Champe Counseling - November
TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM @JCHSCOUNSELING
Remind
Don't forget to sign up for Remind! Text to 81018
Class of 2020 text @2020JCHS
Class of 2021 text @2021JCHS
Class of 2022 test @2022JCHS
Join your class Google Classroom
Class of 2022 – 5pmizun
Class of 2021 – uog9gpr
Class of 2020 – 9449us
JCHS Counseling Team
Christi Campbell, Director of Counseling
Danielle Coniglio, School Counselor A-B
Andrew Tafaro, School Counselor C-Fl
Karla Chustz, School Counselor Fo-J
Vanessa Keller, School Counselor K-Me
Laura Thompson, School Counselor Mi-Q
Darrell Peoples, School Counselor R-Sr
Rachel Wollenberg, School Counselor St-Z
Michaela Stewart, Career Center Assistant
Rita Giampaoli, Administrative Assistant
Denise Manzelmann, Administrative Assistant
Brian Sorg, School Psychologist
Jennifer McLemore, School Social Worker
Website: https://www.lcps.org/domain/11643
Location: 41535 Sacred Mountain Street, Aldie, VA, United States
Phone: 703-722-2687
Twitter: @JCHSCounseling
NOVEMBER
Career Awareness Month
1 - AP Exam Registration and Payments due
1 - End of 1st Quarter
2 - SAT at John Champe
4 - Student Holiday
5 - Student Holiday
5 - Champe Check In, 8:30-10:30am
8 - NOVA Pathways applications due to counselor
8 - Job for a Day contracts due
11-15 - American Education Week
13 - World Kindness Day
27-29 - Thanksgiving Holiday Break
Virginia Governor's School
Governor’s School is a challenging and enriching Virginia program designed for highly motivated students who are looking for a challenging summer experience. Programs are offered in Visual and Performing Arts, Humanities, Math/Science/Tech, Agriculture, Life Science/Medicine, and Mentorships in Engineering and Life Sciences. The selection process is extremely competitive. Most students selected rank in the top 10% of their class and have scored in the 90th percentile on standardized measures of ability or achievement tests. These residential programs run from late June to late July. Only students who are available during that time frame and whose records match these criteria should apply.
An evening information session for parents and students will be held on Tuesday, October 1, 2019, from 7:00 pm until 8:00 pm, in the Auditorium at Stone Bridge High School, 43100 Hay Road, Ashburn, VA 20148. Doors will open at 6:30 pm. This session is identical to the information sessions held at each high school and the Academies of Loudoun.
The information session will include:
- General overview of Academic and Visual/Performing Arts Summer Residential Governor’s Schools
- Application procedure
- Nomination process
- Auditions for Visual and Performing Arts students (local and state)
- Deadlines and other important dates
The information session will not include:
- Detailed information on each Governor’s School including curriculum/faculty
- Information on World Language Academies (Students apply for the World Language Academies through their high school World Languages department. Please see the department chair for more information.)
AP EXAMS
This is a reminder that the deadline to register AND pay for AP exams is quickly approaching.
This year, College Board has started a new registration process. In order to take an AP Exam you must complete all the following steps:
- Log in to your College Board account
- Join the AP Classroom with the unique class code given to you (if you have not yet joined your AP Classroom please see your teacher for the enrollment code)
- Indicate through your College Board account that you WILL or WILL NOT be taking the AP exam. Currently everyone is set as undecided but all students must declare.
- Pay online through LCPS on-line payment portal (there is NO additional fee to pay online)
Students attending the Academies of Loudoun may choose whether to take their AP tests at ACL or their home school. Please consider this information carefully as changes will not be able to be made once the tests are ordered. If you are taking a course at the Academies and want to test at Champe, email Mrs. Campbell (Christi.Campbell@lcps.org) for a “test only” enrollment code. If you are taking a course at Champe and want to test at the Academies, you will indicate you are not testing in your Champe College Board class and then email Ms. Hallman (Nadine.Hallman@lcps.org) for a “test only” enrollment code. You will register and pay where you test so if you take a test at ACL, you will need to pay on the ACL payment portal. See Mrs. Campbell in the Office of School Counseling if you have further questions.
