Phone – 201-784-1600 Fax – 201-768-7724

The Northern Valley Guidance Department is a member of the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC). All school counselors are members of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), the New Jersey Association for College Admission Counseling (NJACAC) and the Bergen County School Counselors Association (BCSCA).

Matthew P. Spatz – District Director of Guidance

Matthew Spatz directs and coordinates both the Demarest and Old Tappan high school guidance departments in the role of Director of Guidance for the Northern Valley Regional High School District. Mr. Spatz is in the Demarest building on Monday morning, Tuesday and Thursday, and in the Old Tappan building on Monday afternoon, Wednesday and Friday.

Before coming to Old Tappan as a school counselor in 2002, Mr. Spatz worked in Ramapo High School as an English teacher. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Notre Dame and a Master's degree from Willilam Paterson University. He is a member of the American School Counselors Association, New Jersey School Counselors Association, and the Bergen County School Counselors Association, as well as the National Association of College Admissions Counselors and New Jersey Association of College Admissions Counselors.

Mr. Spatz enjoys working with a wonderful team of caring professionals whose mission it is to deliver a comprehensive counseling program that helps all students understand themselves better and strive towards their potential.

Contact: Ext. 24150
Email: Spatz@nvnet.org

Kerri Hubbard – NVOT Lead Guidance Counselor, Affirmative Action Officer

Ms. Hubbard has been a member of the Northern Valley High School District since 2008. She started as a guidance counselor in the Demarest building and then became Assistant Principal. Ms. Hubbard is now the Lead Counselor in the Old Tappan building, managing a student caseload and overseeing the daily operations of the Guidance Department.

Ms. Hubbard attended West Chester University where she earned her BS in Early Childhood Education. Prior to receiving her MA in counseling from Montclair State University, she taught elementary education in the Northvale school system. Ms. Hubbard worked at Bergen County Academies and New Milford High School as a counselor before coming to Northern Valley in 2008. She is a member of the American School Counselors Association, New Jersey School Counselors Association and the Bergen County School Counselors Associations, as well as the National Association of College Admissions Counselors and New Jersey Association of College Admissions Counselors. She is the Old Tappan High School test coordinator for the PARCC, NJBCT and the College Board AP Exam Program. She serves as a liaison between the Guidance Department, Child Study team and 504 Committee. She also is the testing coordinator for the PSAT, SAT and ACT Exam programs.

Contact: Ext. 24100
Email: hubbard@nvnet.org

Lydia Greco – Student Assistance Coordinator

Ms. Greco has worked for Northern Valley as the Student Assistance Coordinator (SAC) since 2010. She provides counseling, assessments, crisis intervention, support groups and referrals to students. She also organizes presentations for parents and students. She is a member of the Crisis Team and consultant for the Intervention, Referral & Services Committee (I&RS). ~Prior to coming to NVOT, Ms. Greco worked for Straight & Narrow, Inc since 1998. While there, she served in various clinical and administrative roles. Ms. Greco currently maintains a part time private practice working with adults and adolescents.

Ms. Greco attended Felician College where she earned a BA in Psychology. She completed her graduate work at Montclair State University where she earned an MA in Counseling (Specialization in Addictions/SAC) and Post-Graduate Certificate in Advanced Counseling. Ms. Greco is a Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC) and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). She is also certified as a Student Assistance Coordinator (SAC). She is a member of the NJ Association of Student Assistance Professionals. 

Ms. Greco enjoys music, especially classic and hard rock. She loves spending time with her husband and young son, often going on hikes and exploring nature.   

Contact: Ext. 24430
Email: GrecoL@nvnet.org

Dr. Gina Marie Restivo - Wellness Coordinator/School Psychologist

Dr. Restivo has worked at NVOT since 2018. From 2018-2020, she served as a school psychologist on the child study team. As of September 2020, Dr. Restivo is thrilled to be NVOT's Wellness Coordinator, a role created by the NVRHS district to help our community meet the district's goals of supporting the wellbeing of our staff and students as well as encouraging a culture of support and growth. Dr. Restivo is a member of the I&RS/NJTSS committee, Crisis Team, School Safety/School Climate committee, and will work collaboratively to form a Wellness Committee. 

Since 2000, Dr. Restivo has focused her professional efforts in a field of work and study that has since grown into a personal passion. Her professional path began as a special educator in the field of autism, wound its way towards behavioral consultation and parent training, and now includes psychological assessment and treatment. Dr. Restivo is a licensed psychologist in the State of New Jersey and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist. With a realistic approach that melds research with reality, Dr. Restivo has helped families and educational professionals support children with varied ability levels and challenging behaviors across settings. Children spend the majority of their days in school and at home, so it is justified that the adults in both of these natural settings should be able to efficiently and effectively support their youngsters as they develop adaptive behaviors that will be of benefit to all. Sharing valuable knowledge and approaching situations from a problem-solving perspective have become hallmarks of Dr. Restivo's approach - an approach that caregivers and professionals across the board continue to find surprisingly creative and successful, yet manageable. In a field that grows and changes on a daily basis, Dr. Restivo looks forward to continued opportunities to share her experiences with some, while still learning from others.

