RVH School Counseling
December 2018
About Our Department
The Riverside School Counseling department is a team of 14 dedicated individuals working collaboratively to meet the needs of 1,812 students, including teachers and parents. We have an open-door policy, but at times we are needed at meetings or have scheduled appointments with other students and parents. To serve you more efficiently, we ask that you please call or email us to schedule an appointment. Welcome to our new parent liaison, Susan Sabloff, and to our new registrar, Susan Westgate!
We support Riverside High School by:
working with staff to address obstacles that interfere with students’ learning and success.
focusing on skill development through a variety of ways, such as small group or individual counseling sessions, classroom guidance, and consultation and coordination with parents, administrators, and teachers.
helping when students experience challenges. We focus on conflict resolution, transitions, study skills, test-taking skills, crisis intervention, bullying prevention, suicide prevention, and special needs of students.
preparing students with post-grad planning. College visits, career days, internships, scholarships, and job matching are just a few resources available to help our students succeed in life after high school.
RVHS School Counseling Office Hours
Hours: 8:00 am to 4:15 pm
Website: http://www.loudoun.k12.va.us/domain/17735
Get connected with us on remind, text @7a0b5 to 81010
Follow us on twitter @RVHCounseling
Rob Yarborough, Director of School Counseling
Susan Westgate, Registrar
Marsha Gobrecht, School Counseling Assistant
Evan Rodgers, School Counselor (12th A-CL; 9-11th A-CARR)
Kevin Burke, School Counselor (12th CM - HOO; 9-11th CARS-GH)
Cassandra Asekhauno, School Counselor (9-11th GI-KOO)
Scott Valyear, School Counselor (12th HOP-MCC; 9-11th KOP-NI)
Anna Rizzo, School Counselor (12th MCD-ROSE; 9-11th NJ-SE)
Amy Burgess, School Counselor (12th ROSF-Z; 9-11th SEF-Z)
Robin Robinson, Career Center Specialist
Noelia Garcia-Gettmann, School Psychologist
Mrs. Frances Jester, Social Worker
Kim Hager, Student Assistant Specialist
Susan Sabloff, Parent Liaison
Class of 2019 Information
Dear Senior Rams and Parents:
We know that many of you are well along in the application process and are awaiting word from your chosen colleges and universities. For students who are still working on applications, here are links to your Senior Self-Assessment and Parent Assessment, which are required should you need a counselor letter of recommendation. These Assessments should be returned to counselors soon if counselor recommendations are needed. Counselors have been and will continue to meet with their seniors to discuss their post-secondary plans. We look forward to working with your senior this year! Please check out our Senior Resources page https://www.lcps.org/Page/181786
PSAT Scores
PSAT/NMSQT Score Report Information
Attention 9th, 10th, and 11th Grade Parents & Students,
The Preliminary SAT®/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test is a co-sponsored program by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). Students in grades 9-11 took the PSAT on Wednesday, October 10, 2018.
Students will be able to view their PSAT score report online on December 11, 2018. To access PSAT scores students can sign in using their College Board account if they are already registered. If they do not have an account, they can simply create one.
To assist students further, we will be handing out students paper score reports and their test booklets through their advisory class after the holiday break .
For 10th & 11th graders that took the PSAT/NMSQT, please visit this College Board site for more information: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10/scores?ep_mid=11199955&ep_rid=248802157
For students in 9th grade that took the PSAT 9, please click on this link for more information: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-8-9/scores
If you have additional questions, please feel free to call the School Counseling Office at (703) 554-8907.
Upcoming Events
Academies of Loudoun (ACL) Tour Day
The Academies of Loudoun are beginning to prepare for their winter admissions cycle, which includes admissions for the Advanced Acdemy of Engineering & Technology (AET) (11th grade entry) and the Monroe Advaned Technical Academy (MATA)programs (10th, 11th, and 12th grade entry). ACL will offer tours to interested students instead of the “shadowing” experience from previous years. These tours will be hosted by the ACL admissions team. Academies of Loudoun staff will provide guided tours of the facility, detailed information on the Advanced AET and MATA programs, and instructions on how to apply. Our Riverside students will tour ACL on January 8, 2019! They will need to bring either a packed lunch or money to purchase lunch. Please see Mrs. Robinson in the Career Center to sign up and receive a permission form. To learn more about the ACL programs see The Academies of Loudoun.
Academies of Loudoun (ACL) 2019 Winter Admissions Information Sessions
All grade 9-11 students and their parents who are interested in applying to the Advanced AET and/or MATA Programs are encouraged to attend an evening information session. All information sessions will be held in the noted school's auditorium.
January 16, 2019 Riverside High School 6:30-7:30 pm
January 24, 2019 John Champe High School 6:30 -7:30 pm
February 6, 2019 Loudoun Valley High School 6:30 -7:30 pm
February 20, 2019 Park View High School 6:30 - 7:30 pm
Each session will provide information about the programs being offered at the Academies of Loudoun during the 2019 Winter Admissions Cycle. We will discuss program content, admissions criteria and the application process followed by a Q&A session.
