Courtland Counseling Newsletter
Let's make your future happen!
In this issue
Grades 9, 10, 11, 12: Upcoming Events
Grades 9, 10, 11, 12: Workshop Descriptions
Grade 12: Senior Events (including exam schedule and exam exemption policy)
Grades 9, 10, 11, 12: AP Exam Schedule
Grades 9, 10, 11, 12: SOL Test Schedule
Grades 9, 10, 11: Underclass Exam Schedule
Grades 9, 10, 11, 12: Courtland's 1st Annual #CollegeDecisionDay
Grades: 11: SAT Day Reminders
Grades 9, 10, 11, 12: Summer School
Grades 9, 10, 11, 12: What Can Your Child Do To Make the Most of Their Summer?
Grades 9, 10, 11: College Planning
Grades 9, 10, 11, 12: Why Volunteering Is a Good Thing
May 1: Parent Workshop: GPA Game, 8:00 a.m., Auditorium
May 2: SAT
May 5: Student Workshop: GPA Game, Cougar AM, Computer Lab
May 7: Student Workshop: Juniors: Applying To College
May 7 & 8: Interims
May 7: Student Workshop: The College Application Process for Rising Seniors, Cougar AM, Auditorium
May 8: Deadline to register for the June 6 SAT
May 8: Deadline to register for the June 13 ACT
May 13: Student Workshop: The College Application Process for Rising Seniors, Cougar AM, Auditorium
May 25: Holiday
June 3: Freshman Awards Ceremony, 7:30 a.m., CHS Auditorium
June 3: Sophomore Awards Ceremony, 9:00 a.m., CHS Auditorium
June 3: Junior Awards Ceremony, 1:00 p.m., CHS Auditorium
GPA Game: Not sure what it takes to get into college these days? Is it just the GPA? What about extracurricular activities, volunteer service, and social media profiles? Your friend has a higher GPA but you have more extra-curricular activities: who will get the offer? The GPA Game will introduce admissions criteria and how these factors interact to influence admissions decisions.
The College Application for Rising Seniors: Applying to college is time consuming and can be confusing. Planning and organization can make the process go smoothly. Come to this informative workshop to learn what you need to know and how to get it done so that the college application process works for you! (PARENTS: The Counseling Department will be offering workshops about the college application process for you in August, September, and October – stay tuned for dates and times!)
May 21: Senior Convocation, 8:30 a.m., CHS Auditorium
May 21: Senior Picnic, following Senior Convocation
May 22: Senior Trip to Busch Gardens
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.
May 26: Senior Exam Review
May 27: Senior Exam Review
May 28: Senior Exams: A1 and A3
May 29: Senior Exams: B1 and B3
June 1: Senior Exams: A2 and A4
June 2: Senior Exams: B2 and B4
June 5: Graduation Practice, 9:00 a.m., Required event
June 6: Graduation, 12:00 p.m., CHS Gym
AP Exam Schedule
May 4: AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, AP Psychology
May 5: AP Calculus
May 6: AP English Literature/Composition, AP Physics 1
May 7: AP Computer Science, AP Spanish
May 8: AP German, AP US History, AP European History
May 11: AP Biology, AP Music Theory
May 12: AP US Government, AP French
May 13: AP English Language/Composition, AP Statistics
May 14: AP World History
May 15: AP Human Geography
SOL Test Schedule
May 18: Algebra I SOL test
May 19: Geometry SOL test
May 20: Algebra II SOL test
May 21 and 22: Make-up for math SOLs
May 28: A1 and A3 SOL tests
May 29: B5 and B7 SOL tests
June 1: A2 and A4 SOL tests
June 2: B6 and B8 SOL tests
June 3 & 4: SOL make-up tests
Underclass Exam Schedule
June 5: Exam Review
June 8: Exam Review
June 9: Exams A1 and A2
June 10: Exams B5 and B6
June 11: Exams A3 and A4
June 12: Exams B7 and B8
Courtland's 1st Annual #CollegeDecisionDay
SAT Day Reminders
Students must bring their Admission Tickets. The tickets can be printed by logging onto www.collegeboard.org, clicking My SAT, and selecting Print Admission Ticket.
