Gaining Momentum in Quarter Two
High School Counseling Newsletter (Quarter 2) 2021-22
Staying Organized- By learning different organization hacks for school now, you can help prevent things from piling up and becoming overwhelmed
1. Get Into a Routine- Creating a routine can help you stay consistent day-to-day and week-to-week. Write down your general weekly schedule on a whiteboard or calendar, then establish time blocks that you will spend doing your homework.
2. Set Rules for Yourself- Setting rules for yourself can help you understand what you need to complete each day and not feel rushed to complete an assignment. Some rules you could make to keep yourself on track might be: Complete all projects two days before the due date, Start studying for tests one week in advance, or Finish essays three days before they're due.
3. Write Everything Down- Write down everything — homework assignments, test dates, essay topics and even little details like how to turn in your paper. That way, you don't have to remember it, and you can use your writing as a way to double-check what you need to complete.
4. Set Your Own Deadline- Create a new deadline at least two days ahead of the actual class deadline. Plan ahead and complete the assignments according to your early due dates rather than the ones your teacher assigns.
5. Don't Multitask -Multitasking seems like it would be beneficial because you could potentially get more done in less time. However, it is more beneficial to focus on one assignment at a time, and only turn your attention to the next task when you've completed the first.
6. Use Tools to Stay Organized- You can find a vast array of school supplies dedicated to keeping your materials organized (colored binders & notebooks, agenda book, To-Do list on a white board, etc.)
7. Use a Planner- A planner can be one of the most useful tools for organizing your school work because you can visually see everything on your schedule. Write down all homework, projects and test due dates with one color and athletics, extracurricular meetings and family obligations with another.
8. Take Organized Notes- Notes will only be useful if you record them with a method you can understand later. These might include:
· Cornell method: Record only key points and questions rather than all the instructor's examples. Then, summarize the main ideas at the bottom of each page.
· Mind map method: Draw bubbles and lines and label them with key points to connect similar ideas.
9. Color-Code and Label Everything- Color-coding your materials is a visual cue that allows you to easily see what belongs together. For example, buy a blue folder and notebook for math, a red folder and notebook for science and so on.
10. Break Down Big Tasks Into Smaller Ones -Looking at everything you need to do for a big task, like writing an essay, can seem overwhelming and discouraging. By breaking it down into easily manageable parts, you can work on parts of the assignment each day and not feel rushed. (Example- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mbu2TfaCl5U26FaKfbbsMGqpXcpKwcODRykieqgBGTY/edit).
*Note: End of Quarter 1 & semester 1- 1/28/22
SENIORS
Yes there are options:
- College- https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-search
- Trades Schools- https://www.onlytradeschools.com/new-hampshire/
- Directly into the work force- https://www.friday-staffing.com/blog/6-tips-to-help-high-school-seniors-get-good-jobs-after-graduation-start-now/
GAP Year- http://www.travelaccessproject.org/gap-year-students
- Community College- https://www.schools.com/community-colleges/top-community-colleges-in-new-hampshire
Wondering if it is worth it to take the SATs again? YES it is and make a plan to study.
No official hours of SAT practice = ~60 points increase
6 hours of Official SAT Practice = ~90 points increase
20 hours of Official SAT Practice = ~115 points increase
Official SAT Practice- https://www.khanacademy.org/SAT
SAT Test Dates-
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register/dates-deadlines
Need to send SAT scores to colleges?
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/scores/sending-scores/how-to-send
NH Scholars
Planning on joining? Please fill out this quick survey-
I'm a Senior, Now What? (refresher)
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1N_dfOOOAhTQxEcWArB3KwM_yRKbR0ZniazIJINAIzfE/edit
JUNIORS
3 General Guiding Principles of SAT Prep:
1.) Personalize your program- It is crucial that you individualize any plan to fit your needs. If, for example, you need to study three times a day for a shorter period of time rather than knocking it all out in one chunk in the evening, that's fine. If the opposite is true for you, that's fine, too.
2.) Leave plenty of time to study- 3 months is good amount of time for the average student to prepare for the SATs. If you need significantly more time, you might want to stretch that timeline out to six months. This means you should have a good idea of your goal and how long each week you plan to study.
3.) Do what you can with what you have- it's always better to do something than it is to do nothing. If you simply can't take a practice exam in one sitting without getting interrupted, take it in several sittings.
https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/sat
Currently in SST and want to attend your senior year as well?
Current SST students who wish to apply for the second year of their program will be given class time at SST to do so and the deadline is TBA (typically mid-Jan).
Resumes
I'll be joining your English classes In December to help you begin your resumes! Be thinking about:
- Academics- Honors, Awards, Dual Enrollment, etc.
