College, Career and Counseling
Canyon High School
JANUARY 2022
COUGAR COUNSELING NEWS
Dates to Note
January 10th- Credit by Exam applications due
January 10, 11, 18, 20 & 21--Apply TX workshops during WIN for new to dual credit students
January 17th- Staff and student holiday
January 21st- Set up profile/account for local scholarship packet in English 4 classes (seniors)
January 24th - Destination Graduation launches
January 25th - Elective Fair during lunches for Canyon HS
January 26th- Early release day
Spring 2022 Class Schedule: Students will access their Spring 2022 schedule in Skyward. Counselors and Administrators will be available Tuesday before school to assist any student that cannot access their schedule in Skyward.
NEW to Dual Credit for 2022-2023: Students that want to take Dual Credit courses Fall 2022-Spring 2023 MUST start the process now. Students can join the New to Dual Credit Google classroom and follow the steps. Students were given a handout with the steps/process in their English 2 classes before Thanksgiving. Students that went through the dual credit process last year, but did not take any courses this year will need to join the google classroom and complete the steps again. Students currently enrolled in dual credit do NOT have to join the classroom. Email Mrs. Conger at robin.conger@comalisd.org with questions.
SchooLinks: Counselors met with all 9th-11th grade students during Nov/Dec to create a 4 year plan and rough draft of their course selections for next year. As a parent or guardian, you can follow your student’s tasks in SchooLinks with an invitation from your student. See the SchooLinks Onboarding for Guardians guide if you need help with this. Please note that while you will be allowed to see their tasks, you will not be able to participate in their tasks. Encourage your student to explore the many features that Schoolinks has to offer.
Course selection will begin at the end of January- look for more details to come on this in the Cougar Connection.
Credit by Exam: Applications can be found here. Please visit your counselor to register for Credit by exam. Registration Closes on Monday, January 10, 2022.
Testing Dates:
Sat. February 5, 2022 - Canyon Lake High school
Sat. February 5, 2022 - Davenport High School
Sat. February 12, 2022 - Canyon High School
Sat. February 26, 2022 - Smithson Valley High School
FEB. 2022 STAAR EOC FIELD TESTING for English II (Sophomores:
The purpose of this communication is to notify all parents and students of a stand-alone field test required by TEA in February 2022. Canyon High School has been selected by TEA to participate in the English II STAAR EOC field test. CHS will be administering the field test on Tuesday, Feb. 15th, 2022.
As previously announced by TEA, several requirements of House Bill 3906, 86th Texas Legislature, 2019, are influencing a redesign of the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR®) that will be implemented in the 2022–2023 school year. This redesign will include several components—transitioning to online assessments, capping the number of multiple-choice questions, and adding new item types. Although the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has made a concerted effort to minimize the amount of instructional time used for state testing purposes, particularly stand-alone field testing, a stand-alone field test is necessary to properly integrate these new components into future state assessments.
As required by the Texas Education Code, Section 39.035, administering the February 2022 Stand-Alone Field Test is mandatory for campuses selected. Field-test data from a sample of students who are representative of the state are critical to the state’s ability to build high-quality assessments. TEA recognizes the challenges campuses face regarding time and personnel resources when they are selected to participate in mandatory state testing activities. However, the stand-alone field test is a necessary component of the STAAR redesign.
For more information regarding the STAAR redesign, refer to the STAAR Redesign webpage on the TEA website. If you have any questions about the stand-alone field test, please submit them to TEA using the Student Assessment Help Desk.
Cougar Academy: Free tutoring is available for students who need extra support in a class or need to makeup a quiz or test are encouraged to attend Cougar Academy. Cougar Academy is offered every Thursday night from 4:45-6:45 on campus in the library. A certified classroom teacher for math, social studies, English, science, and foreign language will be available.
NEW to Dual Credit information
COUGAR COLLEGE AND CAREER CENTER
Cougar Nation, check out the updated College and Career Center website.
Individual appointments are available for students/parents. Please email Mrs. Conger at robin.conger@comalisd.org if you have any questions or to schedule an appointment.
Next ACT/SAT Testing Dates:
**SAT (register at CollegeBoard)
*March 12, 2022
**ACT (register at ACT registration)
February 12, 2022
*CHS is a test center
What's the difference between the SAT and ACT? Check out this comparison.
Important upcoming events:
Throughout the year, we will have virtual/in person college admissions updates available for our juniors and seniors. The list will update often so check the weekly Cougar Connections and listen for announcements. A QR sign up will be available outside the College and Career Center.
Scholarships:
- Class of 2023: BigFuture Scholarships (formerly known as College Board Opportunity Scholarships) to reward efforts to plan for college on BigFuture.
