Counseling Department
Richmond Hill High School
October Newsletter
What's Going On At THE HILL?
Past Events:
Missed the September Newsletter or Grade Level Parent Nights?
*Fall Break- October 1st thru 5th **NO SCHOOL**
*Financial Aid Night 10/9, 6 pm, East Cafeteria
*PSAT Day 10/10
*October College Knowledge Month
*College and Career Fair 10/16/18, 6 pm, EAST Cafeteria
*Dual Enrollment Meeting 10/16/18 5:30, Media Center (New to DE ONLY)
*10th and 12th grade Advisement Conferences
*ACCUPLACER 10/18/18, sign up!
*ASVAB 11/7/18, sign up!
*Suicide Prevention and Awareness Night, Tuesday, 11/6, 6-8pm
2018-19 National Merit Semifinalists
Each year, about 1.6 million high school juniors take the PSAT in October in order to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program. In September of the following year, approximately 16,000 of these students, now seniors, are notified that they have qualified as Semifinalists. These students are the highest-scoring program participants in each state. They will now receive scholarship application materials and work toward being selected for Finalist round (15,000 students) and ultimately, the group of Merit Scholarship winners (7,500 students).
Congratulations....from your Wildcat Family!!!
- For four years, Alejandra Gonzalez, has been a member of the Richmond Hill High School Marching Band, District Honor Band, and All State Band. She has served as the Secretary and President of the Math Team and competed at the regional and state level for the Literary Team (1st and 3rd place), Governor's Honor Program Semifinalist, received the UGA Merit Award (top 5% of class), and National AP Scholar recipient. Alejandra mentioned "one of the main reasons I push myself in my academic studies is that I try to find ideological value in everything I learn." Alejandra plans to attend the University of Georgia or Georgia Institute of Technology. She plans on entering a pre-med program and hopes to help conduct clinical research, voluntarily.
- As a proud Eagle Scout, the highest achievement attained in Boy Scouts of America, Josh Gregory, has served in numerous leadership positions for the Boy Scouts. He has proudly maintained roles such as Asst. Patrol Leader, Patrol Leader, Chaplain's Aide, Asst. Senior Patrol Leader, and Summer Camp Senior Patrol Leader. Josh also juggles being a member of the Richmond Hill High School Marching Band, Beta Club, Secretary of the National Honor Society, and Treasurer of the Young Republicans. Josh was a Semifinalist for the Governor's Honor Program in Social Studies. Josh believes because he has worked hard to be academically exemplary and also morally upright, it has resulted in him remaining focused on his education. Josh plans to attend the University of Georgia or Georgia Institute of Technology.
- Beth Belfield will be the first in her family to attend college in the United States; her entire family lives in England. The Belfield's moved to Richmond Hill when Beth was nine years old. While being a RHHS Wildcat, Beth has surely kept herself busy. She has served in multiple leadership roles such as: class VP and class and student body President, Yearbook Editor-in-Chief, VP of Beta Club, a member of HOSA, and a RHHS Ambassador, to name a few...Beth has been awarded a scholarship from Coastal Electric, a UGA Merit Award (top 5% of class), National Merit Award, and a Governor's Honors Program Semifinalist. Beth hopes to contribute to her college's activities and campus life by becoming involved in all that she can and focus on making a difference in the college/community through either student government or her field of study and also become involved in work-studies and research with a professor. Beth plans to attend Johns Hopkins University, Emory University, or University of California-Berkeley.
Suicide Prevention & Awareness Night - Tuesday, 11/6, 6-8pm
In 2016, adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 24 had a suicide rate of 13.15 per 100,000; however, many of us still don't know how to talk about suicide or talk to someone who is considering suicide. RHHS is taking a proactive approach in preventing suicide by hosting a Suicide Prevention & Awareness Night. The event will educate students and their families about mental health, suicide warning signs, and social media, provide resources in our community, and remove the stigma surrounding depression and other mental health conditions related to suicide. Even though it can be uncomfortable to talk about, having a conversation about mental health is one significant way to prevent suicide.
