Counselor Corner
Third Quarter Newsletter 2019-2020
We're Halfway There!
8th Graders and Parents!
CSSE
The Chatham School of Science and Engineering (CSSE) is available for eighth-graders to apply to for high school. CSSE is located in Siler City, and allows students to not only graduate with a high school diploma but also graduate with an associates degree! This is an amazing opportunity for students to earn a degree for FREE!
January 30: Applications are due.
February 13: Interviews at CSSE from 5:30-8:00 pm.
March: Notification of acceptance for rising freshmen accepted to CSSE.
High School Transition Information
Amazingly, it is time to start planning for the transition from Middle to High School! There is lots of information we will be sharing over the next few months, so please find an overview here.
Information about high school planning in Chatham County is available at this link. This website provides information about high school graduation requirements, which high school courses are available at Northwood along with course descriptions, Career and Technical Education (CTE) information, and Career and College Transfer credits. This is a very helpful resource I highly encourage you to review with your 8th-grader! See the high school graduation requirements below.
There are also parent resources available on the Northwood Website, linked here. This includes a checklist for what students should be focusing on each year and more! Students can also see information about clubs, connecting with student services, and more on the student tab!
At this time, I do not yet have the list of available classes for rising 9th-grade students. As soon as I have this information, I will share it with 8th-graders, teachers, and parents!
January 23, 24, and 28: Pollard counselors will visit classes to provide an introduction to the information about the transition to high school.
Tuesday, February 11: Northwood counselors visit Pollard Middle School to provide information about the transition to high school.
Tuesday, February 18th: 8th-grade Parent Night and Curriculum Fair at Northwood High School.
Wednesday, February 19th: 9th-grade course registration opens.
During this time, Ms. Abu-Sharr, Ms. Kelly, and Ms. Checkla will be meeting with every 8th-grade student to discuss high school registration and answer any questions students may have. Parents, please email us to set up appointments to answer your questions as well!
Friday, March 20th: 9th-grade course registration closes.
High School Graduation Requirements
AVID Information
Students have the option to apply for the AVID program available at Northwood. The AVID program, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, provides students with additional academic support, including organization skills and tutoring, to promote college readiness. The program largely works to support first-generation students, which means that the students will be the first in their families to attend college. AVID provides support through the elective course students will sign up for once they are accepted into the program.
Thursday, February 14th: AVID representatives visit Pollard Middle School to provide information about the AVID Program.
Tuesday, February 18th: AVID Parent Meeting during the 8th-Grade Parent Night and Curriculum Fair at Northwood High School.
Monday, February 24th: AVID Applications due to Ms. Abu-Sharr (turn in at the front office).
Monday, March 23rd and Tuesday, March 24th: Interested students travel to Northwood to tour and interview for the AVID Program.
Reminder: How to Contact Your School Counselor
Ms. Kelly is at Pollard part-time and will serve sixth grade. Ms. Abu-Sharr is at Pollard full time and will serve seventh and eighth grades. Ms. Checkla will be interning at Pollard three days a week for the whole school year and will serve all grade levels. That being said, we work as a team and our main objective is to meet the needs of our students, staff, and families as efficiently as possible!
Ms. Kelly: bkelly@chatham.k12.nc.us
Ms. Checkla: ncheckla@chatham.k12.nc.us
(919) 969-0070