Courtland Counseling Newsletter
Let's make your future happen!
In this issue
Grades 9, 10, 11, 12: Upcoming Events
Grades 9, 10, 11, 12: Workshop Descriptions
Grade 9, 10: Personal Finance and Economics: Workplace Readiness Test
Grades 9, 10, 11: Course Requests for 2015 – 2016
Grade 11: Placement Testing for Dual Enrollment Courses
Grade 11: Getting Your Junior Ready To Apply To College
Grades 9, 10, 11, 12: Top 10 Interview Tips For High School Students
April 3: End of 3rd quarter grading period
April 6: Deadline to register for the May 2 SAT
April 6 – 10: Spring Break
April 13 – 16: Placement testing for Dual Enrollment courses
April 16: Report Cards given to students
April 17: Parent Workshop: College Admissions, 8:00 a.m., Computer Lab
April 18: ACT
April 21: Student Workshop: College Admissions, Cougar AM, Computer Lab
April 22:
Parent Conference Night
Parent and Student Workshop: College Transition Information, 7:00 p.m., Computer Lab
April 24: Parent Workshop: Military Options, 8:00 a.m., Computer Lab
April 28: Student Workshop: Military Options, Cougar AM, Computer Lab
College Admissions for Parents of Sophomores: College application season is right around the corner! This presentation will help you help your child make college a reality. Topics to be covered: College admission tests, finding the right fit, what to do when, plus much more!
Seniors and Parents: Are You Ready for the Change?
Come share ideas about the transition both parents and students will undergo as your senior prepares to leave for college. Getting ready to leave, empty nest, communications, and expectations are among the topics to be discussed.
The Military Option: Is military service the right option for your student? How can the military help your student achieve his/her post secondary goals? Is your student planning to go to college, but not sure how to pay for it? Does your student want to make a career in the military? Come hear this interesting presentation on how the military can help you.
Please check Naviance for all of the SENIOR scholarship information. There are still a lot of scholarships available!
Please check the Scholarship Corner for scholarships and summer programs for 9-12 grade.
Economics and Personal Finance: Workplace Readiness Test
In addition, any student graduating in 2017 and after, who is working towards the Standard Diploma must also pass a certification test in a Career Technical Education (CTE) course to graduate. This credential can be earned through a number of CTE courses. In an effort to make sure every Standard Diploma student has the opportunity to take a CTE certification, Spotsylvania County has decided to test any student working towards the Standard Diploma during the Personal Finance/Economics Course with the Workplace Readiness Test. Advanced Studies Diploma students will have an option to take the test, but passing is NOT required for graduation.
Current sophomores who are working towards the Standard Diploma and taking Personal Finance and Economics will be taking this test on April 20 and 21 (during their CTE class). We want to make sure that everyone understands that passing this test (or another CTE certification) will be a requirement for the Standard Diploma for any student graduating in 2017 or after.
If you have any questions about this requirement, please contact your student's counselor.
COURSE SELECTION FOR NEXT YEAR
By the end of this week, the Counselors will have seen almost every student to discuss their course requests for next year. Each student was given a list of their course requests. Eventually, you will able to view them in ParentVue. We ask that parents review their student’s course requests. Changes can be made by completing a Course Request Change form (available in the Counseling office). Changes require a parent signature and can be made through the end of this school year, except in the case of AP courses. The deadline to change an AP course is May 29.
PLACEMENT TESTING FOR DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSES
Students who take a Dual Enrollment course at Courtland are, at the same time, Germanna Community College students. Thus, the student must meet Germanna CC enrollment requirements, i.e apply to Germanna CC and pass the Virginia Placement Test (VPT) or submit qualifying scores.
The Virginia Placement Test is a computer-based assessment designed to measure readiness for college coursework. It is given in two parts: English and math. If students have already taken the SAT or ACT, they may be able to use those scores in lieu of taking the test.
Qualifying scores for the VPT English are SAT scores of 500 and above or ACT scores of 18 and above on the Reading and Writing tests.
Qualifying scores for the VPT Math are SAT scores of 520 and above or ACT scores of 22 and above on the Math tests, or a passing score on the Algebra I SOL test.
Students who are taking Dual Enrollment Pre-Calculus and students in the Nursing program may not place out of the VPT Math test with an Algebra I SOL score.
Students who do not have qualifying SAT or ACT scores will take the English and/or math VPT the week of April 13 through April 16. The VPT will be given in the computer labs and will start at 7:35 a.m. The test is not timed and results are immediate.
The VPT in English is a two-part assessment of writing ability and reading comprehension. The writing portion is more heavily weighted and is scored on five writing competencies: organization; focus, development, and support; vocabulary; sentence structure; and mechanics.
The first part of the VPT in Math is computer adaptive – the questions progress in level of difficulty as the student answers questions correctly. Once the student reaches his/her optimal math ability, the test will terminate, and the appropriate college level will be determined. The VPT Math assesses understanding of the following math concepts: operations with positive fractions; operations with positive decimals and percents; Algebra basics; first degree equations and inequalities in one variable; linear equations, inequalities, and systems of equations in two variables; exponents, factoring, and polynomial equations; rational expressions and equations; rational exponents and radicals; functions, quadratic equations, and parabolas.