Mental Health and Wellness Events
Parent Resource Schedule
Gap Year Information
Landmark College/Summer Programs/Post Grad/Gap Year Program
Military Opportunities
TESTING INFORMATION
ASVAB Testing
Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors interested in the military? The next ASVAB test will be held at Woodgrove HS on January 8, 2019 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. The ASVAB test is open to all LCPS students, grades 10-12. Please pre-register by checking with Mrs. Robinson in the Career Center at Riverside if you intend to test.
The ASVAB Career Exploration Program can help young adults identify and explore potentially satisfying occupations and develop effective strategies to realize career goals.
The ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) is one of the most widely used, multiple-aptitude tests in the world, developed and maintained by the Department of Defense. More than half of all high schools nationwide administer the ASVAB test to students in grades 10, 11 and 12 (sophomores cannot use their scores for enlistment eligibility).
The ASVAB consists of the following eight individual tests:
-General Science
-Arithmetic Reasoning
-Word Knowledge
-Paragraph Comprehension
-Mathematics Knowledge
-Electronics Information
-Auto and Shop Information
-Mechanical Comprehension
Students are provided with scores on each of these individual tests and three Career Exploration Score composites: Verbal Skills, Math Skills and Science and Technical Skills. The battery takes approximately three hours to complete, and test results are returned to schools in a few weeks.
The Military uses students’ ASVAB scores to identify the occupations that best suit their abilities. Junior, senior and post-secondary school students can use their ASVAB scores for enlistment for up to two years after taking the test.
More information on the ASVAB can be found here.
SAT Classes with RVH Teachers March and May 2019
Turbo Tutoring
Looking to improve your ACT/SAT score? The popular prep program is here in Northern Virginia!!
Turbo Tutoring offers quality, affordable ACT & SAT prep seminars and we are proud to be partners with several area high schools in Virginia. We give money back to the PTO for every Riverside student that participates! For just $199, we cover all of the sections on the tests in single, 2 hour and 45 minute, interactive prep classes. We discuss strategies for eliminating incorrect answer choices and ways to move through the test faster and more efficiently. We also provide confidence-building techniques that can be applied to other exams as well. Packets for each section and take home questions are provided for students. Go to our website to read what students, parents, educators, and local media have said about Turbo Tutoring.
Register for our next ACT/SAT prep class! The 2018-2019 prep class date options are below.
Westfield HS: 4700 Stonecroft Boulevard; Chantilly, VA 20151
Saturday, April 27th (SAT prep class)
Briar Woods HS: 22525 Belmont Ridge Road; Ashburn, VA 20148
Wednesday, February 6th (ACT prep class)
Wednesday, May 29th (SAT prep class)
Stone Bridge HS: 43100 Hay Road; Ashburn, VA 20147
Wednesday, March 6th (SAT prep class)
Tuesday, June 4th (ACT prep class)
Check out our website for additional information, and to register! www.turbo-tutoring.com
Naviance & Kaplan Livestreaming Courses
The courses align to the industry College, Career and Life Readiness (CCLR) Framework and help students develop critical academic skills, interpersonal skills, career knowledge, college preparation knowledge, and transition skills to support their academic journey.
Learn more about the https://www.naviance.com/content/kaplan-partnership and access implementation resources, including email templates to share the courses with students and parents.
Summer Internship Opportunity at Janelia Research Campus
The Janelia-LCPS Summer Internship Program will offer high school students attending Loudoun County Public Schools the opportunity to spend eight weeks at Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Campus, performing research using state-of-the-art technology and methods to answer questions in biology and computational science under the guidance of group leaders, scientists and engineers. Selected students will have the opportunity to attend seminars by Janelia researchers, as well as to participate in journal clubs and other events.
In 2019, the program will run from June 14th to August 9th. Please note that this is a full-time paid internship to which you will be dedicating 40 hours per week, and therefore it is expected that you will not undertake other organized activities that conflict with the program and will plan vacations around the internship dates. Students selected will be responsible for their own housing, food, and travel to and from Janelia.
We accept applications for students attending an LCPS high school who are in good academic standing and will be 16 years old by June 13, 2019.
We are looking for students with strong biology and computational background who have demonstrated a high level of academic standard and have experience in scientific research. Projects cover a wide variety of topics including machine learning algorithms, data annotation, reconstruction of neural networks, animal behavior analysis and optogenetics. High school students interested in computer programming, engineering, mathematics, physics, and neuroscience are encouraged to apply. Programming experience in Python, MATLAB, and/or C++ is strongly encouraged.
For full consideration, applications must be received before 5 pm on January 15, 2019. For more information please go to https://www.lcps.org/Page/200365 .
Pathways Flight Academies
Do you have dreams of one day becoming a commercial airline pilot and traveling the world? The Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC), in partnership with the Commonwealth of Virginia, Liberty University, Averett University and the Virginia Department of Aviation, is offering flight academies at no cost for high school students statewide.
