WHS Student Services
January 2018
WELCOME!
WHAT'S HAPPENING?
Welcome Back! After the nice winter break, counselors and students came back ready to work! During the month of January the primary focus of student services is course selection and registration.
On January 10th, 11th, and 12th, counselors started pushing into study halls to do course selection in mass. Students were able to register on their iPads for electives of their choice. During December, counselors we’re meeting one on one with students to help find electives they were interested in so that they were prepared for course selection in January. Students were able to learn more about certain electives during the Elective Fair that was held in the main hallway the week of January 8th-12th. Counselors will be working hard to follow up on the courses selected by each student to ensure they are on track for graduation as well as their prospective career pathways.
After an exciting performance from the band and varsity cheerleaders, Mr. Cook gave a welcoming principal's speech. Peer Mentors and NJROTC, organized by Mr. Rocha, were responsible for taking students on a tour of the school with stops to learn about possible elective classes. The counselors were available in the cafeteria to collect course selection cards from the students and answer any questions regarding scheduling and registration. Thanks to all the teachers and division heads that attended as well!
COLLEGE UPDATES
Junior Parent Night will be held on Thursday January 25 @ 7pm at Wheeling High School. The focus of this night is to teach families the importance of finding the”right fit” in college selection process, discuss junior/senior year timeline, admission criteria to specific schools, as well as resources to begin the process.
District 214 seniors have the opportunity to participate in a honors program to earn up to 16 early college credits in an online partnership with Arizona State University.
- The program, located at District 214’s Early College Center, provides an opportunity for students to take an eight-week honors course every quarter, as well as a self-paced math course, guided by a District 214 teacher, and simultaneously earn high school and college credit.
- The Arizona State University partnership offers District 214 students a reduced tuition rate, helping families save money for college.
- The online courses include College Algebra, English Composition, Introduction to Solar Systems, Macroeconomics and Social Science.
- The ECC is open to D214 seniors with the demonstrated ability to work independently and succeed in college-level work. Program admission is based on student interest, academic readiness and a counselor recommendation.
Applications are due February 16th. For more information and to fill out the application form, go to: https://www.d214.org/academics/early-college-center/
AVID UPDATES
AVID seniors continue to receive college acceptance letters. Students are in the process of applying for scholarships, and are encouraged to continue to apply. Students should continue to check school websites and research other scholarship opportunities frequently, as many scholarships do not become available for application until the winter and spring.
Ms. Rojas, Ms. Mugler, and Ms. Wanner were in AVID classes for Social Emotional Learning on January 19th to lead activities with students on the topic of communication.
CAREER ADVISING
Second semester continues to be an exciting time for students thinking about their careers! On Friday, February 9th, we will be taking Wheeling High School students to a Public Safety Career Trek at Harper College. Students can learn about the programs Harper offers in the areas of Forensic Science, Law Enforcement, Fire Science, Emergency and Disaster Management, and 911 Dispatch. Harper is also offering a Health Career Trek on Friday, March 9th which will offer students the opportunity to rotate through different career/educational areas within the health fields.
Lastly, District 214 student internships and micro-internships are such an awesome way for juniors and seniors to gain exposure to a career area within our community. For micro-internships, students work independently for 30 hours during a semester. Our other internships support students working a specified number of hours each week.
The deadline for applications is March 15th for Summer Internships and April 15th for Fall Internships. Ms. Czulno is happy to talk with students right now though to talk through the opportunities and start planning! Further information is highlighted on our district website at https://www.d214.org/academics/district-internship-program/.
Ms. Czulno and Ms. Morrero work together to support our students to lay the foundation at school to be successful in their work in the future.
Love Notes Youth Prevention Program
Since 2016, OMNI Youth Services has partnered with WHS to implement the Love Notes Program, published by the Dibble Institute, to freshman students during their Physical Education hour. OMNI was awarded a federal grant to reduce teen pregnancy and STI rates in the Village of Wheeling. According to the Cook County Department of Public Health, Wheeling teens ages 15-19 experienced a dramatic increase in STI rates between 2012-2015. In addition, Wheeling teen birth rates are also rising (10% increase from 2013-2015), exceeding both state and national teen birth rates. This data supports the need for programming within our community.
The Love Notes curriculum is comprised of 13 lessons where students discover how to make wise choices about partners, sex, relationships, pregnancy, and more. Love Notes uses popular media and engaging activities to help students learn more about their personality styles, forming and maintaining healthy relationships, identifying and responding to unhealthy relationships, effective communication and conflict management skills, and planning for choices surrounding intimacy and sexual health. With the help of the school social workers, interns, and OMNI, the program started January 9th and will be done May 16th.
Along with the Love Notes program, OMNI has also partnered together with Wheeling High School and the Student Services Department for Love is Respect Week, Snowball, Latino Parent Nights, Social Norms, and Teen Pregnancy Prevention Week in May.
WHAT'S NEXT?
IMPORTANT DATES
January 25th: Junior Parent Night
January 26th: All course requests finalized in Infinite Campus
February:
- February 1st: Parent/Teacher Conferences
- February 2nd: Parent/Teacher Conferences, In-Service Day- Student Not in Attendance
- February 16th: Non-Attendance Day
- February 19th: Non-Attendance Day- Presidents' Day
- February 21st: D214 Ask The College Night @ Forest View Educational Center at 7pm