Comet Connection
CHS School Counseling
Welcome to the 2020-2021 School Year!
Dear Comets,
First and foremost, we hope that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy during this difficult time. While we sincerely wish we could all be together in the building, we have been working around the clock to make sure things run as smoothly as possible during this period of virtual learning! There will understandably be speed bumps along the way, but we will adapt as necessary. We want you to know that you gave the support of your teachers, counselors, administrators and the entire Catonsville faculty as you embark on this school year.
The School Counseling team, along with our Social Worker and Psychologist, have been working to ensure that you all receive academic, social emotional, and college and career readiness support virtually. While things will look a little different this year, we are excited to bring you information in new ways! In addition to our newsletter, which will be published bi-weekly, you can find information on our Schoology page (Group Join Code: 7DVXZ-XXDD9). You will also receive emails via Naviance with important information (so be sure to update your email address!). Finally, we will be offering live information sessions this fall for students and parents. As always, if you have questions or there is anything else we can do to support you, please do not hesitate to reach out.
We hope you all had a wonderful first week of virtual learning and we are so excited to officially welcome you to the 2020-2021 school year!
The CHS School Counseling Team
Meet Your School Counseling Team
Mr. Stewart
School Counselor (Department Chair)
Caseload:
Last Names J-Mb
Schools Attended:
Eastridge High School
Nazareth College, B.S.
University of Rochester, M.S., C.A.S.
Favorite Color:
Navy Blue
Favorite Food:
Tacos
Fun Fact:
"My family owns a Christmas tree farm. I still go up to help any chance I get."
Mr. Pinson
School Counselor
Caseload:
Last Names A-C
Schools Attended:
Franklin High School
Greensboro College, B.S.
Johns Hopkins University, M.Ed.
Favorite Color:
Blue
Favorite Food:
Shrimp Scampi
Fun Fact:
"Before becoming a counselor, I was a CHS Math teacher!"
Mr. Kowalczyk
School Counselor
Caseload:
Last Names D-I
Schools Attended:
St. Alphonsus College, B.S.
Loyola College, M.Ed.
Favorite Color:
Green
Favorite Food:
Pizza
Fun Fact:
"This is my 20th year at CHS."
Mrs. Carrell
School Counselor
Caseload:
Last Names Mc-R
Schools Attended:
Dulaney High School
Frostburg State University, B.S.
Loyola University Maryland, M.Ed.
Favorite Color:
Blue
Favorite Food:
Pizza, Sushi, Chipotle
Fun Fact:
"I frequently hear that I look like Reese Witherspoon."
Mrs. Watkins
School Counselor
bwatkins4@bcps.org
Case Load:
Last Names S-Z
Schools Attended:
Dulaney High School
University of Miami, B.S.
Johns Hopkins University, M.S.
Favorite Color:
Lavender
Favorite Food:
Sushi
Fun Fact:
"I am a member of the Maryland Swimming Hall of Fame!"
Ms. Weston
College and Career Counselor
Schools Attended:
The Catholic High School of Baltimore
Towson University, B.S.
Loyola University Maryland, M.Ed.
Favorite Color:
Purple
Favorite Food:
Spaghetti
Fun Fact:
"I absolutely love animals and have a dog named Cici and two cats named Tony and Oscar."
Ms. Leonard
Counseling Secretary
kleonard@bcps.org
Schools Attended
Howard Community College
CCBC
Favorite Color:
Purple
Favorite Food:
Crab Cake from the EC Diner
Fun Fact:
"When I am not servicing the needs of CHS students, I am enjoying my grandchildren and playing with my retired Fire & Rescue K-9 Arson dogs."
Ms. Williams
Records Secretary
vwilliams3@bcps.org
Schools Attended:
Miami Southridge Senior High
CCBC, A.A.
Notre Dame of Maryland University
Favorite Color:
Teal
Favorite Food:
Pizza, Cookies, Dark Chocolate
Fun Fact:
"I enjoy picking like on the show, American Picker's. Digging through barns, old houses, etc. is FUN!"
Ms. Shucavage
School Counseling Intern
We are excited to have a School Counseling intern join our team for the Fall!
Information for Seniors
**MUST COMPLETE** 6 Year Plan
Seniors,
Please log in to your Naviance account to complete the 6 Year Plan-Grade 12 Survey. This survey consists of 5 items, and only takes a few minutes to submit.
To help us provide more targeted supports during virtual instruction, we will be using responses to group students into lessons/info sessions that align with their specific post-grad plans. Survey responses will also help to inform the 1-on-1 planning meeting with your counselor, and must be completed ahead of time.
We’d like to begin meeting with seniors as soon as possible, and are asking that you please complete the 6 Year Plan Survey before Thursday, 9/17.
Directions:
- Log in to your BCPS One account
- Click on the orange "Naviance" tile
- Go to the "Important To-Dos and Task" section on your home page
- Click on the "6 Year Plan - Grade 12"
- Click "Take This Survey"
- Respond to EACH of the 5 survey items and submit
Please reach out to Ms. Weston (College Counselor) or your school counselor if assistance is needed with this process.
SAT Updates
BCPS will review Saturday SAT National testing administrations scheduled to be held in BCPS high schools in December and January at a later date.
There will be no Makeup SAT School Day for the class of 2021.
Many colleges are now test optional, meaning you do not have to have SAT scores to apply/be admitted.
If you still want to take the SAT, you must do so on your own. You can go to www.collegeboard.com to register for a session (prior to 11/13/2020, you will have to find a testing center location outside of Baltimore County).
College Application Steps
All seniors must complete the following form in order to request transcripts and have them sent to college on their behalf by the School Counseling office: https://forms.gle/KtxaDzUBoxsHVCFJ9
If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Weston (lweston@bcps.org).
Virtual College Visits
Students must still register for this visits on Naviance as we have done in the past. Registered students will recieve a join code for a Google Meets session via Schoology Message prior to the visit.
We have posted the current list of Colleges that are signed up below. We encourage you to check Naviance frequently for updates.
How to Sign Up for College Visits on Naviance:
- Log into your BCPS One account
- Click on the orange "Naviance" tile
- From your home page, click the "Colleges" tab
- Click on "Research Colleges"
- Click on "College Visits"
- Click "Register" for the Colleges your are interested in.
Students in grades 9-12 are welcome to register for all available sessions.
Please note, registration is limited and preference will be given to senior and junior students.
We have compiled a list of some of our most applied to colleges and the websites to register for these visits.
These infromation sessions are a great opportunity for students from all grades to take advantage of. It's never too early to start that college seach!
Senior Parent College Information Session
Thursday, Sep 24, 2020, 06:00 PM
Google Meets
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Financial Aid Night
Thursday, Oct 8, 2020, 06:30 PM
Google Meets
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Contact Me
Email: lweston@bcps.org
Website: https://catonsvillehs.bcps.org/
Location: 421 Bloomsbury Avenue, Catonsville, MD, USA
Phone: (443) 809-0809