Guidance, Counseling and Homebound Instruction

Please arrive by 7:15 am to ensure we can address any technical concerns. The later the arrival time, the less chance we will have to support you with technical issues.

Information You’ll Need on Test Day for Digital Testing

Be prepared for digital testing by ensuring you bring only what you need for the test. Leave all prohibited items at home. You will have a testing device but won’t be able to use or access any other personal electronic devices, such as a mobile phone or wearable technology, during the test. Review the other important guidelines in this section to ensure you understand the policies that cover your SAT testing experience.

Students are REQUIRED to carefully REVIEW and follow the instructions provided in this video regarding Bluebook and Saturday Administrations before the exam:

The Patchogue-Medford School District will not provide testing devices and cannot offer assistance for any devices that are not from the Patchogue-Medford school district.

Test Day Items

The following items are required for taking the SAT:

• Your admission ticket on a mobile device instead of printing it.
• A pen or pencil for scratch work (it doesn’t have to be a No. 2 pencil).
• A fully charged, acceptable testing device with Bluebook that has already been downloaded.
• A valid photo ID for check-in.
• Though not required, consider bringing:
• Small snacks and small covered drinks (which must be under your desk during testing).
• An acceptable calculator - please see sat.org/calculator for the full list - for use on the Math section of the test (if you prefer using a handheld calculator, use the embedded Desmos calculator in Bluebook).

Taking the Digital SATs

Before the test, you must ensure that you have:

• Download the Bluebook app (all Patchogue-Medford school-issued devices have this app already downloaded. If it is not working, you should restart your computer. If that does not work, Patchogue-Medford students should contact student tech help).
• Complete the exam set-up so you have access to your admissions ticket. This is best done at home prior to arriving at the site.
• Non Patchogue-Medford students need to have the app downloaded on their devices. Please note that Patchogue-Medford cannot provide technical support on the day of the exam with personal devices or non-Patchogue-Medford school district devices.
• Make sure your device is charged and you bring a cord just in case. We will not supply charging cords.  If your device runs low or shuts off your exam will end.  If you are asked to move to charge you will lose time on your exam.
• Go to Practice and Prepare on the Bluebook homepage and select Full-Length Practice to ensure the Bluebook app is working correctly.

Video on Bluebook and Saturday Administrations

The Counseling Department is pleased to introduce Naviance, a web-based service designed for students to assist them with their exploration of personal interests, colleges and careers.  
Naviance will also be an integral component of the college application process as all school documents (transcripts, teacher recommendations, etc.) will be sent to colleges electronically within the NAVIANCE system. 
You can also find important updates regarding all activities of the counseling office on your Naviance page.  Parents who provide email contact information or subscribe to our text messaging service also receive notifications as important counseling department information becomes available. 
Additional information on creating your Naviance account.

Authorization to release transcripts/academic records

Patchogue-Medford High School partners with Method Test Prep to provide free test preparation for all students.  Log into your NAVIANCE account or through Classlink for more information. January update - Check your NAVIANCE account for info about our Test Prep.

Recent Graduates (Class of 2024)

• You may request unlimited transcripts for one year after graduation at no charge.

Graduates from the Class of 2023 or Earlier

All requests must be submitted via MySchoolBucks. Payments must be made in the form of credit or debit only; no cash, checks or money orders).

Note: Official transcripts are sealed and stamped: “OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT – VOID IF OPENED.”

Instructions for MySchoolBucks (via computer)

1. Go to MySchoolBucks
2. Create an account and select Patchogue-Medford UFSD as your district.
3. It’s going to ask for a school ID number, you can enter your telephone number.
4. Scroll down and you will see a diploma image that says TRANSCRIPT REQUEST.
5. Choose Transcript Request and fill out the form. All fields must be completed in your request (Full name, name at the time of graduation, date of birth, graduation year or last date of attendance, and contact information. Any missing information may result in a delay in processing.
6. Complete checkout.

Processing Times

All requests are processed in the order that they are received. Please allow up to 10 business days for processing. If you would like to follow up about your request you may contact the guidance department at 631-687-6530.

Thank you for your inquiry for working papers.  Please note that students MUST be at least 14 years of age to be eligible.  The physical form attached to each application must be completed by either our school nurse, or your physician. Physicals must be within 1 year. Please note the school nurse is only available to complete the physical during calendar school days. Your doctor may fax the document to (631) 687-6597. Additionally, a copy of your child’s birth certificate or a NYS ID is required to process the working papers.

Once we receive the paperwork it will take up to 7 to 10 days to receive your working papers.  Once you receive your working papers you must sign the document. 

Working Paper Requirements:

1. Children must be 14 or older to be eligible
2. Submit a digital copy of ID or Birth Certificate (Scan or Photo attachment)
3. Doctor completes attached form
4. Doctors Office or school nurse (during the calendar year) needs to sign, date and stamp application
5. Completed form needs to be faxed 
      a.  Fax Number (631) 687-6597

The Patchogue-Medford Union Free School District is committed to empowering all students to succeed in the 21st Century. We encourage students to pursue a diverse and appropriate academic program aligned with their chosen pathway option. Students need to select challenging and rigorous courses of interest without worrying about the impact these courses will have on their Grade Point Average (GPA) or their Rank.

In May of 2022, the Patchogue-Medford Board of Education, in collaboration with the District Committee for Instruction, revised district policy (5127.1) on class weights effective immediately, and class Honorary Distinction will begin with the Class of 2026, for ninth graders who started at the High School in September 2022. Furthermore, the tradition of honoring the Top Ten will conclude with the class of 2025, and we will explore new avenues to diversify our academic recognition.

The changes for class weighting and rank are as follows:

There will be additional classes that will be assigned class weights of honors 1.05 or advanced 1.10. These updates will be reflected in our program of studies, which can be accessed online on our district website. Specifically, upper music classes and our CTE courses will offer students the opportunity to receive a weight of honors or advanced, respectively, as well as all courses that grant college credit.

Furthermore, the district has decided to determine the official rank of the senior class of 2025 AFTER the third marking period of a student's senior year. The official rank for the class of 2025 will not be available until approximately May 2025. These decisions were made after careful consideration of input from previous and current students, district administrators, community members, staff, and board members.

The Levels of Honorary Distinction are as follows:

• Summa Cum Laude- students with a GPA between 3.8 - 4.0
• Magna Cum Laude- students with a weighted GPA between 3.6- 3.7
• Cum Laude- students with a weighted GPA of 3.5

Please visit our district website to access more detailed information on the policy. This information will also be thoroughly discussed at our 9th-grade orientation, as well as during classroom visits from our counselors. Should you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out to your child's guidance counselor or directly contact me.