Winter Musings 2019

Winter Updates

We hope everyone is enjoying the new year! The student support blog has taken a hiatus this fall, as the office has been incredibly busy.  However, we still want to send out updates about what is happening in our offices, as well as some pertinent information students, parents, and teachers may find valuable.  With that said, let's begin!

Meet StuSup!

We posed a couple of questions to the student support staff in order to get to know them better.  Check out their answers below:

Ms. Schmidt, administrative assistant

1.  Favorite Food: Shrimp

2.  Favorite Movie: Sweet Home Alabama or Elf

3.  Favorite Book: Twilight series

4.  Favorite Vacation Spot: Kona, Hawaii or Turks and Caicos

5.  Favorite Band/Musician: David Bowie

Ms. Schowalter, school psychologist

1.  Favorite Food: Thai or Pizza

2.  Favorite Movie: Anything in the Marvel or DC universe

3.  Favorite Book: The Four Agreements

4.  Favorite Vacation Spot: Southern Mexico

Ms. Norris, school counselor

1.  Favorite Food: pineapple

2.  Favorite Movie: Clueless

3.  Favorite Book: The Alchemist

4.  Favorite Vacation Spot: San Diego

5.  Favorite Band/Musician: Tom Petty

Mr. Brown, school counselor

1.  Favorite Food: Anything Italian

2.  Favorite Movie: the Lord of the Rings trilogy

3.  Favorite Book: 100 Years of Solitude 

4.  Favorite Vacation Spot: Glacier National Park, Montana

5.  Favorite Band/Musician: Pearl Jam

Ms. Hoffman, school counselor

1.  Favorite Food: Wy'East Pizza

2.  Favorite Movie: Love Actually

3.  Favorite Book: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

4.  Favorite Vacation Spot: Laguna Beach

5.  Favorite Band/Musician: Sara Barreilles

Stop in and get to know the student support staff!  You may walk away with a great book or movie recommendation;)

Mental Health Updates

Most community members are now aware of the fantastic partnership between the Shorewood School District and Children's Wisconsin.  Through various grants, the district will have access to consultation and mental health training.  A therapist will also be seeing students at the high school; this person is now working at the high school a few days each week, spending some time at Shorewood Intermediate School in addition to the high school.

Therapeutic services will be provided during the school day and after school, but they will function as they would at any outpatient clinic, in that insurance will be billed.  If parents/guardians are interested in looking into these services, they should contact their student's school counselor, who can facilitate the process and connect parents and students to Children's Wisconsin.

Here is the bio for the therapist working at the high school:

Alecia A. Corbett, MSW, LCSW, RYT-200

Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Children’s Wisconsin

Ms. Corbett is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has worked in the field for over 10 years.  In the past, she was a School Social Worker with experience working with families and students in grades K-12.  Currently, she delivers school-based mental health services at Shorewood High and Intermediate Schools.  She has a variety of experience including crisis team facilitation, suicide assessment and prevention, and evidence-based practices.  She looks forward to working with families and students here in our district.

Signs of Suicide, a research based intervention was reviewed in all Integrated Wellness classes in grades 10 and 11.  We also will be doing a full lesson on this program for all freshmen soon. The program discusses the warning signs of suicide, as well as how students should react if they are concerned about a student or themselves.  The full lesson will be provided to freshmen in the coming weeks.

Counselors also presented a lesson about stress and balance to all freshmen students.  In addition, we talked about career clusters, and students took a survey to gauge what clusters (business, healthcare, etc.) might match their interests.  Login with your child to review these results.

Regarding stress, we spoke about some basic stress relief techniques that students can use, including paced breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and visualization.  We also gave students a list that included ways to reduce stress.

Here is the link to the sheet we shared with students: Stress Coping Strategies.

In addition, we plan on screening freshmen students this spring for potential mental health issues; look for information about that coming soon.

As always, please be sure to reach out to your child's counselor should you have any concerns regarding mental health.