Retest Policy: A student may retest once and then must wait 365 days for subsequent retests.
GETTING YOUR JUNIOR READY TO APPLY TO COLLEGE
Applying to college can be time consuming and involved. Being prepared, organized, and proactive helps the process go more smoothly and assures that all aspects of the application process are completed in plenty of time to meet the college deadlines.
There are several things Juniors can do now and this summer to get ready:
Register to take the SAT or ACT.
Create a professional email address and make sure that this email is in Naviance.
Develop a list of colleges that the student is interested in applying to and visit those colleges.
Update the student’s resume. (Naviance has a great resume builder!)
Add colleges to Naviance’s “colleges I’m applying to” list.
Identify colleges that use the Common App (Naviance does this for you) and create a Common App account.
Consider which adults the student will ask to write letters of recommendation.
Investigate early application options (Early Decision, Early Application).
When seniors return to school in September they should:
Be prepared to use Naviance to add colleges to their “colleges I’m applying to” list, request transcripts, request letters of recommendation, review scholarships, and sign-up for college representative visits. The counseling staff will host a Senior Boot Camp for parents and students in August that will address all of these topics.
Know what the college deadlines are, which colleges are common app colleges, how many letters of recommendation a college will accept and if colleges have requirements regarding who should write the letters of recommendation.
Know the college deadlines for special situations like applying to honors or scholarship programs.
Have a resume prepared.
Request letters of recommendation in person, as well as through Naviance, and provide a resume as soon as possible, but at least two weeks in advance of the college deadline.
Be familiar with admissions options for each college to which they will apply (Regular Decision, Rolling Admission, Early Action, Early Decision).
Begin working on their college applications as well as application essays or personal statements.
- Be able to navigate the Common Application (if applicable).
TOP 10 INTERVIEW TIPS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
By Mike Profita (http://jobsearch.about.com/od/justforstudents/fl/interview-tips-high-school-students.htm)
Explain to your student that putting your best foot forward during the interview is a critical step towards landing a great job during high school. Use these tips to help prepare your student take advantage of every interviewing opportunity.
1. Arrive for the interview 15 minutes early. Punctuality is a major concern for employers of teens and late arrival will often kill your chances of landing the job.
2. First impressions have a high impact. Take care with the way you dress and groom yourself to show the employer that you are taking the job seriously. Wear wrinkle free clothing; avoid garments with those stylish holes. For most jobs business casual will be suitable. That means a nice pair of pants and a collared shirt for guys. Girls can do without the collar but should wear a nice blouse, and can pair it with a skirt of appropriate length if preferred.
Avoid a shaggy look with your hair or wearing excessive cologne, make up, or jewelry. Bring a note pad to jot down questions, points you want to remember and the interviewer's name if you tend to be forgetful.
3. The receptionist, secretary or other staff member who greets you may not be your interviewer. However, the interviewer will most likely ask about their impressions of you. Sit up straight, look them in the eye, smile and converse respectfully with them. Make them want to say to the boss that they like your personality and that you would fit in.
4. Greet the interviewer with a firm but not crushing handshake, a warm smile and look them in the eye. Make a mental or physical note of their name and use it during the interview. Always address the interviewer as Mr. or Ms. Employers will be evaluating how you might interact with their staff and customers, who are probably primarily adults.
5. Turn cell phone off or to vibrate and resist the temptation to take a peek at any time before, during or after the meeting when you are in view of the interviewer.
6. Exude energy, enthusiasm and a positive attitude at all times. Employers want upbeat teen workers who don't bring any attitudinal baggage to the job. When sitting, avoid slouching and lean slightly forward, like you are eager to hear the next thing that the interviewer has to say.
7. Take inventory of strengths prior to the interview. If the employer has advertised the job, look at the description and be prepared to say how you meet as many of the qualifications as possible. Be prepared to describe situations where you have used your assets to get things done. Review common questions and answers for interviews. Practice answering questions with a friend or family member so you can speak confidently during your interview. Express a genuine eagerness to learn the job.
8. Be prepared to say why the job interests you. You can reference things like the tasks, work environment, what you would learn and the people with whom you would interact. Everything being equal in terms of qualifications, employers will often pick the candidate who seems most interested.
9. At the end of the interview be prepared to ask a few questions about the job. Focus on issues like the nature of the work, training, supervision, clientele, and when you might expect to hear from them. Don't bring up pay. If the job seems like a good fit, look the interviewer in the eye and tell them that you would really like the job.
10. Effective follow up after your interview can separate you from the other candidates. As soon as you leave the interview, compose a thank you note expressing your gratitude for the interview and stating briefly that you would love to work with them and why you think it's a good fit. A card is a nice touch if your handwriting is legible, but email is also acceptable.Counseling Department
Mrs. Emily Hall …………….…. Counselor A — De
Mr. Bart Nave ………….… Counselor Di—Kh
Mr. Dave DeSando ………... Counselor Ki—Ra
ddesando@spotsylvania.k12.va.us
Ms. Mary Nelson ………….... Counselor Re— Z