Contact: Ext 23134
Email: RestivoG@nvnet.org

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Heather MacRae - School Counselor

Ms. MacRae counsels students in grades 9 through 12 and is the co-advisor to the peer mentor program and the hero's and cool kids program.  Before joining the counseling department , she was a physical education and health teacher at Old Tappan for eight years.  Ms. MacRae holds a BS from Springfield College and an MA in counseling from Montclair State University.  She is a member of the New Jersey Association for College Admission Counseling, American School Counselors Association, New Jersey School Counselors Association, and the Bergen County Professional Counselors Association. 

Outside of work, Ms. MacRae enjoys reading, playing volleyball, and most of all spending time with her family.

Contact: Ext. 24380
Email: MacRae@nvnet.org

Laura Cavanaugh – School Counselor

Mrs. Cavanaugh counsels students in the 9th through 12th grades and is excited to be a part of the NVOT guidance team. Prior to her counseling position at NVOT, she was a guidance counselor at Ramapo High School in Franklin Lakes, NJ since 2007. Before working as a school counselor, she was an art teacher in both the New York City Public Schools as well as in the Wayne School System for four years. She earned her BA in Fine Arts from DePaul University in Chicago and has also completed a Post– Baccalaureate Program in Educational Instruction. While teaching in NYC, she completed her MS degree in School Counseling from CUNY Brooklyn College in 2006. In 2009, she also completed a Post–Master’s Program in Educational Leadership through NJEXCEL. 

Laura is a member of the American School Counselor Association, the New Jersey School Counselor Association and the Bergen County School Counselor Association as well as the New Jersey Association of College Admission Counseling. In her free time, she enjoys being with her two children and loves to travel, paint and snowboard.

Contact: Ext. 24120
Email: CavanaughL@nvnet.org

Laura Rupp – School Counselor

Mrs. Laura Rupp counsels students in grades 9 through 12. She also co- advises Peer Mediation. Before joining the counseling department, Mrs. Rupp spent 6 years as a Spanish teacher and guidance counselor at Charles DeWolf Middle School in Old Tappan. She earned a BS from The College of New Jersey and a MA in School Counseling from Long Island University. She is a member of the New Jersey Association for College Admission Counseling, American School Counselors Association, New Jersey School Counselors Association, and the Bergen County Professional Counselors Association. Outside of work, Mrs. Rupp enjoys watching the New York Giants and Yankees, traveling around the world and exercising.

Contact: Ext. 24170
Email: Rupp@nvnet.org

Melissa Vion - School Counselor

With a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from SUNY Old Westbury, as well as a Master's degree in School Counseling from Hofstra University, and a Master's degree in Educational Leadership from the College of Saint Elizabeth, Mrs. Vion has an extremely diversified background. She began her education career in 2003 in the New York State school system, serving as an elementary level Dean of Students in the Huntington Union Free School District on Long Island.

In 2006, upon her arrival to New Jersey, she began her high school counseling profession at Ridgewood High School. Joining the Northern Valley team, Mrs. Vion assists students in grades nine through twelve, and in addition to her counseling responsibilities, serves as the advisor of the Gifted and Talented Program.

Professionally, she is a member of the American School Counselors Association, New Jersey Counselors Association, and the Bergen County Professional Counselors Association.

Contact: Ext. 24110
Email: Vion@nvnet.org

Matthew Corso – School Counselor

A graduate of the Paramus Public Schools, Swarthmore College (BA), and New Jersey City University (MA), Mr. Corso joins the NVOT Guidance Staff in 2016.  His caseload includes all grades, from freshman through seniors. Mr. Corso is a member of the Bergen County School Counselor’s Association and the American School Counselors Association. Before coming to NVOT Mr. Corso was a School Counselor at Teaneck High School. In the community, Mr. Corso is an advocate for local history.   He has served as Chairman of the Paramus Historic Preservation Commission and is a current member of the Westwood HPC. Currently, he coaches high school baseball. Mr. Corso is a graduate of the NJEXCEL program for school administrators.

Contact: Ext. 24160
Email: CorsoM@nvnet.org

Amanda Fitzpatrick - School Counselor

Mrs. Fitzpatrick counsels students in grades 9 through 12. Before joining us at NVOT, Mrs. Fitzpatrick taught English at Northern Highlands High School and Pascack Valley High School. She earned a BS in English Education from Boston University and an MA in School Counseling from NJCU.

Mrs. Fitzpatrick is a member of the American School Counselors Association, New Jersey School Counselors Association, and the Bergen County Professional Counselors Association. In her free time she enjoys reading, traveling, watching Shark Week, and spending time with her family.

Contact: Ext. 24360
Email: fitzpatricka@nvnet.org

OFFICE STAFF

Mrs. Jenise Esposito - Administrative Secretary
Ext.24140
Espositoj@nvnet.org

Mrs. Marie Orr - Associate Secretary
Ext.24130
Orr@nvnet.org

Mrs. Amy Luby - Associate Secretary
Ext.24090
Luby@nvnet.org