Counselor Corner 2017-2018
February/March 2018 (v.4)
Many activities are underway at ROHS...
Paul Surdenik, Jennifer Vick, Carrie Laurence & Jim Bowker
Mark your Calendars:
Counselor Chat:
Please click here for a copy of the agenda from the January 9th meeting and Parent Input form, if you are interested. (If you did not attend the meeting but would like to share your input, please download the form and email it back to your student's counselor.) Thank you for those who were able to attend--it was a great first meeting! Next meeting is scheduled for April 24th @ 8:30am.
Some of the discussion points from that meeting that we have implemented already:
- Setting up a Remind 101 for each graduating class that parents are invited to join (see below)
- More joint informational programming with ROMS for parents to attend
- Looking into strategies and training for ROHS staff on the implementation of movement, breaks, and calming techniques available to students
- Continued dialog and information sharing in future meetings
- A later start time for Counselor Chat meetings to accommodate student drop of schedules.
We are still disseminating the information as we meet as a team. Much more to come--this was a great beginning and thank you for those who were able to make it. Please mark your calendars for our next meeting in April.
February: Credit Recovery registration is now open (see below)
February 6th : Oakland Technical Campus field trip (10th graders only). Pick up a permission slip in the counseling office.
February Recess: Feb. 19 & 20 (classes resume Wednesday, Feb 21)
NEW Junior Parent Meeting: Feb. 27th, 6pm, ROHS Auditorium (more information below)
Parent/Teacher Conferences: March 7th 4:00-7:00 in the gym
AP Exam Registration/Payment Deadline: March 23
Current student's enrolled in AP course (s) and plan on taking a 2018 AP Exam.
Spring Break: March 30- April 6 (classes resume Monday, April 9)
SAT (Juniors)/PSAT (9th & 10th): April 10-11
AP Exams: May 7-18
Counseling Chat: April 24th at 8:30
Can I request a specific teacher for my student?
- Logistically this is not possible. To accommodate such requests when we are scheduling almost 1300 students, in six classes, for two semesters, in a tight scheduling matrix is simply untenable.
- Philosophically, it is important that students learn that they can be successful in myriad learning environments, with various teachers, and experiences. Yes, your student may have to shift his/her thinking, maybe even the way he/she approaches a class with a different teacher--but there is merit learning this skill and practicing this cognitive flexibility.
We want all students to be successful at ROHS and our confident in our teaching staff. We strongly believe students canexcel and be successful in various classroom settings.
Credit Recovery:
The program runs Tuesday-Thursday, from 3:15-5:15. Courses are $200 each ($100 if your student qualifies for free/reduced lunch). Making up valuable lost credits now can help a student down the line and keep them on track for graduation.
New: Stay in touch with class specific announcements with Remind 101
Class of 2018: text code @e74gbc to #81010
Class of 2019: text code @27fgch to # 81010
Class of 2020: text code @kak74f2 to # 81010
Class of 2021: text code @h8g98h to # 81010
If you choose to enroll you'll receive the same announcements from the Counseling Office that your student is receiving (events, deadlines, announcements, etc.)
Advanced Placement Registration
Advance Placement Online Registration
Online registration is currently open. You will be able to register for AP exams until March 23, 2018. Once registration is closed, you will not be able to order exams.
Thinking CAREFULLY about technology...
http://www.parenting.com/gallery/social-media-monitoring-kids?page=1
Also, please take a moment and read this EXCELLENT article, "Have Smart Phones Destroyed a Generation? published in The Atlantic. A little lengthy, but a very worthwhile read for all parents.
FRESHMEN in particular...
Find time to meet with your counselor and develop your four year plan. Sign up in the student service center.
SOPHOMORES in particular...
The Oakland ACE (Accelerated College Experience) program serves motivated high school students enrolled in participating Oakland County school districts. Students apply for admission into Oakland ACE in the 10th grade and, if selected, begin the three-year program in grade 11. Oakland ACE is designed to serve students who are at risk of not enrolling in post-secondary education. This includes students from families with little or no history of post-secondary education (First Generation) and students whose household income qualifies for Free/Reduced Lunch. For more informationhttps://oakland.k12.mi.us/families-community/school-student-programs/accelerated/Pages/Program-Overview-.aspx
JUNIORS in particular...
Junior Parent Night: Feb 27th, 6 pm. This meeting is for parents of current Junior students. This meeting will talk about college and post-secondary planning that can start now. Meeting will cover such topics as: college planning, college applications, SAT/ACT, senior year scheduling.
Summer Program: Parents of Junior girls interested in the Engineering field--check out this summer opportunity at Kettering University here as part of their LITE program July 15-27
ACT vs SAT. Check out the link for preparation tips/tools http://www.royaloakschools.org/high-school/career-center/#ACT-SAT
Upcoming 2018 Testing Dates:
ACT
Feb 10, April 14th, June 9th, July 14th
SAT:
April 10: All Junior's will participate during the school day.
Additional dates: May 5 and June 2nd
*To register your student for testing, please do so directly on the respective websites below
SENIORS in particular...
If any of the colleges/universities in which you applied to requested your 7th semester grades. You will need to go to Parchment.com and request your current transcript to be sent.
APPLY...APPLY...APPLY...what more can we say
Additional scholarships: http://www.royaloakschools.org/high-school/career-center/scholarships/
Community Resources and Upcoming Events
For additional information http://dawnfarm.org/programs/teens-using-drugs.
Should I retake the ACT or SAT?
However, it is good to know WHY you are electing to retake the test. Would scoring 1 or 2 (ACT) or 100 (SAT) points higher help you qualify for $1000 more in Merit Scholarships from your college? Are you close to getting into your "reach" school? If so, then maybe. HOWEVER...these instruments are generally very "reliable" metrics, meaning student scores don't tend to vary much from one test to the next.
Tips if you DO want to retake:
- Focus on ONE test (ACT or SAT) whichever one you felt more confident and comfortable with. All colleges take either test.
- If you want a different score, take a different approach. If you didn't do any prep work the first time, do some actual prep the second time. Online tutorials, test prep books or tutors/prep classes are all options.
- The ROHS Career Counseling Center website has a lot of information that might also prove helpful. Do a little research.
Homework Help:
Math Help--free, no appointment needed:
- Tuesday afternoon @ 3pm in Room 215 (Mrs. Hart)
- Thursday morning @ 7am in Room 215 (Mrs. Hart)
- Friday morning @ 7am in Room 211 (Mr. Morgan)
Your Counseling Staff:
Jennifer Vick, alpha C-J, vickj@royaloakschools.org
Carrie Laurence, alpha K- Re, laurencec@royaloakschools.org
Jim Bowker, alpha Ri-Z, bowkerj@royaloakschools.org
Karen Murphy, secretary, murphyk@royaloakschools.org
Phone: 248-435-8500