The mission of the Forest Hills High School Counseling Team is to provide resources, support, and advocacy to help all students reach their fullest potential and become educated, productive citizens. Our goal is to cultivate successful, resilient young adults who will become productive citizens that contribute to their own communities and the world beyond. Counselors assist students with academic, career, and personal/social development through planning, collaboration, and exploration.

Our Focus

• Personal and Social Development
• Academic Development
• Career Development

Contact Us

• Phone: (704) 296-3025
• Fax: (980) 217-5894
• Students with last names A-Cor: Katherine Menacho (ext. 1609)
• Students with last names Cou-Hel: Joanna Ellis (ext. 1608)
• Students with last names Hem-Mc: Marcus Clyburn (ext. 1606)
• Students with last names Me-Sal: Christi Ponder (ext. 1607)
• Students with last names San-Z: Shannon Thomas (ext. 1688)
• School Social Worker: Jamal Gardner (ext. 1613)
• LEP Program Counselor: Alex Lago
• Best Start Teen Parenting Support Counselor: Jacqueline Strickland (ext. 1627)         
• Counseling Administrative Assistant: Sarah Easter (ext. 1610)

School Counselors Provide

• Academic Planning
• Career and College Exploration
• Individual Counseling
• Classroom Guidance
• College Advising
• Bullying Interventions (Report Bullying here)
• Crisis Interventions

Stay Connected with Us

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School counselors recognize their primary obligation for confidentiality is to the student but balance that obligation with an understanding of the family or guardians’ legal and inherent rights to be the guiding voice in their children’s lives (ASCA Code of Ethics).

The role of the school counselor in regards to confidentiality is:

• To support the students right to privacy and protect confidential information received from students, the family, guardian and staff members
• To explain the meaning and limits of confidentiality to students in developmentally appropriate terms
• To provide appropriate disclosure and informed consent regarding the counseling relationship and confidentiality
• To inform students and the family of the limits to confidentiality when: Student poses a danger to self or others, Court ordered disclosure, Consultation with other professionals in support of the student i.e. colleagues, supervisors, treatment teams, and other support personnel
• To keep personal notes separate from educational records and not disclose their contents except when privacy exceptions exist
• To seek guidance from supervisors and appropriate legal advice when their records are subpoenaed
• To assert their belief that information shared by students is “confidential” and should not be revealed without the student’s consent
• To adhere to all laws protecting student records, health information, and special services (i.e., HIPAA, FERPA, IDEA)