Resources:

1. Check out this great blog from Rogers Memorial; a number of topics are discussed that may be of use to parents and students.  Click on this link.
2. The Center for Healthy Minds out of UW-Madison has a number of good resources, as well as a solid description of why mental health problems are increasing.  The bulk of the website is focused on college students, but many of the ideas contained on the website can be applied to high school students as well.  Here is the link.
3. Watch this short TED Talk about the importance of being more mindful from Richard Davidson, a professor at UW-Madison.  The TED Talk focuses on finding ways to promote mental well-being through exercises that involve the mind.  
4. Two new informational resources from Rogers regarding screen time and social media are below.  Studies have long documented a correlation between screen time/social media use and negative mental health effects.  Limiting both can be important for teens.  Screen Time. Social Media.

Academic and College/Career Updates

A number of academic updates occur mid-year; take a look below!

Scheduling:

• Students will register for courses between February 5th and February 12th on their own.  Information regarding this process will be passed out in homerooms, as well as instructions regarding how to register.  
• This month, students should speak with teachers, counselors, and parents/guardians concerning what choices best match their career and academic plans.  Counselors will be presenting graduation requirements in Integrated Wellness courses throughout the month of January.  Counselors will also present this information during lunch to any students who opted out of Lifetime Wellness on January 30th.  This will occur in the Think Space.  
• More information about specific courses, as well as course descriptions, can be found on our website, under the course selection tab.  
• If students are interested in courses not offered at SHS, they should see their counselors soon, as deadlines for other programs come quickly in the Spring.

Academic and Career Planning:

• Counselors will be in Team Concepts and Lifetime Wellness classrooms in March or April to present on college and career planning.  Sophomore students will be taking an in-depth career survey, while juniors will dive into the college search.  Be sure to log on to Naviance with your child to view the results and see all that Naviance has to offer when it comes to college and career planning.
• Naviance, unfortunately, is requiring all students to change their passwords in order to access the site.  Counselors can no longer control this.  Please continue to use your Shorewood email (just the first part, not the @shorewood.k12.wi.us) as the login.  However, we would like students to create new passwords that follow this pattern: birthdate and initials capitalized.  For instance, a student named George Greyhound who was born on January 15th, 2001, would create the following password: 01152001GG.  The password MUST be 10 characters in length, so it is important for students to put the zero before single digit months.  It is also important that they list the full birth year.  If students have trouble doing this, they should see their counselors.  
• Junior conference are wrapping up for all of the counselors.  This hour long meeting with students and parents to discuss post-secondary options and planning is a great opportunity to learn about next steps and how to plan for life after high school.  Contact your child's school counselor if you still have not signed up for a conference.  

College Applications and Scholarships:

• Mid-Year transcripts will be sent to all colleges on Monday, January 27.  This provides an important and required update to all colleges regarding student progress.  
• Financial aid awards should arrive in the winter and spring for colleges.  If students or parents need help making sense of these documents, please stop in.  Students have until May 1, 2020 to decide where they want to attend.
• For students interested in the MATC Promise, please be sure to apply to MATC by February 7th; you must also file the FAFSA and complete the Promise application for free tuition.  Check out this website for more information: MATC Promise.  
• After February 1, most colleges with set deadlines for fall admissions will have passed.  However, many universities with rolling admissions will still accept applications.  See your counselor with any questions.  
• Some tips for future college graduates: 15 Tips for High School Graduates
• Seniors should consider creating an account at fastweb, to search for private scholarships.
• The College Opportunity Scholarships offer a chance to win money simply for doing things like creating a college list.  Check them out here: College Board Opportunity Scholarships.
• Don't forget to apply to SHS scholarships.  The application can be found here: SHS Scholarships.  

Grades:

• Semester grades have posted!  If students struggled in any of their classes, they should see their counselors and meet with their teachers to develop a plan for second semester.  Counselors will be crafting plans for students who failed a course.  
• Some great study tips for students can be found here: How to Study Better in High School.
• And some great tips about how to be successful in high school: Successful High School Students.

