BHS School Counseling Newsletter
2017-2018 Volume 4 Issue 2
It is hard to believe that a quarter of the year is already complete! We hope that everyone has settled into a good routine. We are looking forward to the class seminars, evening programs, counseling groups and individual meetings that are planned for this quarter. While all counselors follow a timeline for these services, we encourage all students to come by the School Counseling office at anytime.
Thank you,
The BHS School Counseling Department
Upcoming Dates & Deadlines
NOVEMBER
November 8th - Financial Aid Night, 7:00 pm in the HS Auditorium -
A representative from RIHEAA will provide parents with an overview of the financial aid process.
November 14th - Collegiate Athletic Workshop, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm in the BHS Library
DECEMBER
December 8th - Midpoint of the 2nd quarter marking period
December 23rd - January 1st - School Vacation
JANUARY
January 16th - 19th - Midterm Exams *Dates are subject to change pending inclement weather
January 19th - End of the 2nd Quarter marking period
CLASS NEWS
Freshmen
- November: Log into your Naviance account and continue working on your Individual Learning Plan (ILP). In October, school counselors held Freshmen Seminars during Biology classes in order to: 1) introduce students to Naviance and provide them with an overview of the ILP, a graduation requirement and 2) explain the graduation requirements to the Class of 2021. Students should have an academic, college/career and personal/social goal saved in their Naviance account, maintain a resume documenting their activities and complete a personality inventory called "Do What You Are". If you were absent during the Freshmen Seminar, please see your school counselor.
- December/January: Begin organizing your class materials so that you will be ready to study for your midterm exams. Look at your schedule and develop a plan for meeting with teachers if you are looking for extra help for midterms. Do not wait until the last week of the semester.
- Did you know that BHS operates on a semester system when issuing grades and credits?
For semester grades, each quarter counts as 40% and your midterm exam counts as 20%.
Semester Grade = (Q1)(0.40) + (Q2)(0.40) + (Exam)(0.20)
Sophomores
- November: Sophomore Seminars will be held during U.S. History classes. Counselors will continue working with sophomores on their ILPs. Students will revisit and revise their academic, college/career and personal/social goals from last year and also complete a career inventory on Naviance called "Career Interest Profiler".
- December/January: Counselors will meet with all sophomores individually in order to check in with them and see how they are doing academically, personally, and socially.
Juniors
- November/December: Counselors will be meeting with all juniors individually in order to help them develop a schedule for taking the SATs and/or ACTs this year as well as to help them begin their college exploration using Naviance.
- December: Junior Seminars - Counselors will continue working with juniors on their ILPs. Students will revisit and revise their academic, college/career and personal/social goals from last year and also use Naviance to search and explore career and college opportunities of interest to them. Students will also be asked to complete the Career Cluster Finder in order to expand upon the career exploration that they did during their sophomore year.
Seniors
- Remember to BREATHE! Please take each day one at a time and remember that we are here to support you. As you continue to progress through the Senior Project deadlines, we are here to help you meet your regular decision application deadlines and/or outline plans for pursuing a career or trade.
SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL COUNSELING GROUPS
The School Counseling department provides group counseling services based on need each year. Below is a list of groups that we have run in the past. If you or someone you know would benefit from participating in a counseling group, please contact your school counselor for more information.
- Students who are experiencing a family member's illness
- Grief
- Divorce
- Senior Transition - students experiencing anxiety related to the demands of senior year
- COA - Children of Addiction
- Anxiety (general)
- Connections
- Maintaining Balance
Student Assistance Program News
PeaceLove Visits BHS!
On November 15th, Jeff Sparr, the founder of PeaceLove will be speaking to all juniors and seniors and offering an after school painting workshop for 25 students. Jeff is a man on an audacious mission-to help millions of people create peace of mind through expressive arts and storytelling. A family man, self taught artist and teacher, Jeff is above all a survivor, battling Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) much of his life.
Jeff, a native Rhode Islander, graduated from Moses Brown and Ohio State University, where he was captain of the men’s tennis team. He will share his personal story with our students and explain how his suffering with a mental illness lead him to create PeaceLove studio located in the Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket. Now a national organization, PeaceLove has partnered with Alex and Ani, Lifespan, CVS and Zappos and has recently opened a large branch in Las Vegas, the first of its continuing national expansion.
To learn more about PeaceLove, please visit Peacelovestudios.com.
Counselors Care...
Contact Information:
Barrington, RI 02806
(401) 247-3154
Follow us on Twitter: @bhsri_guidance