- Extracurricular activities
- Volunteer work/Community Service
- Work experience
- Athletic involvement
PSAT Score Release Date: online 12/7/21
Sign in to your College Board account to view your scores-
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10/scores/getting-scores
Horatio Alger Scholarships
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JgsVwfyUi8h5Euib-3Qb5QI7Yu28ZyoPUg7h7Pz5wS8/edit
SOPHOMORES
Career Exploration
I'll be joining your English classes in November to help students identify their Holland traits, best match work environments and related careers by utilizing Naviance's The Career Key which will ask you questions about your interests.PSAT Score Release Date: online 12/7/21
Sign in to your College Board account to view your scores-
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10/scores/getting-scores
Seacoast School of Technology- SST's programs are designed to prepare students for their lives after graduation. All of the programs emphasize the real-world application skills. Each program has both classroom and laboratory space that stimulates actual workplace environments.
December 14th (Tuesday), all sophomores will attend a presentation in the cafeteria from 9:35-10:20 regarding the 12 Programs that SST has to offer.
January 2022 Sneak Peek of SST. At this event, you have the opportunity to “try on” two programs of personal interest. You will spend about 20-25 minutes in each of those programs to test them out and see which one might be the best fit for you and your career goals as well as get a sense of whether they want to include SST as part of your high school experience.
What to learn more about SST? https://sst.sau16.org/en-US
FRESHWO/MEN
Career Exploration
I'll be joining your English classes in November to help students identify their interests and discover career clusters that contain careers that might interest them by utilizing Naviance's Career Cluster Finder.
Am you in the right classes? Could I be challenging myself more? Still not sure what you want the next 3 years to look like or have an interest and want to make sure you're taking the right courses, come see me!
What does a HS Counselor do? I visited all freshmen classes in September to meet all the students. If you were absent that day, here is the presentation-
VLACS
Update from VLACS:
"Over the past year, we have been building a better school to provide students with the best learning experience possible. We updated our course platform and our student information system.
To move all of the data and complete the upgrade, we were offline for twelve days. We re-opened for students on August 20, 2021. As with any project of this size, there are bound to be “glitches,” and we have already encountered some. For example, there are some students who are still not able to log in or access their courses. We are aware of these issues and are working around the clock to fix them. We anticipate all issues will be resolved."
Tech Support:
helpdesk@vlacs.org
#603.778.2500 ext. 2
General Information:
School Counseling:
VLACS Support Centerhttps://vlacs.happyfox.com/home/
Request a VLACS Transcript
https://vlacs.formstack.com/forms/vlacs_transcript_request_form
Helpful Tidbits/Info
- Mondays-Thursday from 2:40-3:40 in room 220 with Ms. Brauer
- Mondays-Thursday from 2:40-3:40 in room 218 with Ms. Shouse
- Tuesdays &Thursday from 2:40-3:40 in room 234 with Ms. Wetzel.
NJSHS Clubs
Looking to join a club? Looking to make connections with other students? Not sure what you might be interested in? Look no further. Click the link below to learn about our clubs, the 'who they are', the Advisor(s) and when clubs meet-
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_79z7vmbIAXgUZ7veuV_IZw2fwTHSgBfvDGatiwe5Ws/edit#gid=0
Remote Learning Student Check-ins
For Remote Learning (REM) days, all students have been assigned to an all-day class called Remote Learning. Please remember to check-in during school hours (8:15-2:29).
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-sZvqCIZvX5xM1DBP39NxIykjXR5ERe4spsygWa2g74/edit
Add/Drop
Before the End of the Semester- Highly recommended!
Please come see me before the end of semester one to make changes to your schedule. You don't need an appointment if it is a quick change. If you have multiple changes, please email me to make an appointment or pop down and Ms. Dedopoulos can help you with making an appointment.Once the Semester has Started
On the first two days of the semester, students will go to their assigned classes. The only students that can come down for schedule changes on the first two days (1/31 & 2/1 Black Day), are those with empty blocks in their schedule during that specific block.
Schedule changes will only happen on days three and four (2/2 & 2/3) during the block you wish to change.
NHS School Counselor
Ms B (grades 9-12)
Ph: 603-292-7968
Fax: 603-659-1287
Need to book an appointment? Ms. Dedopoulos is here to help you with that or email me directly!
Email: bissonc@newmarket.k12.nh.us
Website: https://www.newmarket.k12.nh.us/schools/newmarket-jr-sr-high-school/njshs-administration/school-counseling/index
Location: 213 South Main Street, Newmarket, NH, USA
Phone: (603) 292-7968