The Pathways Flight Academies will immerse students in learning to fly while discovering the range of exciting aviation career opportunities available. Four, two-week residential academies will be offered during the summer of 2019 for selected students who have shown an interest in and passion for Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM), and have career aspirations to become a pilot. Students admitted to this intensive program will undertake ground school and flight training that can culminate in their first solo flight at the end of the academy!
Funded by the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Pathways Flight Academies will be rigorous programs in which students immerse themselves in learning about weather, electronic navigation, flight systems and operations, and FAA regulations. The competitive application process is open to students statewide. Qualified applicants must be U.S. citizens, Virginia residents and 16 years old by the start of the Academy. They must also be able to pass an FAA flight physical exam upon acceptance into the program. Twenty-four students will be selected.
The demand for aviation jobs is extremely high. Sixty thousand new U.S. pilots will be needed in the next 15 years as well as 10,000 new U.S. air traffic controllers and 480,000 new aviation maintenance technicians worldwide by 2026. “The support for Pathways Flight Academies is an indication of the State’s understanding of the importance of Virginia’s aviation sector and its critical workforce needs,” notes VSGC Director, Mary Sandy.
VSGC is pleased to be partnering with two outstanding Virginia flight training schools for this program. Both Averett and Liberty universities have outstanding facilities for aviation education and flight training, and operate FAA-Approved part 141 flight schools.
The application deadline is January 25, 2019. Learn more about the Pathways Flight Academies and the application process at
Scholarship Information
Apple Federal Credit Union
Jeffrey C. Fowler Memorial Scholarship
Applicants for this scholarship must be a graduating senior from a LCPS high school and planning to become a full-time student at an accredited college or university. The applicant must carry at least a 2.5 grade point average. A 500 word essay on “How My Passion for Sports Has Influenced My Life” must be completed as part of the application. Two letters of recommendation from teachers, coaches or administrators must be submitted as digital PDF file to the recommendation portal. Information and the online application form can be found at https://www.locosports.info/. Deadline for this scholarship is March 28, 2018.
American Massage and Bodywork Institute
American Massage and Bodywork Institute in Vienna, VA has scholarships for graduating seniors interested in attending their Institute on a full-time basis (25 hours per week) to obtain licensure to become a massage therapist. They are offering four (4) quarter scholarships, valued at $2,500 each and ten (10) scholarships valued at $1,000. Applicants must complete the scholarship application form, complete any essay entitled: “Why I want to become a massage therapist, and how this profession fits in with my career goals”, at least one letter of reference, and a high school transcript. Scholarship candidates will then be required to come in for a tour of the campus and a personal interview, with their parent or legal guardian by May 15, 2019. Deadline for this scholarship is April 15, 2019.
Applications and information to be submitted to the email address on the application form sdeidun@ambimassageschool.com . For more information, please visit www.ambimassageschool.com or call us at 571-620-7170. Financial aid is available to those that qualify.
GE Reagan Foundation Scholarship
This scholarship offers numerous college-bound students with $10,000 renewable scholarships (up to $40,000 per recipient).
GE-Reagan Foundation scholarship candidates must:
- demonstrate at school, at the workplace, and within the community the attributes of leadership, drive, integrity, and citizenship;
- demonstrate strong academic performance (3.0 or greater GPA/4.0 scale or equivalent);
- be a citizen of the United States of America;
- be a high school senior attending high in the United States (students living on U.S. Armed Forces base and homeschooled students are also eligible; and
- plan to enroll in a full-time undergraduate course of study while pursuing a bachelor’s degree at an accredited four-year college or university in the United States for the entire upcoming academic year.
Applicants with questions about the application process my contact the programs administrator, Scholarship America at 1-844-402-0354 and ask for the GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship program or email ge-reagan@scholarship.org
The link to apply for the scholarship may be found at: https://www.reaganfoundation.org/education/scholarship-programs/ge-reagan-foundation-scholarship-program/
Deadline for this scholarship is January 4, 2019.
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority – Loudoun County Alumnae Chapter Scholarship
2019 Girl Scout Leadership Conferences
Job & Volunteer Opportunities
Continental Pools- Lifeguarding Jobs
Atomic Trampoline is Hiring
Williams Martial Arts and Fitness
Williams Martial Arts & Fitness in Ashburn is looking for dependable, energetic and responsible Riverside students to work with children K-6 in the afternoon. As a counselor, you will be helping them with homework, supervising group games, creating activities, and inspiring them to become responsible, confident young adults. Please call 703-858-3800 or email gowmaf@gmail.com if you are interested.
Community Pools- Lifeguarding Jobs
Slapfish Restaurant is Hiring
The Yellow Pail Project
For additional information about anything listed in our newsletter, please visit our website or contact our office at (703) 554 -8907.
Thank you,
RVH Counseling