Dear Families,

We hope this finds you well and that you are off to a positive start to this new school year!

To our 9th grade families & new entrants- WELCOME TO BHS! We look forward to getting to know you! We use this newsletter (monthly) to keep families informed of what is going on in our office and the community as related to academic, career and social-emotional learning.

Our department works closely with one another to support you throughout your time in high school. Here are the counseling team members who will be helping you in the coming school year:

School Counselors

Mary Crelley

Keri Crowley

Courtney Stern (College & Career Counselor)

Jennie Viggiani (Counseling Coordinator)

Travis Figueroa

Holly Juliano

Tricia Zeller (Aspire)

School Social Workers

Lance Mitchell

School Psychologists

Erin Merydith

Heather Gabriel

Counseling Secretaries

Jane Ingle

Sandy Hellman

Registrars

Mary Ellen Schultz

Josie Leyens

Below are a few reminders from our office. We also have some great updates of things happening this fall throughout the newsletter.

• The Counseling Office is open Monday-Friday, 7:30am-3:30pm, on school days.
• Please use the BHS Counseling Office phone number and school emails to connect with your counselor. We will get back to you as soon as we are able. Contact information can be found on our website: https://www.bcsd.org/Page/2066
• If you would like to schedule an appointment with your counselor, you can do so using our Booking links or stopping into the Counseling Office to speak with a secretary.

We are so glad to see you all!! Here's to a great school year!

We wish you all peace and wellness.

Best,

BHS Counseling Office

(585) 242-5000 x4526

https://www.bcsd.org/domain/122

Administration has asked us to limit any adjustments to student schedules, unless a student:

• does not have enough courses to meet full-time enrollment requirements (minimum of five classes plus physical education per semester)
• is missing a required course for graduation
• has scheduled too many courses and wants to make adjustments
• is requesting a level change
• are missing Counseling Seminar- 12th & 10th- fall semester, 9th & 11th- spring semester.

If you fall into one of these categories, please schedule an appointment to see your counselor so we can help. ALL SCHEDULE CHANGES MUST BE DONE BY THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 21.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

FALL SEMESTER:

Senior Seminar began SEPTEMBER 14th

Sophomore Seminar begins OCTOBER 31st

SPRING SEMESTER:

Junior Seminar begins MARCH 4th

Freshman Seminar begins MARCH 12th

Senior Parent Night #1: The BHS Application Process

Thursday September 28th, 6:30pm

BHS Auditorium

(Details in Senior Newsletter)

Senior Parent Night #2: Financial Aid 101

Wednesday October 5th, 6:30pm

BHS Auditorium

(Details in Senior Newsletter)

Freshmen Parent Night

Thursday October 26th, 6:30pm

BHS Auditorium

College & Career Night (grades 9-11)

Thursday January 18th, 6pm

BHS Classrooms

Junior Family Night

Thursday March 21st, 6:30pm

BHS Auditorium

Below is the link to our BHS JOB BOARD- your new home for any information about work permits, available jobs or internship opportunities.

This will be updated weekly as opportunities come in. Check it often!!

Please see below if you are interested in any of our WBL programs:

General Work Experience

• Did you have a job this summer or during the school year?
• Will you work at least 150 hours by end of the school year?
• Are you a junior or a senior?
• If you answered yes to the questions above, contact Mrs. Stern about earning HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT next year just for having a job!

Professional Internship/Job Shadowing

We can work together to figure out a career exploration plan!

For more detailed information on either programs, please check out our site: https://www.bcsd.org/Page/2067

Set up an appointment with Mrs. Stern if you are interested in either of these programs.

Hands on experiences are the best way to learn more about the career opportunities available to our young adults. And our students are asking for them! When we thought about who our students could learn from, we wanted to first look to the professionals in our own back yard.

PARENTS- If you are interested in possibly hosting a student for a Job Shadow experience or Professional Internship in the future, we encourage you to fill out the survey below. There is no obligation to host a student shadow or intern currently. It is merely helping us to create a network of professionals in our community. If you have paid jobs available for students, please email Courtney Stern directly.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=ZLm1_AgyPkeLzTMrIV6bE1FNnWpNYnRGluEgXgoFHwJUREJWMUJTNTBTWThHN0VQRExKSVZPNURLSy4u

If you have any questions regarding the programs below, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time. Thank you in advance for considering hosting a student shadow or intern in the future!

Students- if you are interested in a Job Shadow, Internship or earning credit for your Work Experience next year, reach out to Mrs. Stern and we can see what we can do!

Courtney Stern, College & Career Counselor

Courtney_stern@bcsd.org

Sam Rizzo, CTE Coordinator

sam_rizzo@bcsd.org

GLOW RED ROC, a (FREE) program of the Greater Rochester Chapter of the American Red Cross provides youth with opportunities to develop leadership skills and enhance fundamental life skills - empowering them to become actively engaged in volunteer leadership roles supporting the American Red Cross’ mission and positioning them for success in their homes, schools and in their communities.”

