Issaquah High Counseling Newsletter
Fall 2017 Update
Welcome!
This is our very first counseling newsletter! We will be sharing quarterly updates filled with helpful and important information for students and parents. Within each newsletter you will find topics related to academics, college and career, and social/emotional development. We plan to focus on relevant IHS info, current work counselors are doing in these areas, and helpful tips and supports we want to share.
For a translated version of this newsletter, please click here.
Updates by Grade Level
On our website, we provide grade level specific updates and information that are helpful to check periodically. These include copies of classroom presentations and grade level milestones to be completing throughout the year. Here is an example of what our current website updates include:
Seniors:
- IHS College and Career Night (10/10/17) General Session Presentation
- Presentation: On 9/26 an IHS counselor visited senior English classes to share relevant information regarding transcripts, how to order official versions of that document for college application purposes and the general steps to follow to complete applications for a variety of post-high school programs.
Senior Information page: reminder of important dates/details for senior year.
Juniors:
- Presentation: On 9/27 an IHS counselor visited your US History or APUSH class to share information regarding the PSAT exam and other junior year milestones. All juniors are expected to take the exam on Oct. 11th during the school day. These results will generate personalized SAT prep materials from College Board and could qualify you for the National Merit Scholarship Competition as a senior.
Consider registering now for Spring SAT & ACT dates: collegeboard.com or act.org
- Junior Milestone Handout
Sophomores:
- Presentation: On 9/29 an IHS counselor visited your English class to share information regarding the PSAT exam. All sophomores are expected to take the exam as part of the school day on Wednesday, October 11th. Counselors will also conduct a brief class activity related to career planning and personality type.
- 10th Grade PSAT/Sophomore Milestones Handout
Freshmen:
- High School 101: Your Guide to Success at IHS This presentation provides 9th grade students with the beginning knowledge and skills they need to reach their high school goals and begin preparing for their future. We encourage you discuss the presentation as a family, along with what strengths your student already possesses, and what new skills they can put into practice this year.
Academic Achievement
Homework Labs
Free after school labs for Math, Science, and World Language tutoring are held every week by IHS teachers. This is a great way to get support and ask questions while working on assignments. Visit our main IHS page here to find out times and locations.
Reach out to a Peer
Talk with a Teacher
Grading
Semester grades: these are the only grades that will appear on your official transcript. Your transcript serves as your official high school record and will be sent to your post-high school program or school.
Quarter grades: these are updated at the half-way point during each semester. They are a good check to see if you are on track to pass the class, or if you need to put in some extra work or seek outside support to find more success. These are not posted to your transcript.
Midterm grades: these are updated half-way through each quarter and are also a good check in tool to see how you are progressing in the class. Midterm 2 and 4 grades will be the last official grade updates before semester grades are due. These are not posted to your transcript.
Make sure to check Student and Family Access after each of these grading periods to see updated grades.
College and Career Readiness
Did You Know?
WashBoard.org is a website designed to match students with scholarships available in Washington State. It is free to create a profile! The site will then use your profile to match you with scholarships you are most likely to qualify for. It is user friendly, spam-free, and allows you to apply online to many of your matched scholarships.
Career Cruising is a tool we use for the High School and Beyond Plan (HSBP) graduation requirement. It also has many helpful tools you can use as you navigate the college planning process, such as helping you select criteria in considering colleges, financial aid planning, and linking careers to programs throughout the U.S.
Parents - you also have a login for Career Cruising and can use it to better understand the college process and help your student with planning. To find your login info, visit the College and Career Center's HSBP tab on their website.
Social and Emotional Support
Helpful Tips
We'd love your input!
Contact Us
Hanine Castro: A-Dal
Emily Tuttle: Dam-I
Jen Martinson: J-Mim
Samantha Wren: Min-Sim
Jen Schwarz: Sin-Z
Visit our website to find our specific contact information.
Email: marbutj@issaquah.wednet.edu
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/ishscounseling/
Location: 700 2nd Avenue Southeast, Issaquah, WA, United States
Phone: 4258376140