Student Job and Internship Opportunities:
SENIORS-CLASS of 2022
- ****ApplyTexas website has changed**** Go to https://goapplytexas.org/ to create your account and work on college applications. This website can be found on the QR code on the handout students received in their English IV class!!!
Important information!!
- January 5 & 12 -Workshop Wednesdays-
- **January 5- 9:15-10:10 and 3:30-5:15.
- **January 12-- 8:10am-10:10am and 3:30-5:15--bring application/essays/resume/letter of recommendation questions and get the help you need to complete college applications or job applications. You are welcome to come and go. **NO workshops on January 19 and 26
- January 19 and 24-TSI testing for seniors (9:45-12:45 or 1:30-4:30)
SENIOR TO DO LIST TO GET DONE:
At the end of January, the counselors and I will be meeting with students to present them with information on and accessing of local scholarships. To ensure applying to these scholarships is a smooth and easy process, we want them to have the following prepared ahead of time:
Personal Resume
Need to include the following information:
- Name and Contact Information
- Education--list school, GPA, test scores
- Extracurricular Activities--list all activities you participated in throughout high school that are school-related, including any leadership positions
- Community Service--list organizations you have volunteered with
- Work Experience--list any jobs you have had and length of time at the job
- Honors and Awards--list any honors and awards you have received while in high school
Recommendation Letters
You will need 2-3 recommendation letters from teachers or community members that can address with your work ethic, character and academic standing. Make sure it is a generic letter that can be used for multiple scholarships on letterhead from the person’s organization/work. You will keep the originals and make copies as needed.
Essays/Personal Statements
It is helpful to prepare the following essays:
- Personal Statement on why you deserve/need a scholarship. Please do not write in third person. Make it personal to you and brag on yourself. (300-500 words) This essay will be required for most scholarships.
- Community Service Statement--a short essay about your community service experience, the approximate number of hours you volunteered and why it was important to you (150-250 words)
- Leadership Statement--a short essay that speaks to your leadership skills and abilities. It does NOT have to be “I was president of this club” but rather a statement about how and when you have shown leadership abilities. Again, must be very personal. (150-250 words).
- College Transcript Requests - If you are needing a copy of your unofficial transcript, check your Skyward account. To request an official transcript, please click on the following link to request one be sent to the college of your choice: Transcript Request
- Scholarships-
GVEC will be offering scholarships to graduating high school seniors. Students should apply early. There is a separate Trade School application this year for students planning on attending a trade school. Students can access the online application at www.gvec.org. As part of the online application, students will be asked to upload a copy of their high school transcript for the 2021-22 school year. The scholarship application must be submitted online prior to 11:59 pm on Saturday, February 1st, 2022.
- The Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation is a great resource for college information and some scholarships. Visit the website at www.mspf.org.
- The deadline to apply for the GBRA scholarship is fast approaching on January 30th. We don’t want your students to miss you on a $2,000 scholarship opportunity. Scholarships range from $500 to $2,000.
Again all students in the GBRA service area are encouraged to apply. This includes the following 10 counties: Kendall, Comal, Hays, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Gonzales, DeWitt, Victoria, Refugio and Calhoun counties. Please feel free to spread the word to all those eligible in your communities as well.
For more information or to submit the application, have students visit bit.ly/GBRA-Scholarship - UT Texas Exes:Here is the link to apply for our local chapter scholarships. We award 5-6 $500 scholarships. The deadline to apply is February 15. Let me know if you have questions.
- Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country Scholarships--see below-open Dec 1-Feb 8
Need help with FAFSA or TASFA?
Parent Education & Empowerment
Each month we will highlight a different topic for parents of teens to hopefully grow in their knowledge and awareness.
Cell Phones & Apps: Cell phones are a convenient and powerful tool in the palm of most teenagers' hands. But it can be a real challenge to keep up with the latest technology that your teen is using as you try to help them stay safe and healthy. Here are a few resources to check out:
Family Resources
If your student or family is in need, we are here to help connect you with community resources:
Counseling Team
CHS Guidance Counselors:
Brandi Boyd (A - Co) Brandi.Boyd@comalisd.org
Kerri Gamez (Cr-Fl ) Kerri.Gamez@comalisd.org
Natalie Austin (Fo - Jo) Natalie.Austin@comalisd.org
Stephanie Melton (Ju - M ) Stephanie.Melton@comalisd.org
Jennifer Simmons (N - Sc) Jennifer.Simmons@comalisd.org
Michelle Lopez (Se - Z) Michelle.Lopez@comalisd.org
Academic & Career Advisor:
Robin Conger- Robin.Conger@comalisd.org
Campus Student Support Specialist:
Carolina Beletz-Carolina.Navarro@comalisd.org
Alexandra Middleton- Alexandra.Middleton@comalisd.org