RVH School Counseling
February 2019
About Our Department
The Riverside School Counseling department is a team of 14 dedicated individuals working collaboratively to meet the needs of 1,812 students, including teachers and parents. We have an open-door policy, but at times we are needed at meetings or have scheduled appointments with other students and parents. To serve you more efficiently, we ask that you please call or email us to schedule an appointment.
We support Riverside High School by:
working with staff to address obstacles that interfere with students’ learning and success.
focusing on skill development through a variety of ways, such as small group or individual counseling sessions, classroom guidance, and consultation and coordination with parents, administrators, and teachers.
helping when students experience challenges. We focus on conflict resolution, transitions, study skills, test-taking skills, crisis intervention, bullying prevention, suicide prevention, and special needs of students.
preparing students with post-grad planning. College visits, career days, internships, scholarships, and job matching are just a few resources available to help our students succeed in life after high school.
RVHS School Counseling Office Hours
Hours: 8:00 am to 4:15 pm
Website: http://www.loudoun.k12.va.us/domain/17735
Get connected with us on remind, text @7a0b5 to 81010
Follow us on twitter @RVHCounseling
Rob Yarborough, Director of School Counseling
Susan Westgate, Registrar
Marsha Gobrecht, School Counseling Assistant
Evan Rodgers, School Counselor (12th A-CL; 9-11th A-CARR)
Kevin Burke, School Counselor (12th CM - HOO; 9-11th CARS-GH)
Cassandra Asekhauno, School Counselor (9-11th GI-KOO)
Scott Valyear, School Counselor (12th HOP-MCC; 9-11th KOP-NI)
Anna Rizzo, School Counselor (12th MCD-ROSE; 9-11th NJ-SE)
Amy Burgess, School Counselor (12th ROSF-Z; 9-11th SEF-Z)
Robin Robinson, Career Center Specialist
Noelia Garcia-Gettmann, School Psychologist
Mrs. Frances Jester, Social Worker
Kim Hager, Student Assistant Specialist
Susan Sabloff, Parent Liaison
CONGRATULATIONS NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP FINALISTS!
IMPORTANT DATES
Course Selection Notes
Students interested in dual enrollment classes (english, history, government and biology) must fill out their forms and apply to NOVA online by April 1st. Please note that PSAT scores can no longer be used to waive VPT requirements for english and biology courses. They can still be used to meet VPT requirements for history or government courses. For more details on dual enrollment, please refer to our website.
Dual Enrollment Classes
Participation in Dual Enrollment (DE) courses allows students to meet requirements for high school graduation while simultaneously earning college credits upon successful completion of the course. DE courses taught at the high school by a credentialed LCPS teacher enable students to earn these credits through agreements with partnering colleges or universities. DE course descriptions list the number of college credits that can be earned.
DE course offerings in LCPS high schools are determined by student interest, existing course offerings, and availability of teachers possessing the endorsements required to teach the course. Not all DE courses will be available at all LCPS high schools. Students should speak with their school counselor to determine which courses are available at their high school.
How do I take a DE Class?
- Speak with your School Counselor
- If you would like to enroll for a Dual Enrollment course(s) for the 2019-2020 school year, register here: Northern Virginia Community College. Choose create an account if you have not previously taken a DE course/applied to NVCC. You can follow these step by step directions!
- Print out the "Intent to Pursue Dual Enrollment Course(s)" form for each course and have you and your parent/guardian sign it. Forms can be found on our website
- Return the form to School Counseling before April 1, 2019.
- If you don't meet the qualifying DE scores listed on the "Intent to Pursue Dual Enrollment Course(s)" form, you will have to take the Virginia Placement Test (VPT). Riverside may offer the test during the school day (TBD). If a student cannot test on the dates provided, it is the student's responsibility to go to the Loudoun Campus and test, see your School Counselor for specific information.
Academies of Loudoun /Monroe Advanced Technical Academy
March 8, 2019 - Winter admissions window closes at 12pm "noon". $35 application fee must be paid before applicant can proceed in the application.