Students should also bring:
- Two No. 2 pencils and a soft eraser
- Acceptable photo identification
- An acceptable calculator
Students should confirm their test center location by checking their Admission Tickets.
It is important to arrive on time.
Students should know which items are required and acceptable, optional, and prohibited in the test center. The full list of these items can be reviewed here.
Summer School
Summer 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. Students are eligible to repeat a course if they have earned a cumulative average of at least 50% for the year in the course he/she wishes to repeat. Please consult with your student’s teacher to determine if summer school is an option.
Summer School booklets and registration forms are available in the Counseling office.
NOTE: Registration deadline is June 18.
SUMMERTIME!! What can your child do to make the most of their summer?
(adapted from CBS News)
- Get up-to-date on current affairs. Read online newsletters
- Update their resume (Naviance has a great resume builder!)
- Research and visit colleges (Naviance is a wonderful resource for college exploration).
- Blog. Differentiate themselves from millions of other teenagers by blogging. They'll be more successful if they write about something they're passionate about, whether it's street art or field hockey. Free blogs are available at WordPress or Blogger.
- Explore careers (Naviance has great resources!)
- Learn a new language. There are plenty of free sites online to help people get started on a new language, including DuoLingo, Open Culture, and LearnAlanguage.
- Sleep in. According to a report by the National Sleep Foundation, adolescents need 8.5 to 9.25 hours of sleep a night, which they often don't get during the school year.
- Read. Here's a "best books" list for teens from the Chicago Public Library. And here's the "best of the best" list from the Young Adult Library Services Association.
- Volunteer. Check out the Courtland High School website for a list of local organizations that accept teen volunteers or try Volunteermatch.org.
- Study for the SAT and/or ACT. Check the College Board (www.collegeboard.org) and ACT (www.act.org) websites for practices tests. The Khan Academy (www.khanacademy.com) has a tutorial for the SAT.
- Practice a new stress reduction technique (Meditation? Yoga? A new hobby?).
- Listen to podcasts. It's amazing what one can learn on podcasts. iTunes has tons of podcasts!
- Teach them how to change a tire. They'll be glad you did, if they ever find themselves stranded on the side of a road.
- Create goals. Summer is a wonderful time to ponder what one wants to do with the rest of their life. Why not start now?
College Planning
- Studying and making good grades pays off for students when applying to college. Colleges are looking for serious students who are ready to make the transition from high school to college.
- Students should think about and explore potential careers so that when the time comes to select colleges, the student can make sure that the college has the programs he/she is interested in.
- Get involved in activities. Sports, clubs, part-time jobs, and community service are wonderful ways to have new experiences, demonstrate responsibility and leadership, and show that he/she is well rounded.
- Summer is a great time to explore activities, jobs, summer camps, and academic enrichment programs.
- Tour colleges and keep a log of specific pros and cons.
- Have your student review online social profile: create a professional email address and revise social media sites to prepare for college admissions.
Why is volunteering a good thing?
Volunteering in the community is a great way for students to help others and to experience the positive impact that they can make.
What students gain from volunteering:
Character: Volunteer experiences and activities help students learn the value of helping others and the value of hard work.
Fun: Meeting new people and spending time with students who are different from them can help broaden a student’s view of their community.
Valuable Experience: Volunteering allows students to do a variety of tasks and can help them explore potential college majors and careers.
Making a Difference: Helping others is a great feeling and can give students a new understanding and appreciation of their strengths and skills.
There are many ways to find out about volunteer opportunities: check with the school, church, or civic organizations to get a start.
Counseling Department
Mrs. Emily Hall …………….…. Counselor A — De
Mr. Bart Nave ………….… Counselor Di—Kh
Mr. Dave DeSando ………... Counselor Ki—Ra
ddesando@spotsylvania.k12.va.us
Ms. Mary Nelson ………….... Counselor Re— Z