Counselor's Corner
CANTON COUNSELING DEPARTMENT NEWSLETTER
GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
WELCOME TO “STRESS LESS WEEK” AT THE PARK
January 9th - January 13th
MELLOW MONDAY
- Chill out and relax with a good bottle of water and chat with your counselors in the cafeteria.
Focus on hydration and taking care of yourself!
TENSE-LESS TUESDAY
- Have some play time in the cafeteria, where again, your counselors will be there for
laughter, coloring time, “Let it Go” snowflakes, resources and squishy things.
WORRY FREE WEDNESDAY
- Use the resources that we have been talking about and make it a great day for
yourself. Make the time to have fun! Watch out for counselors in your classrooms today!
THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY
- Watch out for positive messages posted around the Park. Make a point to smile
today and find joy in the little things.
FEEL GOOD FRIDAY
- Inspirational assembly for ALL PARK STUDENTS brought to you by Congress! Enjoy and
be inspired to be the best you can be!
FREE STUDY SESSIONS FOR FINALS!
National Honor Society “Exam Cram”
Saturday, January 21 1-5pm and Sunday, January 22 from 1-5pm at Plymouth District Library.
Please note NHS will not offer tutoring at the public libraries during the week of exams
Link Crew “Cocoa and Cram”-- for 9th graders only
- See more information under the 9th grade section of this newsletter
SENIORS
Fall can be a very stressful time for seniors and parents/guardians, so we are sure many of you are happy to have the Early Action deadline of November 1st behind you! We still have quite a few students still working on their college applications and that is great! There is still time to apply and figure out a plan for next year, but that window is getting smaller. Please remind your student that senior year grades are still important. Colleges often want a mid-year and final report that includes semester and final grades.
PARCHMENT - Register and send your transcripts through parchment. Here is the link for instructions if your student has not done this already! Quick Start Guide to Ordering Transcripts
ACCEPTANCE LETTERS - As those acceptance letters come in, let us know about it! We love to celebrate in your success. Drop off a copy of your letters to the counseling office or email a copy to CHScollegeletters@pccsk12.com
SCHOLARSHIP - Check out our scholarships website and encourage your student to apply!
SCHOOLCRAFT VISIT - Schoolcraft College will be in the Canton Career Center on January 19th 2nd and 3rd hour to meet with all PCEP seniors that have not yet applied to college.
There is not a fee, but students will need to know their social security number.
Passes will be sent to students from their home school counseling office.
FAFSA - Opened October 1st, The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is available to submit. Visit http://www.fafsa.gov to sign up and for additional information.
GRADUATION CAP & GOWN - If your student did not turn in a cap/gown order when Jostens was at the Park, they can be ordered online at http://www.migrads.com. There is a late fee for all orders after November 15th.
WEBSITE RESOURCES - If your student is interested in the military have them take a peek at when they will be on campus. The schedule is updated regularly: 2016 College/Military Visits.
Visit the Class of 2017 page often for pertinent information regarding Senior year.
JUNIORS
Our first junior parent night was a huge success! Thank you to all that attended. We realize that it was difficult for a lot of parents to attend so we have included materials from the presentation on the Class of 2018 page.
SAT - Tuesday, April 11th, 2017 (ALL PCEP JUNIORS take this in their home school free of charge)***Graduation Requirement
In addition to the SAT administered in April, students may register and pay to take additional SAT or ACT tests. Visit https://www.collegeboard.org/ for SAT and http://www.actstudent.org/ for ACT information and to sign up.
ACT or SAT?!? Students often ask if colleges prefer ACT or SAT. Almost without exception, colleges across the country will accept either ACT or SAT as part of the admission application.
How to prepare?!? A great resource to prepare for the SAT and ACT is Khan Academy. And it’s free! https://www.khanacademy.org/sat
JUNIOR YEAR TIMELINE
Use this to stay on top of important deadlines and to start post secondary planning
FALL/WINTER
Prepare for SAT and ACT
Explore Careers/College Options
Attend fairs, college nights and tour college campuses
Senior Year Course Selection
Junior Conferences will start in March
SPRING
SAT April 11th
AP exams in May
Secure Letters of Recommendation
Visit college Campuses, meet with Military recruiters and/or researching future jobs during spring break
Look into summer internship opportunities in a field that interests you
SUMMER
Visit college Campuses, meet with Military recruiters and/or researching future jobs
Internship/volunteer opportunities
Consider Part-time Work
Work on essay drafts for admissions application (if your school(s) require it)
FALL
August:
Continue working on essays for colleges
Set up Common App account (if are applying to a school that uses it)
September:
Attend Senior Parent Night
Secure Letters of Recommendations (if needed)
Please note transcripts are typically not ready to be submitted to colleges until mid September (after senior presentation)
SOPHOMORES
We met with Sophomores on Dec 13th and 14th to talk about planning for the future! They completed a webquest using the website http://www.mynextmove.org which focuses on career exploration. Our goal is that they take some time to think about their interests, how that can pair with a future career and set goals for themselves on how to get there. Students received a college/career resource sheet and we also talked about the Program of Studies in hopes that students can take advantage of our classes as a means of exploring careers as well!
