Student Support Services Mission
The Student Support Services department serves the school community from Kindergarten through Grade 12 by addressing the social, emotional, learning, and health needs of the student body. Our mission is to support student learning by providing appropriate guidance or intervention so that those who struggle academically, socially, emotionally, or physically can be productive and successful members of the community, fully engaged in school programs.
Counseling & Guidance
Mental health services at Friends are provided by three full-time divisional psychologists, who offer supportive consultation, crisis intervention, and ongoing care. They conduct classroom observations; participate in grade-level and team meetings; and consult closely with parents, faculty, administrators, and outside professionals. Across divisions, psychologists also facilitate support and affinity groups—including the long-standing Banana Splits program—to nurture students’ social and emotional wellbeing.
Banana Splits
A support and affinity space for students who live with one parent, or one at a time, due to separation, divorce, death, or single parenting by choice. A hallmark K–12 program at Friends.
Divisional psychologists provide direct care through individual and small-group meetings. They consult with families around child development, transitions, and changes in family configuration, and collaborate with outside providers such as therapists, learning specialists, neuropsychological evaluators, and psychiatrists.
Psychologists meet regularly as a team to exchange ideas, monitor student progress, and coordinate plans of action. When concerns persist—social, emotional, or learning-related—a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation may be recommended for deeper insight and support planning.
Meet Our Psychologists
At each level, our psychologists help promote the social, emotional, and educational needs of their division’s students. They also oversee and manage support for students with accommodations.
- Lower School Psychologist: Deidre Edwards, Ph.D. (K–4)
- Middle School Psychologist: Samantha Meltzer, Psy.D. (5–8)
- Upper School Psychologist: Monica Kaplan, Psy.D. (9–12)
Family Education & Community Support
Psychologists host parent coffees and talks on topics such as child development, anxiety and depression, ADHD, neurodiversity, parenting, and adolescence. They participate in Back-to-School Night, parent-teacher conferences, guidance meetings, and advisory programming. Their aim is to reduce obstacles to learning, respond with care during moments of stress, and help students thrive academically and emotionally.
Invited Talks & Media
Learning Support
Friends Seminary is committed to compassionate, fair, and equitable support for all learners, including students with diverse learning profiles and neurodiversity. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the School provides reasonable accommodations for students with physical, emotional, and learning-based diagnoses.
Students’ learning and wellbeing are regularly discussed in faculty and grade-level meetings across all divisions. These conversations highlight each student’s growth within Friends’ core disciplines of silence, study, and service, and identify areas where additional support or enrichment may be helpful.
When patterns of concern emerge, the Student Support Services team collaborates with families to implement an appropriate plan—academic, social-emotional, or both. If deeper evaluation is warranted, the School may recommend a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment.
Health Services
Health Services at Friends supports physical wellbeing through a whole-child lens, focusing on prevention, safety, and responsive care.
All health staff maintain American Heart Association certification in Basic Life Support, and the Director of Health Services also holds Advanced Cardiac Life Support certification. The team includes:
- Director of Health Services (MSN, RN): Oversees daily care for students, manages all health documentation, maintains the student health database, and ensures compliance with state guidelines.
- School Nurse (BSN, RN): Works closely with the Director of Health Services to provide comprehensive care and support.
- Athletic Trainer: Provides on-site evaluation and treatment of athletic injuries, coordinates referrals, oversees rehabilitation, and monitors students’ return to sports in partnership with physicians and the Director of Health Services.
Accessibility & Specialized Care:
Health Services supports students with physical needs by ensuring accessible scheduling, trained staff, appropriate facilities, and emergency preparedness. When needed, staff receive specialized training and equipment to assist and evacuate immobile students safely.