BHS School Counseling Newsletter
2018-2019 Volume 5 Issue 3
Upcoming Dates & Deadlines
FEBRUARY
MARCH
March 6th - Midpoint of the 3rd Quarter Marking Period
March 8th - Last day to register for the April 13th ACT
March 12th - College Night for Junior Parents & Students, 7 pm in the HS Library
March 13th - Last day to drop a course without a "W" on a transcript
APRIL
April 5th - Last day to register for the May 4th SAT
April 9th - Last day of the 3rd Quarter Marking Period (Subject to change due to possible snow days)
April 9th - The SAT will be offered for free to all juniors, no registration needed
April 10th - The PSAT10 will be offered for free to all sophomores, no registration needed
CLASS NEWS
Freshmen
- Individual Learning Plan (ILP) Update - During the first advisory in February, students will be introduced to Richer Picture, the new platform that freshmen and sophomores will be using to create their Individual Learning Plans. (For more information on Richer Picture please see the article below.) Students will have the opportunity to establish three goals (academic, college/career, and personal/social), input any relevant information into their resume and complete a personality inventory.
- Please NOTE: While we have made the shift to Richer Picture for ILPs, students will still have access to Naviance for further college and career exploration.
- School counselors will be meeting with all freshmen individually in February to assist students with their course selection for next year.
Sophomores
- ILP Update - During the first advisory in February, students will be introduced to Richer Picture, the new platform that freshmen and sophomores will be using to create their Individual Learning Plans. (For more information on Richer Picture please see the article below.) Students will have the opportunity to establish three new goals (academic, college/career, and personal/social), input any relevant information into their resume and complete a career inventory.
- Please NOTE: While we have made the shift to Richer Picture for ILPs, students will still have access to Naviance for further college and career exploration.
- School counselors will be meeting with all sophomores in February to assist students with their course selection for next year.
Juniors
- ILP - Update your resume on Naviance AND continue working on the College/Career exploration you began during the Junior Workshops held in December. School Counselors will be meeting with you individually again in March and we will review your college/career list on Naviance. We will also review your course selection with you during this meeting.
- Complete your registration for the SAT and/or ACT tests that you plan to take this spring.
Seniors
- Mid-Year Reports and Transcripts were submitted to all colleges listed on your Common Application accounts.
- If you applied to a non-Common App school and would like your mid-year transcript sent to a college, please let your counselor know if you have not done so already.
- Finalize any regular decision applications that you may have.
- Check the School Counseling Website regularly to monitor the available scholarships that are posted. (These scholarships are also posted on the department's Facebook page.) There are many local scholarships that students should consider applying for...every little bit helps!
2018-2019 Course Selection Process Review
· The Program of Studies is posted on the BHS Website.
· Students are encouraged to review the course recommendations that their current teachers have entered into X2.
· Students can request to meet with their counselors individually if they need any assistance with selecting their courses and/or creating/revising their 4-Year Plan.
· Beginning February 4th, students must enter their course requests ONLINE via X2 and this must be done by February 15th.
· Students who cannot log into X2 should send an email to x2help@barringtonschools.org and request access to their X2 account.
· Students must select a total of 6.0 or 6.5 credits.
· Students should list alternate choices for electives in the event that it does not work in their schedule, it is full or it does not run.
· Once courses are selected and entered into X2, counselors will work with students, parents, and teachers regarding any scheduling concerns that arise.
Student Instructions for Entering Course Requests on X2
· Log into your X2 account. (Parental X2 accounts DO NOT have access to course requests.)
· Click on the My Info top tab.
· Click on the Requests side tab.
· You can then click on the Select button to enter a course or courses for each subject area.
· Click a check mark in the box for the course number you want to select.
· Be sure to select the right course number.
· Be sure to select both S1 and S2 for full year courses.
· If you are selecting a course that is out of the typical scope and sequence, please post a comment for your counselor in the text box below the course selections.
CTE & Graduation Pathways - Exciting Options for the Class of 2021 and Class of 2022
Starting with the class of 2021, students have the option of completing a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathway and/or a Graduation Pathway.
Here is a brief description of the two types of pathways currently offered at BHS:
Career and Technical Education (CTE) Certification Pathways - This option begins freshman year with the selection of specific classes as well as the completion of 80 hours of work-based learning to be completed over the duration of a student's high school career. All CTE Certification Pathways conclude with a certification assessment and recognition by the State of Rhode Island.
Current CTE Pathways include the following:
Architecture
3-D Design
Computer Information Sciences
Pre-Engineering
Television Production
Graduation Pathways - This option will allow students to declare a Graduation Pathway during the second semester of sophomore year. There is a series of required coursework, optional coursework, and 30 hours of work-based learning. In addition, an application project must be completed. There is not a required certification assessment, and this is not recognized by the State of Rhode Island.
Current Graduation Pathways include the following:
Business Pathways
- Finance
- Entrepreneurship
- Marketing
The Arts Pathway
- Music Teaching
STEM Pathways
- Robotics
- Laboratory Technician
- Coding
- Science Research
Government & Citizenship Pathway
Both CTE and Graduation Pathway options allow students to take 1-2 less credits to graduate based on the number of selected pathways.
Stay tuned for more exciting options as more pathways develop!
*Please see the Program of Studies for more guidelines and specifics.
Richer Picture
College Night for Juniors and Their Parents
Social Emotional Counseling Groups
The School Counseling department will be running several counseling groups throughout the year.
Below is a list of groups that counseling staff will run if we have enough interest:
• Anxiety (general)/Stress
• Grief
• COA - Children of Addiction
• Newcomers - Students new to the district
• Connections - Students experiencing difficulty making friends and/or building relationships
• Substance Use - Students who want to decrease/stop using substances
• Senior Transition - Students experiencing anxiety related to the demands of senior year
If you or someone you know would benefit from participating in a counseling group, please contact your school counselor for more information.
Each group will meet once per week for six weeks.
Student Assistance Program News
THINKFAST
On January 31st, juniors participated in “Thinkfast Interactive”, a national game show program about distracted driving. This program was sponsored by the BHS HOPE club and funded by the RI Department of Transportation.
VAPING PRESENTATION
On February 7th, students from the HOPE club will be presenting information on the negative effects of vaping to all middle school students.
MINDING YOUR MIND
Kick Butts Day
On March 20th, BHS will be celebrating National Kick Butts Day by sharing information with students about the harmful effects of tobacco and nicotine.
Social Media & Mental Health
On March 14th during advisory, all students will be watching a documentary titled “Celling Your Soul”. The film focuses on the issue of digital dependency by following a class of students at Emerson College who were given a unique assignment by Professor Joni Siani. Siani was shocked to learn the depth of anxiety, stress, addiction and mental health issues associated with the demands of 24/7 connectivity.
Contact Information:
Barrington, RI 02806
(401) 247-3154
Follow us on Twitter: @bhsri_guidance