Patriot Post
Counseling Corner: February
Wellness Corner
Feeling overwhelmed by current events (and school)?
We are only two and a half months into 2020 but our world has already been shaken by various events around the globe that have been a serious cause for concern, from political tensions, to worldwide health scares, to natural disasters. Seeing and hearing a constant stream of concerning or disheartening information is reasonably a cause for us to feel overwhelmed, stressed, or anxious about the world in which we live.
While it is important to stay informed, you can help prevent feeling overwhelmed by cutting down the time you actively open up your social media feeds or how much time you spend watching or listening to the news--sometimes you simply need to force yourself to “log off.”
Here are some tips on how to keep yourself from feeling overwhelmed about the world:
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/6-tips-coping-with-tragedy-in-the-news
In the meantime, if you’re frequently worrying about things outside of school and it is affecting your ability to concentrate in school--please reach out to your counselor! We are here to help :)
College and Career
Community College Matriculation:
The BHS Counseling Department will be hosting a variety of Community College Matriculation Workshops click here to find out more details.
Community College Night:
Beckman High School Counseling Department will be hosting Community College Night on Wednesday, April 1st from 6 to 8 pm in the Performing Arts Center. College reps from Irvine Valley College, Orange Coast College, Santa Ana College, and Santiago Canyon College will be presenting on financial aid, Promise Program, priority registration, special programs, career certification, and university transfer. Mark your calendars for this important event and plan to attend!
Career Chats:
Career Chats are new series of workshops that will allow students to connect with career professionals in different Industry Sectors. Our first Career Chat will take place on February 24th with speakers from the Health and Sciences field. These workshops take place during lunch and students can RSVP here. Any questions see Ms. Rosas in the Career Center.
Should I Take This AP Class?
Senior Scene
Senior Scholarship Night is a celebration event for seniors who have been awarded a scholarship for $500 or more from a community organization or the college/university they plan to attend in the fall of 2020. To be recognized at this event, seniors must complete the Senior Scholarship Night 2020 Survey on/before May 1st by going to https://forms.gle/LhwXihNnjhdMQFiq7.
Most colleges will send a confirmation that they have received your application and it's being processed. You might want to double check your college list if you haven’t heard yet.
If you’ve already submitted your FAFSA, you should have received a Student Aid Report. Review this report and make sure everything on it is accurate. Mistakes on this form may result in the loss of thousands of dollars in financial aid.
Remember, the FAFSA deadline is March 2nd!
There is still time to apply to some colleges thru late applications or rolling admission; meaning there is no set deadline for submitting. But apply as soon as you can because you never know how competitive these open seats will be.
Continue to tell your counselor and teachers if you do add any colleges on your list.
Acceptance, rejection and waitlist letters may start arriving as early as February & throughout March. You have until May 1st to make a decision.
Junior Junction
Course Selection Meetings and Counseling Lesson
Junior English classes will be going to the library for counseling lessons February 21-March 2. During this time each class will participate in a Financial Aid Lesson via Google Classroom while each student in the class cycles through meeting one-on-one with their counselor to finalize their course selections for 12th grade.
Spring AVID Counseling Lesson
The 11th Grade AVID class participated in “A-G Check & Course Selection” Counseling Lesson that focused on helping students identify missing/needed graduation and A-G requirements on their own transcript and engaging students in creating a plan for remediation (summer/Plato) and/or their 12th grade courses.
Sophomore Stop
10th Grade Registration - During registration, sophomores will work on their four year plan. They meet with their counselor to review their credits, their classes for the upcoming year and their plans for summer. Volunteering is encouraged but not required. The students are asked to talk about future careers or colleges they wish to attend. Advice is given on GPA ranges for admittance, potential classes and activities that can enhance their application. Summer school options are also discussed if required or if taken for advancement. Students are encouraged to visit potential colleges during spring break or during the summer if time allows.
Please help your student if they are not sure of a career path. In a search engine that you trust, type in “career interest survey.” Assist your student with this process and walk them through one survey and then allow then to do two other different versions on their own. Highlight the careers that appear on all three result portions. This is a great place to start thinking about a potential future career.
Freshman Forum
The 2020 Spring Freshman Counselor Coffee took place on Jan 13 @ 8am.
Please find a copy of the powerpoint under "9th Grade Parent Info Sessions"
Please feel free to post any questions on this padlet wall.
We also encourage you to fill out the parent survey
On January 14th, 9th grade students came to the PAC for an overview of course selection for 10th grade and upcoming events and information.
9th Grade Registration - 9th grade students are currently meeting one-on-one with their 10th grade counselor January 27th - February 4th to finalize their course requests for 10th grade. During this registration process, students also explore their interests by completing the Naviance Career Cluster Finder. At the end of the exploration activity students save three careers of interest to their Naviance account.
Practice SAT/ACT - Sign up to take the practice SAT or ACT in the Beckman Commons on Saturday, March 7th. The exam costs $10 and tickets can be purchased at the Student Store or online from February 11th - Febraury 28th.
On January 22nd, freshman counselor, Erin Charles, presented a lesson in the 9th grade Avid classroom.
Objective:
Students can demonstrate their understanding of high school graduation and A-G requirements and complete the 10th grade course selection sheet accordingly.
American School Counselor Association Standards for Students:
Standard B: Students will complete school with the academic preparation essential to choose from a wide range of substantial post-secondary options including college.
-Students will be able to:
1. Identify the high school graduation requirements vs. the A-G requirements
2. Reflect on current success and a plan for the future
3. Understand grade requirements for A-G and how to remediate if needed
4. Choose their 10th grade classes to meet high school graduation and A-G requirements
Counseling Haiku Pages
Need immediate information related to academics or college & career?
Check out our grade-level Haiku pages or the Beckman Counseling page linked below.