Eagle Impact
AHS Counselors' Newsletter: Fall 2021
Welcome Eagle Families
AHS Counselors are ready for a great year! We are here to support each student as we move into the 2021-22 school year. As a counseling team, we implement a comprehensive school counseling program which consists of:
Guidance Curriculum, Responsive Services, Individual Planning and System Support.
Although this year has begun under unusual circumstances, we are prepared to work with each student in meeting their educational, career and personal goals. In addition, we are here to support the social and emotional needs of our students.
1st Nine Week Plans
Class of 2025 Parent Information Session: Sept. 7th at 6:00pm in the PAC
Class of 2022 Parent Information Session: Sept 8th at 6:00pm in the PAC
Topics of these sessions will include: personalized counseling meeting purpose and processes, transition, graduation requirements, post grad plans (CCMR-College Career Military Readiness), SAT/ACT testing, Scholarships and Financial Aid.
Personalized Counseling Advisory Presentations
Counselors will host Freshman and Seniors presentations during their advisory time on Sept. 7th and 8th.
Freshman Personalized 1:1 Counseling Meetings
Counselors will be conducting individual freshman meetings this nine weeks.
Topics will include transition, graduation requirements, post grad plans (CCMR-College Career Military Readiness), SAT/ACT testing, Scholarships and Financial Aid.
Senior Personalized 1:1 Counseling Meetings
Counselors will be conducting individual senior meetings this nine weeks.
Topics will include graduation requirements, post grad plans (CCMR-College Career Military Readiness), SAT/ACT testing, Scholarships and Financial Aid.
Naviance:
9th- 11th Grade Task: Smart Goals
12th Grade Task: 12th Grade Challenge/Improvement Goal
AHS Parents: Personalized Counseling Survey
Attention 10th and 11th Grade Students
For More Info:
lonestar.edu/leadership-high school
To Apply:
AHS Presents- Great 8 Topic: Optimistic Thinking
Take a peek at our short video, which is filled with tips and strategies on how to activate optimistic thinking!
Social & Emotional Learning Series: Optimistic Thinking
Thursday, Sep 2, 2021, 06:00 PM
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START THE SCHOOL YEAR ON THE RIGHT FOOT – NEW STUDY SKILLS IDEAS BY: NEIL MCNERNEY, M.ED., LPC
SET UP A HOMEWORK SPACE, BUT STUDY IN LOTS OF PLACES.
There are lots of articles that tell parents to have a dedicated study place for kids. Recent research is telling us that studying in the same place every time is actually not a good idea. It’s important that there be a place where all the books and supplies are located, but it is not so important that students use the area to study. In fact, most research is telling us that learning is better when homework is done in multiple locations. Some kids need to work around others, so having them isolated is a bad idea. Some kids like to do their math at one place and their social studies somewhere else. Fantastic, let them do that. One of the most interesting ideas that has come out in recent years about learning is that some distractibility is actually a good thing. A bit of distraction puts the brain in better focus and, for most kids, will increase the ability to perform and remember better. This is why some kids do much better having some music on while they are studying. Again, research has supported the fact that having background music helps most kids stay focused. Background music does tend to get in the way of reading assignments, but for most other assignments it actually helps performance. Television is still a complete no-no during studying. It is so distracting that the ability to focus decreases dramatically when the TV is on.
STUDY AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAY.
Another myth that has been debunked is that students should study at the same time each day. For most families these days this is an impossible task. The good news is that learning actually increases if studying happens at different times. So don’t worry so much about the timing. Find what works for your child.
WILLPOWER IS LIKE A FUEL TANK. IT WILL BECOME EMPTY.
We used to think that willpower was like a muscle: The more you exercised willpower, the more you would have. Actually, willpower is like a fuel tank: Once it’s empty it’s very hard to get anything done. This explains why some kids can’t come right home from school and start their homework. Their tank is empty. You might be able to get them to sit in front of their books, but they will just sit there and whine. The good news about filling the willpower fuel tank is that it doesn’t take long to add some to the tank. Fifteen minutes of relaxation can fill the tank enough for a half hour of homework time, especially if the relax time is physical. Get your kids to run around for a while doing something physical and their ability to stay focused will increase dramatically.
FOCUS ON HARD WORK, NOT INTELLIGENCE.
When adults compliment kids on their intelligence, performance decreases. When adults compliment kids on their hard work, performance increases. This is an important fact to keep in mind when it comes to giving feedback to your kids. For instance, if you are reviewing math facts and it’s going well, try saying something like “Great job! You worked really hard on this,” instead of: “Great job! You are so smart!”
NEVER FORGET THAT YOUR KIDS DON’T NEED YOUR HELP. THEY NEED YOUR LEADERSHIP.
This is one of the most important ideas I focus on in my book: Homework – A Parent’s Guide To Helping Out Without Freaking Out. It seems counter-intuitive. “Of course my kids need my help,” you might be thinking. The problem is that the more we think our kids need our help, the more dependent they will become on us. The origins of the word “help” implies that I cannot do something on my own. Kids know this, which is why they often react negatively when we help them. Leading them, on the other hand, is something they need. When we are a leader, we are not doing it for them. Leadership is more about inspiring, reminding, and at times rewarding and punishing.
Neil McNerney is a Licensed Counselor, Professional Trainer, Community Speaker, and Author.
Roadmap to Personalized Counseling
Humble ISD Back to School 2021-2022
Atascocita HS Counseling Department
Our Contact Information
Maria Vargas, Gold 1 (9th Grade A-Ga)
Karen Vargas, Gold 2 (9th Grade Gb-N)
Ruth White, Gold 3 (9th Grade O-Z)
Tiffany Jenkins, Red 1 (10-12 A-Ch)
Lisa Erickson, Red 2 (10-12 Ci-Gib)
John Hardy, White 1 (10-12 Gic-Koe)
Albah Robert, White 2 (10-12 Kof-Pad)
Radha Patel, Blue 1, Lead Counselor (10-12 Pae-Q)
Jaylee Lange, Blue 1 (10-12 R-Sor)
Ashanti Ligons, Blue 2 (10-12 Sos-Z)
Tiffany Simon, Student Support Counselor
Website: https://www.humbleisd.net/Domain/2819
Location: 13300 Will Clayton Parkway, Atascocita, TX, USA
Twitter: @AHSCounselors1