Counselor's Corner
February 2022 ✾
SECOND SEMESTER IS UNDERWAY!
Hello Longhorns! We hope that you all had a safe, healthy and relaxing Winter Break! As we head into this upcoming stretch of time before another break in the academics, we hope that you will take time for yourselves and your family. Be sure to reach out if you need anything, we are here for you!
Let's talk about your future
An important part of ensuring success for every Longhorn is supporting students in the selection of the courses you take during high school and ensuring that the course selection process represents a partnership between students and counselors.
We encourage you to have conversations about your interests, passions, and goals for the future so you feel prepared to make decisions during the course selection process.
Below, you will find more information about course selection, the course catalog and other resources to ensure all Longhorns feel informed throughout this process.
We strive to create learning experiences that are relevant to your lives as Longhorns, while preparing you for life beyond high school. Please visit the course catalog for details of RBV courses offered- we have a wide variety of courses that are tailored to enhance your knowledge and personal ability.
Class of 2025
Counselors will be meeting one-on-one with 9th grade students on March 21-25 to go over your schedule for the 10th grade.
Class of 2024
Counselors will be meeting one-on-one with 10th grade students on March 15-17 to go over your schedule for the 11th grade.
Class of 2023
Counselors will be meeting one-on-one with 11th grade students on March 7-8, and 11 to go over your schedule for the 12th grade.
do you need to recover credits from previous classes?
Seniors 🎓
Don’t miss your opportunity to
get financial assistance for college.
- For those attending community college, a 4-year university or career education programs, please be sure to apply for financial aid through the FAFSA or the CADAA. Student's can use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) as one of the forms to apply for financial aid for college.
- Also, The California Dream Act Application (CADAA) is another option for financial aid that allows access to all students regardless of immigration status and/or documentation who are interested in attending eligible California Colleges, Universities, and Career Education Programs to apply for state financial aid.
Seniors: Will you be attending Community College in the Fall?
Palomar College is located in San Marcos, California. At Palomar, you may choose from over 150 associate degree and certificate programs, complete the first two years of a bachelor’s degree, train for a career, or enjoy personal enrichment classes for lifelong learning. Click here to apply to Palomar College!
The Palomar Promise, which provides two years of tuition assistance at Palomar, is on a first come first serve basis and requires that students fill out the FAFSA/ CADAA. Applications are still being accepted for the Palomar Promise program for 2022-2023 academic year: Apply Here!
Interested in MiraCosta?
Scholarships
Longhorns- stay updated with scholarships offered to you on our scholarship bulletin! Please see Ms. Greenbauer our College & Career Center Technician for more information.
Important Upcoming Dates ☟
February 17 & 22┃10th Grade Course Selection Presentations
February 18┃Observed Lincoln's Birthday (Holiday)
February 21┃President's Day (Holiday)
February 26┃Financial Aid Application (FAFSA) Workshop
March 2-3┃9th Grade Course Selection Presentations
March 4┃Elective Fair during Lunch
March 7- 25┃Course Selection Meetings w/ Students
March 28- April 1┃Spring Break
April 4┃Senior Questionnaire Local Scholarship Deadline
Mindfulness Zone ⋒
The Present Moment
The present moment is the only moment we have to be alive. With mindfulness, we can let go of getting stuck in regrets about the past (“I wish this hadn’t happened…”), and worries about the future (“What if….?”). This doesn’t mean we don’t care about the future, or that we pretend things in the past didn’t happen. But, we know that if we take good care of the present moment, that is also creating the best possibility for a positive future.
6 Ways to Live in the Present
1. Focus on the Now
In order to live in the moment, you need to focus on the now. Focus on what you’re doing. Shut off the TV, turn off the computer, slow down, and savor the present.
2. Pay Attention to the Small Things
Notice the world around you: the small things. Be thankful for them. Living for the moment and taking notice of the small things will help you cultivate more positive experiences.
3. Smile
If you want to know how to live in the moment, you just have to take a look in the mirror and smile. Smile — it can influence how you feel.
4. Perform Random Acts of Kindness
Random acts of kindness, those selfless acts that help others, help you live for the moment of making others smile, and making you smile as well. Random acts of kindness are just that — random. They are spontaneous, in the moment, and a great addition to your daily life.
5. Give Thanks
Be thankful. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? But it isn’t always. It doesn’t have to be Thanksgiving for you to feel grateful and express that gratitude.
6. Don't Worry
It’s much harder than it sounds, but try to remember that worrying today won’t change what happens tomorrow. Every second you spend in worry about the future is a second of the present wasted. Because worrying takes you out of this moment and transports you into the realm of future possibilities, it's impossible to live in the moment and worry at the same time.
Your Counseling Team ✼
Counseling Support Staff
Samia Felix︱Counseling Secretary ✉ samiafelix@vistausd.org
Gina Greenbauer︱College & Career Center Technician ✉ ginagreenbauer@vistausd.org
Carmen Kash︱Registrar ✉ carmenkash@vistausd.org
Lynne Stewart︱Data Coordinator ✉ lynnestewart@vistausd.org
Spotlight Chats 🗨️ Mr. Sosa, Assistant Principal
When you were in high school, what were your future career plans?
Early on in high school, even in middle school, I knew I needed to leave Chicago. I didn’t feel I had a choice but to leave, so I decided I wanted to join the military as a way to get a fresh start. For someone like me who didn’t have any real mentorship, I felt this was my only option.
What did your journey end up looking like? (What school(s) did you attend, major, career path)
I did enlist in the Marines and used the GI Bill to pay for for my undergraduate degree and credential program where I earned both an English and math credential. I have been an ELD teacher/coordinator and an English and math teacher. I have also taught military science and coached drill and marksmanship for the JROTC program at one school. Recently I have been an assistant principal at the high school level in Moreno Valley, an assistant principal at Roosevelt MS here in Vista and now here at RBV.
If you could go back, what is one piece of advice that you would give yourself in high school?
If I could go back to high school, I would have worked consistently. It wasn’t even a matter of working harder. I needed to work consistently. That would have been all the difference. Practice makes us better, not perfect.
What do you enjoy doing during your spare time? (hobbies)
I love to read, learn now to do repairs around the house, and I enjoy running during my spare time.
What is a fun fact about you that not many people know about?
I was born and raised in Chicago and 1 of 13 siblings to a Mexican immigrant family.
What is your favorite song at the moment?
My favorite song at the moment is “Gitano Soy” by the Gypsy Kings.
Email: davidsosa@vistausd.org
Website: https://rbv.vistausd.org/
Location: 1601 Longhorn Drive, Vista, CA 92081, USA
Phone: 760-727-7284