I understand that some parents have had issues with the online Payment portal so I wanted to explain it in better detail. Once you register for the exams you wish to take in your College Board account, follow these steps:
To pay for JCHS exams:
- Log into the Payment Portal
- Once you click on the link you will see “AP Exam Fee"
- Change quantity to the number of exams your child is taking at John Champe and click "Add to Cart"
- Remember you must pay for JCHS exams on the JCHS Payment portal and ACL exams on the ACL Payment portal
- Then Checkout
- If you don't already have an account you will need to make one.
To pay for exams you are taking at the Academies of Loudoun:
- Log into the Payment Portal for ACL
- Once you click on the link you will see “AP Exam Fee"
- Change quantity to the number of exams your child is taking at ACL and click "Add to Cart"
- Remember you must pay for JCHS exams on the JCHS Payment portal and ACL exams on the ACL Payment portal
- Then Checkout
- If you don't already have an account you will need to make one.
If you receive free or reduced lunch, AP exam fees are covered by LCPS, but you must still complete the College Board online registration for the exam(s). Nothing needs to be done on the payment portal. If you are unsure if they qualify, please email Mrs. Campbell.
ACT and SAT Test Dates
ACT
Test date - December 14, register by November 8
Test date - February 8, register by January 10
Test date - April 4, register by February 28
Test date - June 13, register by May 8
Test date - July 18, register by June 19
FREE ACT STUDY GUIDE: https://www.mometrix.com/academy/act-study-guide/
SAT
Test date - November 2, register by October 3
Test date - December 7, register by November 8
Test date - March 14, register by February 14
Test date - May 2, register by April 3
Test date - June 6, register by June 6
Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy
With the PSAT/NMSQT approaching, now is a great time for you to utilize the benefits of Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy:
- Personalized practice plans
- Thousands of practice questions, videos, and lessons
- Eight full-length practice tests
- Free to all students
COLLEGE VISITS TO JOHN CHAMPE
- Go to LCPS GO
- Find Naviance Student
- Click on Colleges (Home)
- Scroll down to College Visits; Click "Show More"
- Scroll through list of College Visits; Register for preferred colleges.
Students will then be assigned an ehall pass to show the teacher to attend. It is always to the teacher's discretion to not allow a student to leave if their is an assessment on class or if the student has abused the school pass system.
How to Write a Super Essay (And Save Tons of Time Drafting Essays)
From Ethan Sawyer - collegeessayguy.com
One of the most daunting aspects of applying to college is the sheer number of essays students have to (wait, get to!) write. What do I mean?
Say you’re applying to eight to ten schools. Each college has anywhere from one to five (hi, MIT!) supplemental essays. Quick math tells us that’s between eight and (let's say) thirty, college essay prompts to respond to. And that’s after you write the 650-word personal statement for your Common App. THAT’S CRAZY.
But guess what? YOU TOTALLY DON’T HAVE TO WRITE 30 ESSAYS. In fact, you may end up writing fewer than ten. Why?
I’ve developed a pretty simple, step-by-step process to help students see which essay prompts can overlap. Follow my lead and it may not only save you or your student dozens of hours of writing, it could improve the quality of those essays.
How? The secret involves doing a little bit of research and creative brainstorming before deciding on your topic. Let me illustrate with an example.
Writing an essay about your improv comedy troupe could probably work for both of these prompts (bold emphasis is mine):
University of Michigan: Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.
Duke University seeks a talented, engaged student body that embodies the wide range of human experience; we believe that the diversity of our students makes our community stronger. If you'd like to share a perspective you bring or experiences you've had to help us understand you better—perhaps related to a community you belong to, your sexual orientation or gender identity, or your family or cultural background—we encourage you to do so. Real people are reading your application, and we want to do our best to understand and appreciate the real people applying to Duke.
Want to save yourself even more time? Look for MORE prompts your topic could work for. Take this one, for example:
Stanford: Tell us about something that is meaningful to you and why.
See how that topic can be used to write an essay that works for all three schools? Plus, now Stanford is going to not only learn why improv comedy is meaningful to you, but also how it has created a kind of community for you (thanks to Michigan) AND how it has equipped you with a unique perspective (thanks to Duke). Nice, right?
