Counseling Newsletter
Mercy McAuley High School
Save the Date!
August 21, 2020: Last day for schedule changes
See information Below
September 4, 2020: Registration Deadline for October 3rd SAT test date
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register
September 7, 2020: Labor Day, No school
September 13, 2020: Virtual College Fair
September 17, 2020: Registration Deadline for October 10th, 17th, 24th, and 25th ACT test dates
https://www.act.org/content/act/en/register.html
October 6, 2020: College Information/Financial Aid Night at Mercy McAuley
More information coming soon
https://www.nacacfairs.org/virtual/
October 7, 2020: Registration Deadline for November 7th SAT test date
Welcome
The Counseling Team would like to welcome you to the start of another new school year!
We hope you find this newsletter to be a helpful one stop shop every week for information that comes through the school counseling offices. We look forward to sharing with you relevant topic content: everything from study skills, tips for high school success, stress busters, scholarship information, college research and application resources, test prep information, and the list goes on and on... Catch us each week!
WHAT DOES A SCHOOL COUNSELOR DO?
At Mercy McAuley, the roles of the school counselors include:
- academic advising and intervention
- college and career exploration and counseling
- personal counseling
- liaison between families and the school
- scheduling and class selection
- planning for graduation
We are here to support all of our students!
SOME IMPORTANT REMINDERS ABOUT SCHEDULES
- A student may add a class to their schedule only where there is an open time in her schedule. This cannot necessitate a major schedule change.
- All schedule changes for both first and second semester must be done within the first seven days of school. The last day for a schedule change is August 21
- If a student wishes to drop a class, she must discuss this with her counselor and have written permission from a parent.
- Each student must take a minimum of six courses each semester of each year
- The fee for dropping a class is $100.00 and must be accompanied by the parent permission form. The counselor will not process the schedule change (dropping a class) without the $100.00 fee and parent permission in writing
- If the schedule change is due to a school error, a change fee will not be charged.
HOW TO SEE A SCHOOL COUNSELOR
Students are assigned a counselor based on last names and will work with the same counselor throughout all of high school. Students are welcome to schedule a meeting with their counselor by sending them an email or stopping in to the counseling center. Counselors meet with students during TEA time on Tuesdays as a whole grade. Our first meeting is with seniors on September 1st.
If parents would like to meet with a counselor please call or email the counselor to set up an appointment.
Caseloads are assigned by last name. View the contact list and information below to find your daughter's counselor's information.
Mental Health Concerns
If you feel that you or a friend is in a crisis situation and/or fearful of hurting yourself or others and there isn’t a caring adult you can reach right away, please reach out to one of the following:
- Call 281-CARE (2273)
- Text 4HOPE to 839863
- Call the Psychiatric Intake Response Center (PIRC) at Cincinnati Children's Hospital @ (513) 636-4124
- You can also call 911 or Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office at 513-946-6400
VIRTUAL COLLEGE TOURS
Learn about our area colleges & universities from the comfort of your home! This is just a sampling of the resources available online - most institutions are providing campus tours and information sessions virtually.
University of Cincinnati, Clifton
Attending an On-Campus College Visit?
ATTENDANCE POLICY FOR COLLEGE VISITS FOR MERCY MCAULEY STUDENTS
- Student must forward a college visit confirmation email from the college to the student’s high school counselor at least one week prior to the visit.
- Upon returning to school after the visit, student must provide a note from the college or a copy of the college visit itinerary to the attendance office.
- Students are expected to notify their teachers of the absence at least one week prior to the visit and are responsible for completing any missed assignments in a timely manner.
- Absences after April 30th are not marked as excused for college visits.
- If a sophomore has a specific interest or need in taking an official college campus visit on a school day prior to junior year, they must speak with their high school counselor for information and obtain excused attendance approval at least one week prior to the visit.
CORONAVIRUS UPDATES FROM COUNSELORS
The Counseling Department is posting all updates we receive regarding changes to deadlines and policies related to COVID-19 in the document linked below. Please bookmark the link below and reference for the most up to date information.
The topics so far include:
- ACT / SAT/ AP/ End of Course Testing Dates
- CCP Updates
- College Admission Process
- Scholarship Update
TEST PREP OPTIONS
Need help with the ACT, SAT, or in a class? Check out this document and see all of the tutors and test prep options the Counseling Department recommends for the students.
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
In this document you can find all of the scholarships that the Counseling Department has heard about so far this year and useful websites to search for scholarships. The document is updated weekly.
STUDENT PROGRAMS AND OPPORTUNITIES
In this document you can find information for different camps, open houses, internships, academic sessions, and workshops.
Click here for more information.COUNSELOR STUDENT ASSIGNMENT & CONTACT INFORMATION
Phone: 513-681-1800 ext. 1117
Mrs. Kristina Schwartz: students with the last name beginning with H-O
Phone: 513-681-1800 ext. 1123
Mrs. Caroline Rieth: students with the last name beginning with P-Z
Phone: 513-681-1800 ext. 1127
Mrs. Cindy Meyer: Student Services Assistant
Phone: 513-681-1800 ext. 1153