Courtland Counseling Newsletter
Let's make your future happen!
In this issue
Grades 9, 10, 11, 12: Upcoming Events
Grades 9, 10, 11: Summer Schedule for Counselors
Grade 11: College Application Process Boot Camp
Grades 12: Senior Events
Grades 9, 10, 11: Underclass SOL Test Schedule
Grades 9, 10, 11 Underclass Exam Schedule
Grades 9, 10, 11: Goodbye...Hello!
Grades 9, 10, 11, 12: Summer School
Grade 12: You Made Your College Choice: What's Next?
Grade 9, 10, 11: College Visits
Grades 9, 10, 11: Are you prepared for the future?l
Grades 9, 10, 11: Financial Aid Changes
SAVE THE DATES
June 8: Underclassmen Awards Assemblies
June 10: Deadline to register for the 100% Virtual Summer School Course program
June 11: ACT
Graduation at 3 pm
June 14, 15, 16, and 17: Early Release – students will be dismissed at 11:15 a.m.
June 17: Last Day of School
June 20: Deadline to register students at CHS for Summer School
June 22: Late registration for Summer School, 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at RIverbend High School
June 27: Summer School begins for new courses and 1st Session for repeat courses
July 7 : Boot Camp for Seniors and their parents, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. CHS Library
July 13 : Boot Camp for Seniors and their parents, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. CHS Library
July 18: Summer School begins for 2nd session repeat courses
July 20 : Financial Aid Information night for students and parents CHS Library
July 27: Boot Camp for Seniors and their parents, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. CHS Library
August 18: FInancial Aid Information night for students and parents, 6:00 pm CHS Library
TBD: Back-to-School Night for Freshmen and New Students, 6:00 p.m.
September 6 : First day of school!!
SUMMER SCHEDULE FOR COUNSELORS
The Counseling Office is staffed Monday - Thursday during the summer; however each counselor has a varied schedule. If you would like to talk with your counselor and he/she is not in the office, please send an email or leave a message, and we will get back to you on our next day in school.
Please help us spread the word that we are only doing new registrations on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the summer. Please advise new families to call and schedule an appointment.
RISING SENIORS AND PARENTS BOOT CAMP! THE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS
The college application process has become more complicated, time consuming, and can be confusing: Naviance, the Common App, matching accounts, letters of recommendation, early decision vs early action; What should be done first? How are transcripts sent? Can transcripts and letters of recommendation be requested before the student submits the application? Find out what your child needs to know and how to get it done so that the process works for you! The Counselors will offer this vital workshop on three evenings in July: Thursday, July 7; Wednesday, July 13; and Wednesday, July 27. Please click here to register.
The Counselors will also be hosting two financial aid information nights...Wednesday, July 20 and Wednesday, August 17.
All events will be held at Courtland High School.
SENIOR EVENTS
June 3: Senior Exams: B5 and B6
June 6: Senior Exams: A1 and A2
June 7: Senior Exams: B7 and B8
June 8: Senior Exams: A3 and A4
June 10: Graduation Practice, 9:00 a.m., Required event
June 11: Graduation, 3:00 p.m.
Senior Exam Exemption Policy: In order to be exempt from taking a final exam, a senior must have an 80 average in the course for the year. This policy includes all general, advanced, AP, and Dual Enrollment courses. Grades are not weighted when determining cumulative averages.
UNDERCLASS SOL TEST SCHEDULE
June 2: A1 and A3
June 3: B5 and B7
June 6: A2 and A4
June 7: B6 and B8
June 8: SOL Make-up testing and Math SOL retakes
June 9: SOL Make up testing and Math SOL retakes
June 14, 15, 16, & 17: SOL retakes
UNDERCLASS EXAM SCHEDULE
June 10 & 13: Exam Review
June 14: Exams A1 and A2, Early dismissal at 11:15 a.m.
June 15: Exams B5 and B6, Early dismissal at 11:15 a.m.
June 16: Exams A3 and A4, Early dismissal at 11:15 a.m.
June 17: Exams B7 and B8, Early dismissal at 11:15 a.m.
Goodbye...Hello!
Goodbye, Mr. Nave!
As a high school counselor for 17 years, I had the great pleasure of supporting many outstanding students as they navigated their four years of high school. I recently accepted the position as the school counseling director at Spotsylvania Middle School. I am extremely excited about this opportunity to prepare future Cougars. My experience will help me support and challenge middle school students so they are ready for high school. An added bonus is my oldest son, Brendan, will be going to school with me next year as a sixth grader!
In my place, I am excited you will be getting someone who is both an experienced counselor and familiar to many of you, Tom Mitchell. Tom is the current counseling director at Spotsylvania Middle School and is excited about becoming a Courtland Cougar.
To the Courtland family, I want to take this opportunity to say Thank You! It has been my pleasure to support Courtland High School students as they work to achieve their dreams. It is often said that educators leave a lasting memory for students, but I can tell you students make a lasting impression on us as well. I will never forget the awesome students and parents at Courtland High School.
Hello, Mr. Mitchell!
I have been the counseling director at Spotsylvania Middle School for the past 8 years. Before that, I counseled at Essex Intermediate School in Tappahannock, VA. I also worked at George Washington University in Washington, DC while earning my master's degree in education and human development. I am excited to join the Cougar family!
