Issaquah High Counseling Newsletter
Summer 2020-2021 Update
You Made It!
Happy Summer!
Congratulations on finishing a wild school year and extra congratulations to all of our Issaquah seniors who just graduated and are off on their next adventure! Check out the Virtual Graduation Video for the class of 2021! We hope you all are ready for a break and well-deserved rest this summer.
Wondering what next year will look like? Make sure to keep an eye on district and IHS E-News throughout the Summer for the most updated information about school in the Fall. If you have not already signed up for E-News, make sure to sign up!
Summer Hours
The last day for counselors is Friday, June 18th.
June 21st the Counseling Office will close for the summer and Counseling Office staff will be unavailable until office hours resume. Counseling Office hours will resume August 9th for staff processing new enrollment, with Counselors returning mid-late August.
June 21st - August 6th: IHS CLOSED
August 9th – August 30th: Counseling Office Open and Main Office Open
August 31st: Resume normal office hours (TBD on Fall Schedule)
Bookmark the IHS Counseling Website!
- Open browser
- Go to: https://sites.google.com/site/ishscounseling/home?authuser=0
- Click the star icon on the right side of the address bar.
- Name the bookmark.
- Select the folder you want the webpage to be saved to.
- Click “Done” to bookmark the webpage.
Counselor Alpha Change
Alan Waite (A-Col) waitea@issaquah.wednet.edu
Emily Combellick (Com-Ham) combellicke@issaquah.wednet.edu
Christian McKone (Han-La) mckonec@issaquah.wednet.edu
Jennifer Martinson (Lb-Ol) martinsonj@issaquah.wednet.edu
Amber Owen-Clifford (Om-Sn) claussena@issaquah.wednet.edu
Jennifer Schwarz (So-Z) schwarzj@issaquah.wednet.edu
**Amber Claussen has changed her last name to Amber Owen-Clifford!
Senior Final Transcripts
Final Transcripts: The grading period for the 2020-21 school year does not close until 3pm, June 17rd. Grades for our Running Start students are not posted from BC until July 5th. This leaves a small window of time to upload and release transcripts with 2nd semester grades on them. Orders placed through Parchment should be processed no later than 3pm, July 2nd. If you have any concerns with this timeline, please proactively contact your admissions officer.
ALL Seniors needing a final transcript (whether it be for your 4 year college, 2 year college, military branch, or any other destination) will need to complete a request through www.Parchment.com no later than 3pm June 30th. Regardless of how you applied to that institution, you will want to complete a request for your transcript to be sent directly to the institution who needs it (not Common App, Coalition, Send EDU, etc.)
Make sure you select “Hold for Grades” under the "When do you want this sent" menu in Step 2 of the ordering process so that as soon as second semester grades are posted we can upload a copy of your transcript. Failure to complete this step will result in transcripts being sent without 2nd semester grades included.
Transcript requests made after June 30th may be subject to periods of system summer maintenance closures, failure to meet the June 30th deadline could result in delayed admissions and impact your financial aid for your post-secondary institution.
Diploma Pick Up
SENIORS – Please review these final reminders:
Skyward Access will be turned off for seniors on June 30th. Please print any documents you may want to retain for your records, including report cards and immunization records prior to the withdrawal date.
Seniors are able to pick up diplomas on Friday, June 18th 10am-2pm at the Issaquah High School Main Entrance. Please bring your school ID or a driver’s license/official ID. Running Start students who need one or more of their Spring Quarter classes from BC required for graduation, will need to pick up diplomas June 30th from 10am-1pm, as we need to wait for official grades to come in.
All outstanding fines need to be paid in advance for pick-up. Please check fines at: https://wa-issaquah.intouchreceipting.com/
Diplomas can only be picked up by the student or a parent (w/ valid ID) listed in Family Access.
Please note if you are unable to attend the scheduled pick up date, you can stop by the Counseling Office when we resume summer hours.
Academic Achievement
Summer School
Summer school registration for credit recovery and grade improvement closes on June 25th. If your student was on the edge of not passing a class, make sure to check their grades in the morning and sign up for summer school classes if needed. This is a great option for students needing to earn back credit for graduation.
Program details
- July 12 - August 6
- 1st period: 8 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
- 2nd period: 9:35 a.m. - 11:05 a.m.
- 3rd period: 11:10 a.m. - 12:40 p.m.
Courses available
- Math: Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2
- Science: Biology, Chemistry
- English: Literature 9, Literature 10, American Literature, Senior English
- Social Studies: World His 1, World His 2, World His 3, US His, Civics, NW Studies
- PE: Food & Fitness
- World Language: Spanish 1, Spanish 2
Our in-person summer school classes are free for all students. The format will be fully in person, all 5 days/week. More information can be found here.