Please be sure to check out the Class of 2019 page on our website for more information as the year progresses.
FRESHMAN
We enjoyed meeting with the class of 2020 in October! The counseling department really values this time to meet our freshman, see how the first quarter has been going and discuss tips/resources for the next 4 years. Link Crew and Student Ambassadors joined us to help give our freshman an upperclassman to connect and share their experiences with. We hope your students felt this visit was valuable and we look forward to working with them, and you, for the next 4 years!
Tip for parents of freshman: Stay in communication/contact with teachers to clarify information or ask questions. Additionally, please find some resources below that you might find helpful transitioning to the high school.
Please be sure to check out the Class of 2020 page on our website for more information as the year progresses.
8th Graders
PCEP organizes various events and programs during your students 8th grade year to make the transition from middle to high school as informative and fun as possible. These activities are designed to get your freshman year off to the very best start possible.
Middle School Visits- Every year, typically in early February, all 15 counselors and 3 building Principals visit each Middle School to introduce ourselves and present information on The Park. We also bring Link Crew Leaders with us to share their personal experiences with the students in hopes of easing any uncertainty/questions about transitioning to High School.
Curriculum Night- Also done in early February is a night for 8th grade families to come visit the campus, receive registration/curriculum/graduation information and learn more about the academies. Look for a letter to be sent home from P-CEP Principals sometime in December with more information.
P-CEP Activities & Athletics Extravaganza – This event usually occurs in April and is an opportunity for your student to learn more about the 80+ clubs and teams represented at The Park! There is food and raffles to make this a fun experience for all to attend.
Please also be sure to check out the Class of 2021 page on our park website for more information as the year progresses…
http://www.pccsk12.com/our-schools/high-schools/plymouth-canton-educational-park-canton-plymouth-salem-high-schools-/class-pages/class-of-2021COUNSELING FAQ'S
Schedule changes are granted for the following reasons:
1.The student has been approved for an independent study
2. The student has an incomplete schedule
3. The student has a failure from the previous semester in a prerequisite course.
4. The student completed a course in summer school that is on his/her schedule.
5. The student is misplaced as verified by the counselor and the student's caseload administrator.
Once the form has been completed they are submitted to assistant principals for approval. If/when approval is granted it is typically dependent on course availability.
Grade/Course Questions - The teacher is the expert on the curriculum and how your student is performing in the classroom. Initial questions regarding grades, missing assignments, and course specific questions should be directed to the teacher first. Please feel free to cc' the counselor on these emails as we would love to help support your student. We also appreciate seeing students in the counseling office and would encourage any students having trouble with classes to stop in to connect with their counselor.
Scheduling for Next Year - The scheduling process for next year begins in February. Please start looking over the Program of Studies with your student. This includes information regarding course options as well as graduation requirements. We realize this can be a confusing process so the earlier families start taking a peek, the easier it will be. :)
PCEP RESOURCES
- PCEP Activities Website http://pcepactivities.com/
- Canton Athletics Website http://cantonathletics.com/
- NHS Tutoring Canton Public Library (Mon/Tues/Thur 6pm-8pm) and Plymouth Public Library (Wed 6pm-8pm)
- Math Lab
Math Lab is open every day
A lunch - Plymouth 107C and Salem 2123
B lunch - Canton 160 and Salem 2123
C lunch - Canton 160 and Plymouth 107C
Student’s can bring their lunch to the lab while working
Writing Center
Writing Centers are located in Salem room 2205 during the 1st, 3rd, and 5th weeks of the month and in Canton room 120 during the 2nd and 4th weeks.
Open the following lunches:
Monday A and B
Tuesday A and B
Wednesday B and C
Thursday A and C
Friday- closed
Parent Connect- http://www.pccsk12.com/parents/mistar-parentportal - number if having trouble 734-416-2720
Attendance number to report student’s absence 734-416-7501
Media Center Hours- Canton Media Center is open everyday from 6:45am-2:12pm. The Plymouth and Salem libraries have after school hours M-Th as follows.....
Mondays: After School Open Library at Plymouth Media Center 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Tuesdays: After School Open Library at Salem Media Center 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Wednesdays: After School Open Library at Plymouth Media Center 2:30-4 p.m.
Thursdays: After School Open Library at Salem Media Center 2:30-4 p.m.
CANTON COUNSELING STAFF
Barb Lehmann
734-455-6991
Kristen Shanks
734-455-6988
Danielle Bean
734-455-6976
Bridget Kocurek
734-455-6920
Erin Demarest
734-455-6875
Counseling Secretary- Kelly Schacht
734-455-6988