SUMMER SCHOOL
Summer School, held this year at Riverbend High School, is a great opportunity if your student does not pass a course needed for graduation and may be necessary to keep students on track to graduate on time. Please consult with your student’s teacher to determine if summer school is needed.
There is also an option for motivated students to take a new course "virtually," meaning 100% online.
This year, registration for these high school summer programs is ONLINE. The link can be found on the division website, or by clicking here. Registration is open now and should be completed as soon as possible.
Payment for regular, on-site summer school still needs to be made at Courtland High School. Payment for the 100% Virtual Summer School Program will be made at a mandatory meeting on June 20th.
Important Dates to Remember:
On-Site Summer School:
June 20 - Deadline to pay at Courtland by 4pm
June 22 - Late payment at Riverbend HS from 2pm to 6pm
100% Virtual Summer School:
June 10 - Deadline to complete online registration
June 20 - Mandatory parent and student meeting at Riverbend, 8:30 to 10:30.
YOU MADE YOUR COLLEGE CHOICE: WHAT’S NEXT? (adapted from College Board)
The next few months for the college bound student will be busy and exciting. Encourage your student to use the following checklist to make sure they are prepared and stay on track:
- Read and respond promptly to all the information and forms you receive from your college. You’ll need to set up orientation activities, financial aid, housing, meal plans and more, so be careful not to miss any deadlines.
- Send in your tuition deposit to save your place in your college’s freshman class. Sending in your deposit late could cause a serious problem. If the deposit deadline is not clearly listed, contact your college’s admission office to find out the due date.
- Accept your financial aid offer. This is separate from your college’s acceptance offer. You don’t have to accept the entire financial aid package; you might want to take out a smaller loan, for example. Decide what to accept and then complete and return the form by the deadline.
- Take care of loan paperwork. If you’re accepting a loan as part of your financial aid package, you’ll probably need to fill out the loan application before the start of the semester.
- Choose housing if you won’t be living at home. If you’re going to live in a dorm, your college will send you housing information as well as a contract that you must return. If off-campus housing is an option you’re interested in, contact your college’s housing office for help.
- Select a meal plan if you’re living on campus. (Enrolling in one may be mandatory for on-campus students.) Off-campus students may also have the option of signing up for a meal plan.
- Send your final transcript to your college. Normally, you’ll just need to confirm that your counselor has mailed it to your college's admission office.
- Check computer requirements to see if incoming students need to have a computer. Some colleges may help students buy a computer.
- Start shopping and packing. Think about what you’ll need to bring, where to get it, and how to transport it. Making a shopping list is a good starting point.
- Contact your roommate if you’ll have one and if your college makes contact information available. This will allow you to get to know your roommate in advance and coordinate with him or her about what to bring to college.
- Get a physical before college starts. Most incoming college students have to submit the results of a recent physical exam and their vaccination history before they can register for classes.
- Attend pre-orientation programs, if they’re offered. These programs let first-year students meet one another and can be a great way to ease into campus life.
- Find out if you have to take placement exams to determine your level in reading, writing, math or other subjects. Your standardized-test scores may enable you to skip some placement exams, but look into testing requirements and exam schedules.
- Thank your supporters. Your counselors, teachers, coaches, scholarship sponsors, and family all probably helped you get to college. Let them know how much you appreciate their efforts.
COLLEGE VISITS
It’s never too early to visit a college or trade school….
When visiting a prospective school, here are some questions that you may not think to ask, but give you important information about the school:
- Is it easy to find a job on campus? Do you offer a work-study program?
- What are the times students can eat at the dining halls?
- How are on-campus safety concerns addressed? What issues have occurred on campus?
- What services are available to students?
- In case of a medical issue, where do students go?
- Are there shuttles on-campus that take students off-campus?
- What are the student car policies? Is there a cost for parking on-campus?
- Which organizations does your campus offer?
- What does the diversity look like on your campus?
- What does the student support services look like at this school?
- What is the percentage of students who graduate within four years?
- In what ways does the school help students find jobs once they have graduated, especially in their respective fields?
ARE YOU PREPARED FOR YOUR FUTURE?
Prepare for your post-high school future by:
Taking AP and other advanced courses.
Taking the ACT & SAT examinations.
Meeting with your high school counselor, military recruiter and/or admissions counselor.
Doing research on your potential career (do you need to attend a trade school or college?).
Beginning your college search:
- Go to college fairs.
- Research schools (contact the admissions office for more information).
Preparing for your college visit:
- Develop a list of important questions to ask (click here).
- Make arrangements with your teachers and school attendance office about missing classes for college visits
- Schedule your visits through the college admissions offices. Ask about meeting with faculty, coaches, etc., if you are interested
- Meet with a college admissions counselor
- Take a tour
- Meet with a professor in your academic area
- Sit in on a class
- Talk with coaches, music directors and others who lead college programs in your areas of interest
Filling out your applications.
COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID CHANGES (Adapted from College Board)
Here’s a summary of key dates for submitting the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) depending on when you plan to go to school:
Counseling Department
Mrs. Emily Hall …………….…. Counselor A — De
Mr. Bart Nave ………….… Counselor Di—Kh
Ms. Morrison ………... Counselor Ki—Ra
kmorrison@spotsylvania.k12.va.us
Ms. Mary Nelson ………….... Counselor Re— Z