Testing:

• The state ACT occurs on March 3 at SHS.  Only juniors will be on campus that day for what is always an ideal testing environment.  Be sure to check out some practice questions at ACT.org.  If you want to prep further, see your counselor for ideas.
• ASPIRE testing for freshmen and sophomore will occur on April 14th and 15th--this is a pre-ACT test and can provide valuable information regarding how a student might do on the ACT test.
• AP testing will occur the first two weeks of May.  Students have already signed up for this test.  The schedule can be found here: AP schedule. Be sure to check out this site regarding test prep: Preparing for the Exam.

Thanks everyone!  Don't hesitate to reach out.

Molly Norris (A-G) anorris@shorewood.k12.wi.us
Scott Brown (H-O) sbrown@shorewood.k12.wi.us
Jennifer Hoffman (P-Z) jhoffman@shorewood.k12.wi.us

March/April Musings 2019

Spring is in the air...

Well...maybe not quite yet, as we look outside at the mounds of snow still left over from the brutal winter.  Still, with only two weeks left in third quarter, no doubt the birds will begin to sing a bit more, the sun will feel warmer, and the excitement that accompanies the imminent summer will arrive.  Along with the changing seasons, a number of exciting changes await our seniors, as they approach graduation and next steps, be those steps a gap year, college, or entering the workforce.  We are here to support them along the way.  

Class Meetings

All Grades:  Counselors met with students in each grade (9-11) in the month of January to discuss course planning.  During these meetings, counselors discussed the following:

• Credit requirements for graduation (students need 47 credits, with specific requirements for English, math, science, social studies, art, and integrated wellness).  To read more about these requirements, check out our website.  
• Examined new courses, including yoga, lifeguarding, advanced strength training, color theory, altered media, and painting and drawing.
• Discussed typical schedules by grade, including required core classes.
• Met with students individually to look at their initial course selections.

While registration is complete, actual course scheduling does not occur until the summer, and students do not receive their course schedules until Forms and Fees day sometime in August.  A few reminders regarding scheduling:

• Students cannot pick specific hours, nor can they pick specific teachers.
• Course conflicts sometimes occur; given that SHS is a small high school, some courses are inevitably offered at the same time as other courses.  
• Counselors try to balance schedules and class sizes as best they can, but sometimes, conflicts are inevitable given the structure of the day.  

Students should see their counselor early should they wish to change their schedules.  All schedule changes should be thoughtfully deliberated upon and discussed with parents/guardians.

Seniors: Counselors continue to meet with individual students to follow-up on acceptance letters from colleges, financial aid offers, scholarship searches, and any other assistance we can offer to ease the transition to college and work.

Also, we want seniors to come in and add their pictures to our college board, as soon as they find out where they will be attending next year!  We look forward to May 1st, National College Decision Day and hearing all of the exciting news!

Juniors:  Counselors will meet with second semester "Lifetime Wellness" students to discuss:

• The college search through Naviance.  Students list criteria they want in a college (size, major, location, etc.), and the search tool matches them with various colleges throughout the country.  Feel free to login with your child to examine these results.
• Resume building.  Students create a resume to give to teachers in May, so that teachers can write strong letters of recommendation for college.
• Signs of Suicide.  Counselors will be presenting on the warning signs of suicide.  To read more about the program, check out this website from WI DPI.  
• Letters of recommendation via a whole class assembly in early May.  Juniors should request these letters from teachers in May, by providing their resumes to teachers and requesting them on Naviance as soon as the teacher agrees to write the letter.

Sophomores:  Counselors will meet with second semester "Team Concepts" students to discuss:

• Career interests.  Students take a career interest survey based on John Holland's research.  They are then matched with various careers based on their personal preferences.
• Academic and person goals that are reevaluated.

Freshmen:  Counselors will meet with freshmen this spring to discuss:

• Issues of stress and coping mechanisms.  We will also look at academic planning.

Counselors continue to meet with students of concern, those failing classes or dealing with emotional problems.  Don't hesitate to reach out to your child's counselor with any concerns outside of school as well.