So what are we doing here? We’re brainstorming what I call Super Essays. A Super Essay not only answers the prompt, but also tells the reader something more. Here’s a Venn Diagram to illustrate based on the Michigan/Duke/Stanford example above, but remember that this can be applied to any schools that have overlapping prompts:
Here’s the short version of how to write a Super Essay:
- Collect all your college essay prompts in a spreadsheet and list all the schools you're applying to, their required essay prompts, and your chosen topic.
- Choose 2-4 activities, ideas, or passion projects that might work as a potential Super Topic.
- In the “topics” column of your essay tracker, note which topics might work for which prompts.
- Brainstorm and write a Super Essay that works for all the prompts you’ve identified
If you want a more detailed step-by-step guide to writing a super essay, check out the full post here. If you want a sneak-peek at one of the lessons in my step-by-step video course on the supplemental essays, watch me analyze one of my favorite sample essays that worked for--wait for it--11 different college essay prompts. Check out the video here.
NOVA Pathways Application Process
If you are interested in the NOVA Pathways program, please remember that the deadline is November 8th. The flyer that is attached gives more details about how to apply!
Here is a little more information about Pathways:
Pathways is a college access program at NOVA designed for students who meet the following criteria:
• First generation college students
• Recent immigrant to the US
• Undocumented / DACA / TPS / ASYLEE Students
• Students with documented disabilities
• Students on free and reduced lunch/Financial barriers
• Minority students
• No minimum GPA is required to apply
University of Alabama
We are excited to announce The University of Alabama's Free App Week, running November 4-10, 2019. This is your opportunity to build off your hard work and dedication to your future without the pressure of cost.
UVA: The Role of Standardized Testing in the #UVA Admission Process
Posted: 29 Oct 2019 03:00 AM PDT
My information sessions are a bit unconventional. I'm told they are helpful because I'm forthright and talk about how we read files instead of just rattling off statistics. I'm thankful that I work at a school where we haven't been pressured to drive up applications, so information sessions can be about helping families understand what we look for in our process and not coaxing more people to apply.
Every now and then, I'll finish a session where I've talked about how we read a file, with heavy emphasis on core classes and rigor, and every question will be about standardized tests. I don't emphasize testing in my talk, as it's a four-hour component of the application and the other parts of the application represent years of development.
Every component of the application is important, but remember that the 6-7 semesters of work we see in your transcript will take precedence over a couple Saturday mornings taking a standardized test.
Superscoring
Remember that UVA superscores the tests as well. Back in the paper days, we'd circle the top score for each section of the exams. When we went paperless over a decade ago, we taught our system to superscore for us. Our system automatically pulls the best scores from the SAT and ACT for us to review. We explain this in the application instructions.
One tip for ACT takers: Don't calculate a new ACT composite score on your own. Report your scores as they appear on your score report. There's a reason for this...
When to Send Official Scores
You will be required to send official score reports if you are admitted and decide to enroll at UVA. We check each official score report against what was self-reported on the application. The students who calculate new composite ACT scores get flagged in that process as having reported incorrect scores.
What are your questions about how UVA looks at standardized testing?
This post originally appeared on Notes from Peabody, the UVA admission blog at http://uvaapplication.blogspot.com/ .
Financial Aid and Scholarship Information
NACAC Resources for College-Bound Students
- New! Ask the Admission Office — a series of six checklists that will help students determine what to ask colleges or universities before they apply.