***Note: Not each class is offered each period - which periods each class is offered is determined after students register***
Next Year's Course Request Changes
2021-22 Class Schedules will be available on Skyward after August 24.
**It will not show periods or teachers yet, but this will be your opportunity to request changes one more time before schedules for next year are finalized.
Appointments will not be available for Schedule Change Requests. Instead, we will have set drop-in times for students to come in person to request changes. More info will be available after August 24.
Running Start for the 2021-2022 School Year
Are you a current sophomore or junior pursuing Running Start next year? We are no longer accepting Running Start Enrollment Verification Forms for Fall until August. If you have not already applied to the college of your choice and filled out the paperwork with your counselor, please wait until we return in August to complete your enrollment process.
What you can do over the summer to prepare:
- Apply to your desired college's running start program through their website
- Complete all enrollment steps up to the Enrollment Verification Form
- Decide on part time or full time Running Start
- Review our Course Equivalency Sheet for Bellevue College here and our Course Equivalency Sheet for CWU Sammamish here!
- Explore the college website and look up classes and class times available
- Email your counselor in August to complete your enrollment
College and Career Readiness
Updates by Grade Level
Congratulations to the class of 2021! You successfully made it to graduation despite such a challenging year. We wish all our 2021 graduates the very best in their next endeavors.
- Below is a Grad Handbook to help guide you through preparing for college over the summer. It includes information on transitioning to your new program or school, and tips on doing well in your first year. We've also included a family guide on how to support your student after high school. Both have a ton of helpful information we highly recommend looking over!
Juniors:
- Plan to finalize your post-high school pathway and/or college list before school starts next year. This will make your senior year a lot smoother. The College and Career Center has resources on their website to help you, including a College Search Engine and College Scorecard website, where you can find data on cost, graduation rates, post-college earnings, and other valuable information on potential programs. Parents - check out some tips on how to have healthy and sane conversations with your juniors as they enter the post-high school planning season.
Sophomores:
- Decide on a few clubs, sports, or other areas of interest to narrow in on for junior year. We recommend fewer, more meaningful commitments for your last two years of high school. Harvard does as well, read their tips on a more caring approach to college admissions.
Freshmen:
- Start thinking about some activities you'd like to check out next year! You can find information on what IHS offers on our Athletics page and Activities page.
NEW College & Career Center Blog
University of Washington Virtual Events
A series of events on Zoom, with live Q&A with faculty, advisors and current students. Open to prospective undergraduate students of any age and their families, teachers, counselors and advisors. Learn about UW’s top-ranked undergraduate programs from the faculty leading the charge, hear from academic advisors that support our students along their way and ask current students why they chose UW Environment and how they’re involved in creative problem solving.
To attend, click here!
Washington Wednesdays
A series of live webinars on the application process at the University of Washington.
To attend, click here!
Social and Emotional Support
Helpful Resources
Crisis Outreach Center - Should a mental health or other crisis come up over the summer, you can call the King County Crisis Line 24/7 to get support, help stabilize the situation, and understand your resources moving forward.
Crisis Text Line - this provides free, 24/7 support for people in crisis, via text. Send a message to 741741 and a trained crisis counselor will respond (likely within 5 minutes).
Teen Link - students can call or text any evening from 6-10 pm to talk with a peer about any stressors, issues, or concerns they are having. The Teen Link volunteers are trained to talk with students who call and can be a great listening ear. Reach out to them any time this summer if you feel like you're needing someone to talk to!
Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank
Groceries
The Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank is currently serving our community while following COVID-19 protocols. See below for the Summer schedule!
Summer Lunch Distribution
Stay tuned for details on Summer Lunch for 2021!
More information here!
Find a Summer Meal Site Near You!
The number of locations that students can receive free meals from has grown, thanks to new locations offering meals through the annual Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).
SFSP provides children with nutritious meals during the summer. Sponsors may operate the program in areas where 50% or more of the children in the area are eligible for free or reduced-price meals.
Summer meal programs help children aged 18 and under get the nutrition they need to learn, play, and grow during the summer. This federally-funded program is sponsored by many organizations throughout our state, including schools, nonprofit organizations, local governments, tribes, and more.
Click here to find the nearest location!
Issaquah Resource Directory
Contact Us
Alan Waite: A-Col (waitea@issaquah.wednet.edu)
Emily Combellick: Com-Ham (combellicke@issaquah.wednet.edu)
Christian McKone: Han-La (mckonec@issaquah.wednet.edu)
Jen Martinson: Lb-Ol (martinsonj@issaquah.wednet.edu)
Amber Claussen: Om-Sn (claussena@issaquah.wednet.edu)
Jen Schwarz: So-Z (schwarzj@issaquah.wednet.edu)
Email: marbutj@issaquah.wednet.edu
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/ishscounseling/
Location: 700 2nd Avenue Southeast, Issaquah, WA, USA
Phone: 4258376140