March 2019: 11th Grade
MDHS Counseling Newsletter
MD Juniors
Spring is just around the corner!
- March 4 & 5: Academic Decathlon Info Meeting - If you are interested in joining the Academic Decathlon team for next year, attend a brief info meeting with Ms. George in Room 604 after school.
- March 8: Registration Deadline for April 13, 2019 ACT - Plan for your official SAT/ACT tests and register online.
- March 14 & 15: Counselor Classroom Scheduling Visits - Counselors will visit your English class to go over information on entering your electives for next year.
- March 14: GAP4+1 Cohort 2019 Info Night - Cal State Fullerton and Irvine Valley College offer a guaranteed accounting program through which you can earn your Bachelors of Arts in Business Administration (with an emphasis in accounting) in four years, plus earn your Master’s degree in just one more year. Please see the flyer attached for more info.
- March 23 & 24: Practice SAT & ACT Tests - MD students can sign up to take practice tests at Capistrano Unified School District High Schools for $5. See flyer below for dates/locations.
- March 18: Spring Service Hours Due - Complete submitting and verifying your service hours on MobileServe.
- March 25-29 Spring Break - As a reminder, Spring Break is a wonderful time to visit colleges, catch up on work, and rest!
Scheduling Season
Photos from Junior Career Day & Case Studies Night
Wellness
Gary Chapman, author of The 5 Love Languages, wrote some practical tips for living well and loving others better under stress.
"Under stress, people can say and do things they would otherwise not—sometimes even things they regret. The issue is not that they have no filter or are uncaring, but rather, they've reached an unhealthy capacity (emotional limit) due to stress. The energy needed to "tame" their emotions, and not react to things that may frustrate or upset them, is at a low.
Like a car low on gas, it's important to refuel in order to find the energy you need to keep going in a positive direction emotionally. Nobody likes "blowing up" or "flipping out" on the people they love—it's embarrassing and hurts our relationships. So what can you do if you find yourself in such a place?
Here are a few tips:
- Breathe — When you find yourself at capacity, find a calm, quiet place for a few minutes and practice deep breathing. It will help you relax and does wonders for relieving stress tension.
- Pray or Meditate — Take a moment to talk to God and release the burden of whatever weight you are carrying to Him. Express gratitude for the relationships in your life. If you are not religious, take five minutes to be silent, and meditate on a few things you are grateful for. Gratitude does wonders for the heart.
- Exercise — Sometimes you just need to work it out. Start an exercise routine so your body can release endorphins—your brain's "feel-good" neurotransmitters. These endorphins are also known as the body's natural pain killers. If you feel better physically, you will be able to handle stress more efficiently.
- Sleep — If you find you are simply cranky and cloudy, chances are you may be sleep deprived. Try going to bed at an earlier time, and seek to get at least eight hours of sleep. The more rested your body feels, the more capacity you'll have when it comes to the stress sneaking up on you.
These are just a few ways you can begin to combat the stress in your life. Try them out, and see if your capacity begins to grow. If so, you will find you'll be more likely to relate in healthy ways and be more present for the people you love and those who love you."
If you ever need to talk to someone about personal concerns (family, friends, how you're feeling, dealing with stress, etc.) please let your school counselor know. We are here to support you. We also have two Wellness Counselors available every school day.
Service Hours/Reflection
As a reminder, to graduate from Mater Dei students must complete 10 hours of volunteer service per semester, and at least half of all hours must be "direct service." The deadline in spring for service hours is now March 18, 2019.
Visit the Christian Service Program web page for more information. Be sure to submit your hours through our new app, MobileServe. Please check that they have been verified.
If you have any questions, talk to Mrs. Hopkins, our Director of Christian Service, in Campus Ministry.
Thank you for celebrating National School Counseling Week with us in February!
Pop In!
We're a Team
School counselors love to consult and collaborate with teachers, administrators, staff, parents/guardians, and our caring community.
Higher Education
Peer Tutoring
Mater Dei High School Counseling Department
Website: https://www.materdei.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=70016&type=d&pREC_ID=237246
Location: Mater Dei High School, 1202 W Edinger Avenue, Santa Ana, CA 92707