is professionally drawn to staying on top of trends in the field of higher education, discovering and implementing new technology to connect with students or technology which helps students learn more about themselves and their interests. He also collaborates with the school leadership to accomplish the goals set out by the faculty following the Challenge Success survey results.

Ellen Cohen
Now in her 14th year at Bronxville High School, Ellen Cohen has the privilege of watching her students develop into young adults over the four years she gets to know them. She particularly enjoys working on their writing with them and helping them capture their voice in their college essays. Before working at Bronxville, she worked at East Side Community High School and in the selective performing arts program of Washington Irving High School in Manhattan. Cohen graduated cum laude from Brandeis University, receiving the J.V. Cunningham Award for Excellence in Writing. While at Brandeis, she was selected as the student coordinator for the New England region of The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. She also served as an ambassador, speaking to potential applicants at high schools. Cohen began her career in higher education admissions in the office of the registrar for graduate theater programs at Harvard University, aiding in the processing of applications to the very selective programs at Harvard’s American Repertory Theater. She received her master’s degree in counseling psychology from New York University. She has completed additional coursework in special education, grief and bereavement counseling, and drug and alcohol counseling. She also holds an advanced certificate in college admissions counseling from UCLA.
 

Dr. Alyssa Levy
Alyssa Levy received her Doctorate in Education from Vanderbilt University, an M.A. and Ed.M. in Psychological Counseling with a specialization in School Counseling from Teachers College at Columbia University and her B.A. from Johns Hopkins University. She additionally holds a School District Leadership certification from Bank Street. She grew up in Westchester, received internship training at New Rochelle High School and Scarsdale Middle School, served as a High School Dean at Solomon Schechter School of Westchester, and most recently was a Counselor at Ardsley High School.

 

 

Deana Hasandjekaj
Deana Hasandjekaj graduated with a B.A. from Marist College in Communications/Journalism with a Double Minor in Psychology and English/Creative Writing and a M.A. & M.Ed from Teachers College at Columbia University in School Counseling. She also recently earned an Advanced Graduate Certificate in Social Emotional Learning and Whole Child Education from Manhattanville University. At Bronxville, Deana has enjoyed connecting with her students, attending professional conferences, developing school counseling curriculum, and teaching staff development courses through Bronxville Teacher Center. Prior to Bronxville, Deana worked as a College Counselor at EF Academy where she had in depth experience with international students and post high school planning worldwide in addition to her work with universities and colleges within the United States.

 

 

 

Marina Ford
Marina Ford is the School Counselor for grades 5 and 9 at Bronxville School. She also leads the Freshmen Transition program in the high school, designed to support Bronxville’s 9th graders as they transition to High School. Marina joins Bronxville after five years as an Upper School Counselor at Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School in Manhattan. There, she supported students in grades 8-12 in all areas of high school acclamation, ensuring they had what they needed to develop in a happy, successful,
and thriving manner. Before that, she was a Counselor at the United Nations International
School and Alain LeRoy Locke College Preparatory School in Los Angeles.
Marina graduated with a B.A. from Indiana University and an M.S. Ed from CUNY Hunter.