- Updated! Guide to the College Admission Process
- Get in the Game: Tips for Student-Athletes and Their Families
- Financial Aid...in 7 Easy Steps
- Guide for Families in the College Admission Process
- For-Profit Colleges: What to Know Before You Enroll
- Going Through the College Admission Process: Preparing, Researching, Applying, and Deciding
- Step by Step: College Awareness and Planning for Families, Counselors and Communities
COLLEGE BOARD OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP
The more effort you put in, the more opportunities you have to earn a scholarship. Complete all six, and you’re eligible to earn $40,000. Scholarships will be awarded through monthly drawings to students who complete each action.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
Build Your College List: $500
Get started by exploring colleges you're interested in. Learn More
Practice for the SAT: $1,000
Use Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy® to get ready for test day. Learn More
Improve Your Score: $2,000
Show how practice pays off by improving your SAT score. Learn More
Strengthen Your College List: $500
Make sure your college list has a mix of academic safety, match, and reach schools. Learn More
Complete the FAFSA: $1,000
Fill out the free government form to apply for financial aid. Learn More
Apply to Colleges: $1,000
Apply to the schools you want to attend. Learn More
Complete Your Journey: $40,000
Complete all six scholarship steps to be eligible for a $40,000 scholarship. Learn More
Social Emotional Learning Seminar
The Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) Department of Pupil Services will present “Social Emotional Learning” from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, October 29th, at the LCPS Administrative Offices in Ashburn.
Stefanie LaPolla and Lindsay Orme will introduce the five core competencies of social-emotional learning (SEL). Research will be shared supporting how instruction on SEL competencies enhance students’ capacity to apply skills, attitudes and behaviors to effectively manage daily tasks and challenges. This session will address the need for social-emotional learning instruction and provide an overview of evidence-based curriculum chosen to support this learning in our elementary schools.
Register by calling 571-252-6540 or go to https://www.lcps.org//cms/module/selectsurvey/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=9189
If, due to a disability, you need assistance to enable you to participate in this workshop or if you need an interpreter, call Parent Resource Services at 571-252-6540 at least five working days prior to the seminar. Seating will be limited to 300.
October was Bullying Awareness Month
PEER (Positive Experiences in Educational Relationships) was busy in October hosting two school-wide activities during lunch. On October 15th, they hosted Heeling House of Loudoun. Students had an opportunity to relax and spend some time with therapy dogs. On October 23rd, PEER partnered with Sources of Strength to greet students with high fives in the morning, then had a fall festival during lunch. All activities were designed to help students Stand Up to Bullying!
THINGS THAT HAVE COME ACROSS OUR DESK
Claude Moore Community Builders Program
Designed to help students give back to their community by connecting them with meaningful volunteer opportunities at non-profits in Loudoun County.
Claude Moore Community Builders Program
Project Horse Empowerment Center
Step Up Loudoun
Students should register their ideas and teams by December 12, 2019. Complete both forms.
Information Sessions will be announced in November. Building Teams is our focus until December.
If you have any questions, please contact Sheila Dixon, Program Coordinator. I can be reached at 703.477.6350 or email Sheila.
Aspirations in Computing Award - deadline 11/15
The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC) honors 9th-12th grade students who self-identify as women, genderqueer, or non-binary for their computing-related achievements and interests, and encourages them to pursue their passions. Award recipients are selected based on their aptitude and aspirations in technology and computing, as demonstrated by their computing experience, computing-related activities, leadership experience, tenacity in the face of barriers to access, and plans for post-secondary education. Since 2007, nearly 14,000 students have received an Award for AiC.
Additional information is available at https://www.aspirations.org/recognitions/AiCAward
5th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratorical Contest - January 18, 2020
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Xi Alpha Lambda Prince William County Chapter and the Ira Dorsey Scholarship Endowment Fund, Inc. proudly present the Fifth Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratorical Contest on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at the Waterford Springfield, 6715 Commerce Street, Springfield, VA 22150. The theme of the contest is The Measure of a Man.
The contest honors the birthday and legacy of Dr. King, who was one of the most renowned Brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Students interested in competing may register by completing the enclosed registration form, which includes a copy of the rules, requirements, and judging criteria. The contest is open to students in grades 9 through 12. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions: Hubert “Ronnie” Bagley, (770) 490-2874, bagleyronnie@gmail.com; or Ron Atwater, (909) 743-3892, atwaterr1@icloud.com.
Deadline for submission: A typed copy of the written speech and the Oratorical Contest entry form must be emailed to MLKOratoricalContest@gmail.com no later than November 30, 2019. The entry form must be completed and signed by a parent or guardian.
Contest Awards/Recognition: Upon completion of essay presentations at the MLK Oratorical Contest, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finalists will be selected by a panel of judges and given monetary awards valued at $500, $300, and $200 respectively.