Dragon Connection
Carroll Senior High School, Counselors' Newsletter
February 2022
Welcome Students and Parents
We hope you have begun to establish healthy habits, have been sticking with your goals and priorities, and continuing to invest in building meaningful relationships with others. We want this to be a great year for all! CISD Counselors continue to be present for all students, parents, and staff. Your well-being is important to us. Please let us know how we can serve you this year.
Mark Your Calendars
February - March Junior Conferences Continue (see below for more details)
February 18 - Bad Weather Day
February 13-19 - Random Acts of Kindness Week
February 21 - School Holiday
Better Together! School Counseling Week is February 7-11
National School Counseling Week is Feb. 7-11, 2022, This week's focus is to pay attention to the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems. National School Counseling Week highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. National School Counseling Week is always celebrated the first full week in February.
CISD Counselors want you to know that we follow a Comprehensive Plan that is mandated by Texas Education Agency. Carroll ISD provides a comprehensive school-counseling program that promotes the academic and social/emotional growth of all students.
Building on a Dragon tradition of excellence, the Carroll Independent School District will foster a safe, caring, and creative learning environment that inspires students to realize their full potential as they positively influence the world around them.
School counselors work closely with administrators, teachers, parents, and the community to support the CISD mission and accomplish goals with focus on academic success, college/career information, and personal/social development.
Delivery Methods
Guidance Education
Lessons on a variety of topics; large-group consultations with students to help students develop their full educational potential.
Responsive Services
Individual counseling sessions; parent consultations regarding individual student needs; coordination with outside referral sources.
Individual Planning
Academic and career guidance; parent and student consultation regarding planning and goal-setting.
System Support
Community outreach; parent education programs; teacher consultation; school improvement planning.
Historically, the term “guidance counselor” was used to reference counselors working within the school system. These counselors’ main role was to “guide” students to college: writing letters of recommendation and sending out transcripts. However, this role has evolved in the past decade, and schools are now using the term “school counselor” instead.
School counselors are highly trained and support students in many ways in addition to guiding them to college. The role itself has evolved from a focus on post-graduation planning and administrative support to today’s focus on embracing a comprehensive approach to optimize student outcomes in much more than just college planning. Focus areas include emotional support, family intervention, social development, academic guidance, and career planning.
Attention! Course Selections Coming Soon!
Course selection for current Juniors is Feb 14-24, and arena scheduling will take place March 29-31 (see your 11th grade English Canvas page for details).
CSHS Class of 2022 Dates & Information
March 22 Jostens-delivery of Cap/Gown and announcements
(12:30pm-2:00pm) Contact Kristi.miller@southlakecarroll.edu
if you were unable to pick up your order.
April 27 Senior Awards Ceremony– Concert Hall/CSHS Fine Arts Complex 6:30p.m.
May 14 Prom Hyatt Regency DFW
May 17 MANDATORY Senior Meeting @8am Auditorium
May 17 Senior Picnic @Circle Ranch 9:30-1:30 (all students are expected to ride
CISD Transportation
$40 a ticket, sold on Student Skyward
May 18 Panoramic Pictures, CSHS @ 9:00am
May 19 Panoramic Picture Pick Up – SAC
May 22 Baccalaureate Whites Chapel @4
May 27 Graduation Practice, Dragon Stadium @ 8:00am
May 27 Graduation, Dragon Stadium 7:30pm
May 27 Project Graduation, 11:00pm-5:00am-Pinstack
**Please remember ALL these dates are subject to change or cancel due to COVID**
ATTENTION JUNIORS: IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO SIGN UP FOR YOUR JUNIOR CONFERENCE
- Make sure you and your parent’s email addresses are updated in Naviance. Information regarding scheduling your junior conference was sent via email using the email addresses you have listed in Naviance. This email was sent Oct. 25th at 5 pm. (Check junk/spam folders). If you did not receive the email, please contact your counselor.
- To get the most from your Jr. Conference be sure to complete the following before you attend:
- Have your YouScience Assessment completed as well, you should have received an invitation from YouScience in your SouthlakeCarroll.edu account, if you are having trouble finding this email please email your counselor.
- Log on to your Naviance account and complete your "Super Match" college wish list (we showed you this in your US History class back in September) and enter 3-5 college choices in your "Colleges I'm Thinking About" list (you will find both of these items under the "Colleges" tab).
Random Acts of Kindness Week: Feb. 13-19
Our mission in Carroll ISD is to support and promote kindness and to create opportunities for students to practice being kind and compassionate.