March 9, 2019 - Advanced AET Admissions Assessment (writing prompt and interest statement) administered at the Academies of Loudoun only.
March 9, 2019 - MATA Practical Nursing Admissions Assessment (Test of Essential Academic Skills - TEAS) administered at the Academies of Loudoun only.
March/April 2019 – Admissions offers will be posted in admissions portal
April/May 2019 - Students must accept or decline all admissions offers
2018-2019 AP Testing
We are pleased that your student is taking an Advanced Placement (AP) class during the 2018-2019 school year. As you and your student plan for AP testing this coming May, we want to remind you of a few important items.
Students and/or their parents/guardians pay the costs for the AP examinations. Each exam is $85.00, and this cost must be paid by March 1, 2019.
To pay for AP Exam fees, we encourage everyone to use the LCPS on-line payment system for electronic payments which is located on the Loudoun County Public School’s website. The payment portal is now available, but please note that if you do pay electronically through the LCPS payment portal, there is a credit card service charge. See attached online payment directions. Check and cash payments will also be accepted in the RVHS School Counseling Office. If you wish to pay by cash or check, the enclosed “RVHS AP Exam Payment Form” must accompany your payment. If paying by check, please make checks payable to Riverside High School and please write in the student’s name in the subject line. The payment form is not necessary if you submit your payment online.
If a family needs to arrange for a payment plan or anticipates difficulty in paying for the exam, the family should speak confidentially with their student’s school counselor.
The dates of the AP exams are attached and lists the schedule of the specific dates of individual AP exams scheduled at Riverside for May 6 to May 17, 2019. Please make every effort to schedule vacations, appointments, or other activities on dates that do not conflict with the testing dates. Make-up testing is only permitted for verified emergencies.
If you have questions about AP exams, please contact your student’s school counselor.
We wish your student a successful academic experience.
Class of 2019 Information
Dear Senior Rams and Parents:
We know that many of you are well along in the application process and are awaiting word from your chosen colleges and universities. For students who are still working on applications, here are links to your Senior Self-Assessment and Parent Assessment, which are required should you need a counselor letter of recommendation. These Assessments should be returned to counselors soon if counselor recommendations are needed. Counselors have been and will continue to meet with their seniors to discuss their post-secondary plans. We look forward to working with your senior this year! Please check out our Senior Resources page https://www.lcps.org/Page/181786
The application for our Riverside PTSO Higher Education Scholarship ($1,000) and the Riverside PTSO Vocational Scholarship ($1000) is now available and posted on our website. Applications can be submitted to Mrs. Robinson in the Career Center or sent to the school c/o the PTSO by April 12, 2019.
College Representatives Visiting
US Military Academy at West Point --Thursday March 7th at 10:45 am
St. Bonaventure University- Tuesday March 12 at 9:30 am
University of Louisville- Tuesday March 26th at 12 noon
US Air Force- TBD (re-scheduled due to snow days)
Class of 2020 Information
UPCOMING EVENTS
Northern Virginia Community College
NOVA's High School Outreach Coordinator Cathy Hall will be visiting the Career Center on February 26th at 12 noon to meet with students who are interested in applying to and attending NOVA. Students can sign up to vist with her via their Naviance account and she visits with us on a monthly basis if there are follow up questions/new students interested.
Boys and Girls State 2019
Mental Health and Wellness Events
Parent Resource Schedule
TESTING
ACT and SAT Test Dates
ACT
Test date - April 13, register by March 8 (at JCHS)
Test date - June 8, register by May 3
Test date - July 13, register by June 14
FREE ACT STUDY GUIDE: https://www.mometrix.com/academy/act-study-guide/
SAT
Test date - March 9, register by February 22 (late registration)
Test date - May 4, register by April 5
Test date - June 1, register by May 3
FREE SAT PREP on Khan Academy - sync your College Board account to prep from your PSAT
Naviance & Kaplan Livestreaming Courses
The courses align to the industry College, Career and Life Readiness (CCLR) Framework and help students develop critical academic skills, interpersonal skills, career knowledge, college preparation knowledge, and transition skills to support their academic journey.