Each and every student, caregiver, and community member plays a role in promoting the mental health and well-being of our community as a whole. Most of us know someone or know of someone who has struggled with depression, suicidal thoughts, or other mental health conditions. This event is essential for anyone who knows someone or is someone who has experienced these painful emotions or thoughts.
Join us for a night of learning, resources, and conversation!
What's Going On In 9th Grade...
TOP TEN TIPS FOR SUCCESS IN 9th GRADE & BEYOND!!
2. COMPLETE QUALITY WORK & HOMEWORK Your homework always ties in directly with the lesson or unit you will be studying. If you do not do your homework, you will be lost in class. The units and concepts will be much more meaningful if you have completed the corresponding homework. If you have four days to do a big homework assignment, organize and plan accordingly by breaking it up into smaller pieces. It is one thing to “turn something in” and it is quite another to submit thoughtful and superior quality work. Be aware that your grade will directly reflect the quality & effort of your work.
3. AVOID ABSENCES High school moves along a lot faster than middle school. Missing one class means you have missed 90 minutes of instruction. There will be times when an excused absence is unavoidable. Understand the system your class may have in place for you to make up work. However, the easiest way to stay on top of things and not get behind is to be in class consistently. Be aware that simulations, debates, role-plays, and group presentations CANNOT be replicated outside of class! By being absent, you may be missing out on important information that is vital to understanding our current topic of study. Your goal should be to avoid unnecessary absences.
4. ESTABLISH GOOD RAPPORT Establish good relationships and rapport with your fellow classmates, teachers and RHHS staff members. The relationships that you establish in school assist you or prevent you from earning favorable references for employment, letters of recommendations, and reliable confidants in times of need. You are in charge of building your own support system beyond your family network and your school provides a wonderful safety net and resource base for you, if you put in the effort.
5. GET EXTRA HELP Most teachers are available before or after school to offer extra help to students. This time before or after school, are good times to ask any additional questions you may have or to get further explanations about anything you did not understand. Don’t just say, “Uh, I didn’t understand this” when the assignment is being collected! Set up a time in advance to meet with your teacher, so the teacher can give you his/her full attention, plan accordingly, and get materials ready for you if necessary. It is your responsibility to ask for extra help and it is our job to set up a time with you to get you the extra help you need to succeed!
6. BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR LEARNING Responsibility is a recurring theme in tips for success. You need to take responsibility for yourself and your learning. Ultimately, YOU are the one who needs to know what is going on in class and what YOU need to do to succeed in class, not your parents, not your siblings, not your counselor, YOU. Sure these people are there to help and guide you, but YOU are responsible for YOUR own learning and YOUR grade! Ask questions, stay organized, and listen.
7. GRADES MATTER NOW…Freshman grades affect your high school transcript more than any other year, even your senior year. The grades you earn as a freshman set the stage for your cumulative GPA (grade point average) for the rest of your high school career. You’ll spend the next three years of high school either working to maintain OR make up the grades you earned as a freshman. It is VERY difficult to bring up a GPA that has low scores. Grades are a representation of you and how much work you have put forth in a course. Now is a good time to start planning for your future, and plan to get good grades now, because your grades can influence your future opportunities. Remember in order to graduate, you have to PASS classes to earn credit. Failing = no credit = delayed graduation!
8. GET INVOLVED AT SCHOOL High school is definitely about learning and broadening your horizons, but it is also about meeting people and learning about yourself. Richmond Hill High School has an incredible array of clubs, sports, and activities for you. Do your best to learn about all these opportunities so you can build good connections with different people. There is a club or activity for everyone in this school! Get involved because research has shown that students who are involved at school are most likely to succeed in the classroom and beyond.