The Science of Kindness
Kindness is Teachable and Contagious: The positive effects of kindness are experienced in the brain of everyone who witnessed the act, improving their mood and making them significantly more likely to “pay it forward.” This means one good deed in a crowded area can create a domino effect and improve the day of dozens of people!
Kindness Increases:
Happiness: Witnessing acts of kindness produces oxytocin, occasionally referred to as the ‘love hormone’ which aids in lowering blood pressure and improving our overall heart-health. Oxytocin also increases our self-esteem and optimism, which is extra helpful when we’re in anxious or shy in a social situation. Kindness stimulates the production of serotonin. This feel-good chemical heals your wounds, calms you down, and makes you happy!
ENERGY: “About half of participants in one study reported that they feel stronger and more energetic after helping others; many also reported feeling calmer and less depressed, with increased feelings of self-worth” Christine Carter, UC Berkeley, Greater Good Science Center
LIFESPAN: “People who volunteer tend to experience fewer aches and pains. Giving help to others protects overall health twice as much as aspirin protects against heart disease.” Christine Carter, Author, “Raising Happiness; In Pursuit of Joyful Kids and Happier Parents”
Kindness Decreases:
PAIN: Engaging in acts of kindness produces endorphins—the brain’s natural painkiller!
STRESS: Perpetually kind people have 23% less cortisol (the stress hormone) and age slower than the average population!
ANXIETY: A group of highly anxious individuals performed at least six acts of kindness a week. After one month, there was a significant increase in positive moods, relationship satisfaction and a decrease in social avoidance in socially anxious individuals. University of British Columbia Study
DEPRESSION: Stephen Post of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine found that when we give of ourselves, everything from life satisfaction to self- realization and physical health is significantly improved. Mortality is delayed, depression is reduced and well-being and good fortune are increased.
BLOOD PRESSURE: Committing acts of kindness lowers blood pressure. According to Dr. David R. Hamilton, acts of kindness create emotional warmth, which releases a hormone known as oxytocin. Oxytocin causes the release of a chemical called nitric oxide, which dilates the blood vessels. This reduces blood pressure and, therefore, oxytocin is known as a “cardioprotective” hormone. It protects the heart by lowering blood pressure.
SAT & ACT INFORMATION & DATES
Visit our CSHS Counseling Website for information on ACT/SAT Testing and More
STOPit Student Hotline
The STOPit Student Hotline is designed to help students, parents and community members anonymously report past, present and predicted concerns in our school community. Information about bullying, harassment, drugs, violence, weapons, theft, or any other potential threat to school safety should be reported.
Report concerns anonymously, anytime 24/7.
https://appweb.stopitsolutions.com/login
For more information please visit:
https://www.southlakecarroll.edu/site/Default.aspx?PageID=3384
A New Type of Help: Crisis Text Line
Text 741-741, ANYTIME YOU ARE IN A CRISIS
With today's teenagers living in the age of texting, the Crisis Text Line has noticed they feel more comfortable texting rather than calling into a helpline when they are in need of help. The great thing about this support is it is available 24/7 to anyone in any type of crisis. You can text confidentially between classes, in the middle of a situation without anyone knowing who you are talking to. Crisis counselors are on stand by 24/7 to help you from the heat of the moment to until you are calm.
Crisis doesn’t just mean suicide: it’s any painful emotion for which you need support.
Our Counseling Team
Serving Students Last Names A-D
mailto:julie.presley@southlakecarroll.edu
Deborah Warner, M. Ed.
Serving Students Last Names E-K
mailto:deborah.warner@southlakecarroll.edu
Keri Bettencourt, M. Ed.
Serving Students Last Names L-Q
mailto:keri.bettencourt@southlakecarroll.edu
Tammy Grasmick, M. S.
Serving Students Last Names R-Z
mailto:tamara.grasmick@southlakecarroll.edu
Amy Welch, M. Ed.
Intervention Counselor - CSHS 504 Coordinator
mailto:amy.welch@southlakecarroll.edu
Counseling Office Support Staff
Deidra Mulloy
Registrar
Deidra.Mulloy@southlakecarroll.edu
Ann Fore
Receptionist
Shela Daniel
Secretary
Shela.Daniel@southlakecarroll.edu
Website: https://www.southlakecarroll.edu/domain/736
Location: 1501 West Southlake Boulevard, Southlake, TX, United States
Phone: 817-949-5813
Twitter: @CounselingCSHS