Learn more about the https://www.naviance.com/content/kaplan-partnership and access implementation resources, including email templates to share the courses with students and parents.
SAT Classes with RVH Teachers May 2019
Military Opportunities
ASVAB Testing
Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors interested in the military? The next ASVAB test will be held at Loudoun Valley HS on Saturday, March 2nd at 8:30 am.The ASVAB test is open to all LCPS students, grades 10-12. Please pre-register by checking with Mrs. Robinson in the Career Center at Riverside if you intend to test.
The ASVAB Career Exploration Program can help young adults identify and explore potentially satisfying occupations and develop effective strategies to realize career goals.
The ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) is one of the most widely used, multiple-aptitude tests in the world, developed and maintained by the Department of Defense. More than half of all high schools nationwide administer the ASVAB test to students in grades 10, 11 and 12 (sophomores cannot use their scores for enlistment eligibility).
The ASVAB consists of the following eight individual tests:
-General Science
-Arithmetic Reasoning
-Word Knowledge
-Paragraph Comprehension
-Mathematics Knowledge
-Electronics Information
-Auto and Shop Information
-Mechanical Comprehension
Students are provided with scores on each of these individual tests and three Career Exploration Score composites: Verbal Skills, Math Skills and Science and Technical Skills. The battery takes approximately three hours to complete, and test results are returned to schools in a few weeks.
The Military uses students’ ASVAB scores to identify the occupations that best suit their abilities. Junior, senior and post-secondary school students can use their ASVAB scores for enlistment for up to two years after taking the test.
More information on the ASVAB can be found here.
SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION
We recently sent out an email message with further information on researching scholarships. This information can be found here under handouts.
If you need an official transcript, or for general assistance with scholarships, please see Mrs. Robinson in the Career Center.
Loudoun Aces Baseball Scholarship
The Loudoun Aces Baseball Club (LABC) has created a scholarship this year to recognize students who are graduating seniors and who have played baseball in the Aces organization. The first Aces team was created in 2009 (when the 2019 graduating seniors were 9 years old) and teams have been added at ages 8U-17U since that time. The intent is to recognize one individual from each of the high schools within the Central Loudoun area, (Heritage, Loudoun County High School, Riverside and Tuscarora High School), who have demonstrated a commitment to baseball, our community and continuing his or her education.
- Applicant must have been a player on an Aces team for at least one full season
- Applicant must be in the graduating class of 2019
- Applicant plans to enroll in an accredited community college, trade school, college or university as a full-time or part-time student
The $500 scholarship is payable to the student directly upon proof of enrollment. An essay detailing the impact that their experience with the Aces has had on their lives to date and how they think it will help them in the future. The essay must include the years of participation with the Aces.
Please note that LABC reserves the right not to award the scholarship if we do not receive suitable applications.
All essays must be emailed to loudounacesbaseball@gmail.com no later than April 30, 2019 – Decisions will be made in May before the students graduate.
Friends of Ashburn Library Scholarship
ADS Scholarship 2019
Apple Federal Credit Union
Promise Scholars
2019 Girl Scout Leadership Conferences
Latest News & Announcements
Fourth Circuit Sponsors 2019 High School Essay Contest
January 28, 2019
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is seeking submissions for its 2019 essay contest. Students are invited to consider and share their thoughts on the question:
“How has the right to freedom of speech established for public school students in the Supreme Court case of Tinker v. Des Moines evolved in the 50 years since it was decided?”
The contest is open to all students currently in grades 9 through 12 from Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. Essays are limited to 1,000 words and must be submitted by April 15, 2019. Students have the opportunity to win one of three cash prizes: first place, $2,000; second place, $1,500; and third place, $1,000.
Winners will be announced in July, and travel will be provided to the court’s Constitution Day event in September 2019.
For additional information and instructions on how to submit an essay, visit www.ca4.uscourts.gov/essay-contest-2019.
For questions, contact the Fourth Circuit Clerk’s Office at essaycontest@ca4.uscourts.gov or (804) 916-2706.
Please note: Children, grandchildren, stepchildren, or members of the household of a federal judge or federal judiciary employee are excluded from the competition.