9. TREAT OTHERS IN THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED This is a big school with lots of students. Everyone comes from diverse backgrounds and that is what makes RHHS a great school. Everyone here has the right to be treated with respect and dignity. Treat others how you would want to be treated and you will succeed socially, academically, and personally. I know you have heard this saying before, but really think about how you can put it into action.
10. TAKE CARE OF YOU A very important tip... take care of yourself and stay healthy. Get enough sleep and be sure to eat. Without these things your mind cannot perform at peak potential. Your body is a machine and these are the two fuel items that can keep you energized.
What's Going On in 10th grade...
PSAT Study Guides: Don’t forget to come by room 516 and get a PSAT study manual. Your score on the PSAT is a direct reflection of how well you will do on the SAT, so make sure you study! Practice makes perfect!
The PSAT doesn’t have a direct impact on the admissions process, unlike the SAT and ACT. Taking the PSAT is an informal way for you to practice your standardized testing skills and gain an understanding of your relative performance on the SAT. You can begin composing your SAT/ACT study plan and forecasting your admissions chances at colleges of interest.
What Should 10th Graders Focus On To Prepare For College Admissions?
Sophomore year continues the journey toward discovering your interests and preparing for college admissions. Whether you aced freshman year and are eager to continue building your admissions profile, or you got off to a shaky start in high school and want to refocus on your priorities, sophomore year is an important year for admissions. It’s one that can make or break admissions chances to selective schools, and one during which you are exploring your interests and laying the foundation for the rest of your high school years. Sophomores should focus on the following:
· Continuing to participate in extracurricular activities
· Preparing for the SAT, ACT, and understanding PSAT scores
· Choosing challenging classes with an upward trend in mind
What's going on in 11th grade...
In just about a year, our RHHS juniors will be seniors applying to colleges, searching for jobs, and looking into military opportunities. This month students should be spending time researching postsecondary options. A great place to start is https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-search. Students and their families can talk to friends, other family members, teacher, and recent RHHS graduates then make a list of postsecondary features that interest them. For example, if students are interested in joining the military, they should explore the various branches and jobs in the military and determine which areas (e.g., infantry, mechanics, intelligence, human resources) interest them. Alternatively, if a student is planning on going to college after graduating from RHHS, they need to be thinking about admission requirements, majors that are offered, how to pay for college, location, and more. The college search option on the Bigfuture website allows students to apply a variety of filters to help students explore and narrow down a list of colleges.
Exploring postsecondary options is half the battle. Students must also be planning ways to market themselves as a prospective college student, service member, or employee. Students should be creating a file to manage postsecondary search, testing, and application data and gathering materials for a comprehensive portfolio. This includes volunteer work, part-time jobs, athletics, school clubs or organizations, and other extracurricular activities. Extracurricular activities supplement student portfolios to show potential college admission personnel and employers more about a student’s character than a transcript or grade point average can show. Juniors who are NOT registered to take the PSAT will automatically be registered to take the YouScience inventory this month, which will provide students with valuable self-advocacy language that they can use on college essays, personal statements, and resumes.
Don’t forget to register for upcoming college field trips to immerse yourself in various college campuses across Georgia!
what's going on in 12th grade...
Your big future begins with you — it’s your journey. Figure out who you are and where you want to go.
Not sure where you are headed?
What’s NEXT? CHOOSE A CAREER! Start to work, training, coursework, college, selecting a major? These are BIG choices that take some planning. Make time to understand what gives you joy!
Do you wish you could look into a crystal ball? See what your future holds? YOU CAN!
Use College Board's Big Future tool to Answer 10 Questions to Discover your Future!
- What are some things you feel you do well?
- What challenges you?
- What do you like to do for fun?
- Who do you look up to?
- What’s something you’ve always wanted to try?
- What accomplishment has made you most proud?
- What’s your favorite class?
- What do you read about in your free time?
- If you could do any job for a day, what would it be?