Students in 9th-12th grade are invited to apply for one, two or all three sessions which run in February, April, and July from 10 AM – 2 PM during school break periods at 1040 University Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607 (unless otherwise noted).

https://www.redcross.org/local/new-york/western-new-york/about-us/our-work/youth-leadership.html

Explorer Posts

Exploring provides exciting activities and one-on-one mentorship for youth looking to discover their future. Whether you’re a local organization looking to strengthen the community or a young person wanting to uncover the possibilities of your future, Exploring is a great place to start.

Exploring let’s you “try a career on for size!” Young men and women, ages 14-20, can explore their career interests in a hands-on real-world environment with professionals in that field. There are Explorer Posts for areas of advanced manufacturing, aviation, cosmetology, culinary, engineering, firematics/EMS, health care, law enforcement, legal, military, skilled trades, sports management, veterinary, and many more!

https://senecawaterways.org/exploring-ages-14-20/

Please check out the Senior Newsletter and Senior Information Page on the BHS Counseling Website for all up to date information!

https://www.bcsd.org/Page/2085

NEVER TOO EARLY TO START EXPLORING YOUR OPTIONS!!

NCAA Initial Eligibility Webinar

• Sunday, September 17, 5-6 p.m.
• Click here to register: https://mc97gsxn49y6wmpf4p2n764zq7z1.pub.sfmc-content.com/4rviddiytvu

West Point/ROTC Information Session

• September 22, 6pm, Syracuse University
• This is a great event to learn more about West Point, Army ROTC, and to meet admissions personnel and cadets from both programs.
  

Kiwanis College & Career Fair

• September 26, 6-8pm, Eastview Mall
• https://www.kiwaniscluboffarmingtonvictorny.org/fv-kiwanis-college-fair

Rochester College Nights Fair

• September 27- Marketplace Mall
• September 28- Greece Ridge Mall
• Both nights, 6-8pm
• https://rochestercollegenights.org/

Rochester Area Colleges Consortium - BHS ATRIUM!!

• September 27, 7th period
• 14 Colleges & Universities in the Rochester Area all at BHS: http://www.rochesterareacolleges.org/members

Fall College Fair at Nazareth University

• October 2, 6:30-8pm
• Optional campus tour at 5:30
• Register for tour here: https://apply.naz.edu/register/?id=1e80db97-0ec7-42ba-a5e9-48dbc20bb2cb

WNY Consortium of Higher Education - BHS ATRIUM!!

• November 3, 2nd Period
• 21 Colleges & Universities will be here to chat with you! Check them out: https://www.wnycollegeconnection.com/

Find the College for You at NACAC Virtual College Fairs

• https://www.nacacattend.org/fairs/virtual-fairs

Ways to get "on campus"

• Individual college websites
• Naviance (many of the colleges have videos and interactive information posted there)
• www.campusreel.org - over 15,000 real videos, tours and experiences from 300+ college campuses, created by current students
• Thanks to an incredible colleague in a College Admissions Counselor group who put together this working excel file. Including demographic data from College Board, she lists colleges in the US and Canada who offer virtual tours, youtube channels, etc. UK coming soon! https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sO7pVos0EvK0BvXoMbnyg00K6r7hXbOQE0HNXF4N4eM/htmlview

See flyer below for more information!!

Any students needing financial assistance have been directed to contact Jane Ingle by email or go to the Counseling Office during the school day.

Check out all courses available and register at: https://brightonschools.revtrak.net

Please reach out to Mona Zamiarski for any additional information

mona_zamiarski@bcsd.org

(585) 242-5200 ext. 5595

If you have questions specific to BHS testing procedures, please reach out to Deirdre Carter: deirdre_carter@bcsd.org. As things are changing so often, please refer to the testing sites for updated information:

Standardized exams have traditionally been a part of the college application. Many schools are still test optional. Juniors- It's safe to say it's a good idea to get an exam or two under your belt if you are thinking of applying to a four-year college. Below is some brief information about the two exams and the website to check out to get more information/sign up for the exams.

SAT

Collegeboard.org

• Designed to measure academic aptitude in verbal and numerical reasoning.
• Test Content: Reading, Math and Writing.
• Cost $60.00

ACT

Actstudent.org

• Designed to measure academic achievement.
• Test Content: English, Math, Reading and Science Reasoning.
• Cost $68.00 (w/o writing)
• Cost $93.00 (with writing)

Visit www.fairtest.org for a list of colleges that do not require standardized tests. Check in with your counselor about a Fee Waiver , if needed, to help cover the costs of the exams.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (504s & IEPS)

SAT- The BHS Counseling Office applies for all College Board test mods prior to your sophomore year (this summer). If approved, these will apply to all future SAT & AP Exams

ACT- you MUST REGISTER FOR AN ACT EXAM before we can apply for your test mods. Be sure to sign up early, indicate you will be requesting accommodations, and let your counselor know ASAP so we can get them processed before the test date. This typically takes 6-8 weeks.

Remember- both College Board and ACT are private companies. They have the right to approve or deny any test modifications you may have. If you have any questions, please reach out to your counselor or College Board/ACT for more information.

We have updated our BHS Counseling Department Mental Health page with resources specific to managing stress and anxiety related to this pandemic and counseling supports available in the community. Please check them out here: https://www.bcsd.org/Page/2076