SUMMER PROGRAMS
Actuarial Science Camp
Lebanon Valley College has a one-week summer program for rising high school seniors who want to learn more about the profession. Here's a link to the program web site. If you have questions about the program, please contact Mr. Patrick Brewer, Director of Actuarial Science Lebanon Valley College at 717-867-6082.
2019 Thomas D. Horne Leadership in the Law Summer Program
Summer Internship Opportunity at Janelia Research Campus
The Janelia-LCPS Summer Internship Program will offer high school students attending Loudoun County Public Schools the opportunity to spend eight weeks at Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Campus, performing research using state-of-the-art technology and methods to answer questions in biology and computational science under the guidance of group leaders, scientists and engineers. Selected students will have the opportunity to attend seminars by Janelia researchers, as well as to participate in journal clubs and other events.
In 2019, the program will run from June 14th to August 9th. Please note that this is a full-time paid internship to which you will be dedicating 40 hours per week, and therefore it is expected that you will not undertake other organized activities that conflict with the program and will plan vacations around the internship dates. Students selected will be responsible for their own housing, food, and travel to and from Janelia.
We accept applications for students attending an LCPS high school who are in good academic standing and will be 16 years old by June 13, 2019.
We are looking for students with strong biology and computational background who have demonstrated a high level of academic standard and have experience in scientific research. Projects cover a wide variety of topics including machine learning algorithms, data annotation, reconstruction of neural networks, animal behavior analysis and optogenetics. High school students interested in computer programming, engineering, mathematics, physics, and neuroscience are encouraged to apply. Programming experience in Python, MATLAB, and/or C++ is strongly encouraged.
For full consideration, applications must be received before 5 pm on January 15, 2019. For more information please go to https://www.lcps.org/Page/200365 .
George Washington University Summer Program
The George Washington University's Medical Laboratory Sciences department will be holding its 3rd annual Summer Immersion Program. Students will have the opportunity to select from two, one-week options in the month of July.
The summer immersion is intended for high school students with limited laboratory experience to gain theory and skills performing hands-on biomedical laboratory techniques. In order to be considered for the program students must have completed both Algebra 1 and Biology, with a letter grade of B or better. Unofficial transcripts must be scanned and emailed to mlsimmersion@gwu.edu with the applicant's name in the subject line. Please see your guidance counselor as to how to obtain your unofficial transcript.
To access the application and for additional information, go to: https://smhs.gwu.edu/medical-laboratory-sciences/programs/summer-immersion-program.
The application deadline has been extended to March 15, 2019 at 11:59 PM EST.
Inquiries from parents and students should be directed to mlsimmersion@gwu.edu.
JOB AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
We Rock the Spectrum
We Rock the Spectrum gym is looking for students who:
* have a passion for working with all children
* want to help make a difference in their community
* have a lively and positive personality
* are responsible and reliable
* have a customer service skills
Flexible scheduling and help during weekends, special events, parents night out and camps during Spring Break and Summer. Great for students looking to into a career in Education, Special Ed or any Child-Related field.
We Rock the Spectrum Kid's Gym - Loudoun
22446 Davis Drive, Sterling, VA 20164
(571) 313-0335
Job Opportunities at Douglass Community Center
Douglass Community Center in Leesburg is currently looking to hire rising juniors/graduating seniors for our instructor and camp leader positions. Students may contact us via phone or email at 703-771-5913 or dcc@loudoun.gov if interested.
Continental Pools- Lifeguarding Jobs
Atomic Trampoline is Hiring
Williams Martial Arts and Fitness
Williams Martial Arts & Fitness in Ashburn is looking for dependable, energetic and responsible Riverside students to work with children K-6 in the afternoon. As a counselor, you will be helping them with homework, supervising group games, creating activities, and inspiring them to become responsible, confident young adults. Please call 703-858-3800 or email gowmaf@gmail.com if you are interested.
Choolaah BBQ
The Yellow Pail Project
For additional information about anything listed in our newsletter, please visit our website or contact our office at (703) 554 -8907.
Thank you,
RVH Counseling