- As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
BECOME MORE SELF AWARE of who you are and what you like!
Expose yourself to different career paths to determine what you are best suited for.
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-started/know-yourself/answer-10-questions-and-discover-your-futureIt’s Time to Apply to College!
Get Oriented to the College Application Process
& Get Organized with Dates/ Deadlines/ Requirements and Fees.
http://media.wix.com/ugd/67d5f0_e816da7ad9cf450db2b1844587dd3137.pdf
Utilize this template to organize the college application process.
Don’t Forget to BRAG
Please be sure to give plenty of time (2 weeks!) for recommendations to be processed! Give us all the information we need to share all about you and your accomplishments!
https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/84171/Brag_Sheetstudent.pdf
College & Career Center
First Monthly College Visit...
Eligible 11th and 12th grade students may also register through this link.
*Parents of the first 35 applicants each month are welcome and encouraged to volunteer as chaperones. Contact Jennifer Blanton, school counselor, at jblanton@bryan.k12.ga.us with any questions about eligibility criteria.
RHHS College/Career Expo Night
Richmond Hill High School is hosting a College & Career Expo Night on Tuesday, October 16th, 2018, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. This event is designed to provide an opportunity for students and parents to meet with college and career representatives from around the state of Georgia and our local town to gain more knowledge on various institutions or places of business. Please plan to join us!
Scholarships in the Spotlight this Month:
The University of North Georgia Military Scholarship (UNGMS) Dahlonega, GA: There are 42 Georgia Military Scholarship awarded to high school seniors. These are full scholarships that pay for room and board, tuition, fees, books and uniforms for all four years at UNG. In addition, recipients receive monthly pay and stipends for serving as enlisted members of the Georgia Army National Guard while being full time students and Cadets. The scholarship is worth approximately $70,000 over four years.
● Criteria: Seniors in excellent physical condition, have above a 3.0 GPA.
● Interested students must be accepted for admission to UNG in a “regular admit” status.
● Instructions for applying for the scholarship can be found online at www.ung.edu/cadet/scholarships.
● Application and all supporting documents must be received by February 1 in order to be considered.
ROTC Scholarships:
● Air Force ROTC Scholarship Information:
Go to http://www.afrotc.com/scholarships/high-school/
● Army ROTC Scholarship Information:
Go to www.goarmy.com/rotc/high-school-students.html
● Navy ROTC and Marine Option Scholarship Information:
What's the 411 on College Admission Lingo?
SAT and ACT Dates
Military family life counselor (MFLC)
Due to the unique challenges faced by military families, the Department of Defense offers private and confidential counseling services to military service members and their families. The mission of the MFLC program is to provide short-term, solution focused counseling, support and education. Military counselors may assist military connected students with a variety of issues including: communication, self-esteem/self-confidence, school issues, life stressors, resolving conflicts, behavioral management techniques, building resiliency, sibling/parental relationships, and deployment and reintegration. Within a safe, therapeutic relationship, MFLCs help military children and their parents to cope with normal reactions to the varied stresses of military life, to enhance their lives and to boost military readiness and resiliency.
Dawn Imler is the military counselor at RHHS. She is on campus Wednesday(afternoon), Thursday, and Friday in the LINK. If you have any questions about the program stop by the LINK or call (912)271-9725.
RHHS Counselor Caseload:
Emily Neff- (Daniel-Hernandez)
Deanna Appleton- (Herring-Michaud)
Laine Lynch- (Michel-Sanchez)
Saraswati Hendrix- (Sanderlin-Z)
Jennifer Blanton- (Graduation Coach)
Dawn Imler- (Military Family Life Counselor)
Counseling Department
Email: rbunyan@bryan.k12.ga.us
Website: http://www.bryan.k12.ga.us/o/rhhs/page/students-and-parents--4
Location: 1 Wildcat Drive, Richmond Hill, GA, USA
Phone: 912-459-6403