Testing Updates

ACT Aspire

All Shorewood High School 9th and 10th graders will be participating in the ACT Aspire assessment.  The ACT Aspire assesses each student’s college readiness in reading, math, writing, science, and English, and it provides each family with a predicted score range for their student on the ACT. Test results provide each family with a detailed report regarding each student’s performance.  All freshman and sophomores will complete this assessment during two half days of testing: Tuesday, April 16th and Wednesday, April 17th.  Freshmen will complete ACT Aspire on Wednesday morning and Thursday afternoon. Sophomores will complete he ACT Aspire on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning.

If you are interested in learning more, here is a link to sample questions:

http://actaspire.pearson.com/exemplars.html

Important test day information will be sent via message center in the coming weeks.

Forward Testing

This will occur through Social Studies classes for all 10th grades students.  This test is completed online and looks at students' knowledge of social studies content information; it will occur on April 4th and 5th.  To learn more about this mandated test, please see this website.  

AP Testing

AP testing will occur at SHS from May 6-16.  The schedule is below:

REFUND POLICY: We understand that on rare occasions students must cancel an exam. Here is our refund policy:

Students who cancel an exam by Sunday, May 5 are entitled to a refund of the exam fee minus a cancellation fee of $15  (per exam cancelled). After May 5, there will be no refunds.

If you have any questions regarding AP Exam Registration, please see your counselor or call the Student Support Services Office at 414-963-6942.

Students--What to bring on exam day:

-Several sharpened No. 2 pencils (with erasers) for completing multiple-choice answer sheets (not mechanical)

-Pens, with black or dark blue ink only, for completing areas on the exam booklet covers and for free response questions in most exams.

-Up to two calculators with the necessary capabilities if you are taking an AP Biology, Calculus, Physics, or Statistics exams.  VISIT https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse  to see appropriate calculators.

-A watch if desired (cannot have an alarm or connect to the Internet).

-A ruler if you are taking an AP Physics exam (protractors are not allowed).

THE ABOVE LIST IS ALL YOU SHOULD NEED TO BRING TO THE TEST.  

AS A REMINDER, WHAT NOT TO BRING:

-ANY electronic equipment (cell phones, smart watch, i-pods, cameras, etc.).  

-Books, compasses, mechanical pencils, correction fluid, notes, dictionaries, colored pencils, etc.

-Scratch paper

-Reference guides, computers, keyboard maps

-Watches that beep or have an alarm

-Food or drink (students may not consume these during testing, but they may have a snack during breaks).

-Clothing with subject-related informationEar plugs

In addition, students can prepare for the tests by visiting the AP website.

In the News

Below is an article concerning college rankings. We have published this before, but it is worthwhile to once again state that most of the research shows that college rankings matter little in terms of long term student outcomes:

From the article:

"A new study from researchers at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education examines all of the evidence about rankings and comes to this conclusion: the best way to find a college that is a “good fit” is to ignore the rankings."

Inside Higher Education: To Find the Best Fit, Ignore the Rankings

Another article from Forbes explores the importance of creating time to discuss money with future college students.  

From the article:

"Parents need to be open and honest about what they have saved and what they plan to spend on their child's college. This includes what a parent will pay for tuition, room, board, books, supplies, and fun."

Forbes: Parent and Student Money Strategies for College

Finally, a good article about helping students deal with college rejections:

From the article:

"Alvord suggests parents spend less time saving their children from pending failure or discomfort and more time engaging them in becoming responsible members of their family. “Even a toddler can help push a recycling container,” Alvord says.

Alvord has witnessed the fallout from well-meaning parents who coddle their children through high school. “They edit their work. They remind them of deadlines. Then all that scaffolding disappears in college,” she said. For many, it begins unraveling when they open the email from their first-choice college and learn they’ve been rejected."

Washington Post: Rejections hurt. Here's How to Help Your Child During College Acceptance Season.

For Juniors, this article provides a pretty comprehensive checklist for college planning.  Spring and summer are great for visiting colleges and solidifying a college list:

Forbes:  College Planning: Junior Year Checklist

Wellness

As we meet with students throughout the year, we continue to stress that students proactively tackle stressors in their lives.  High school can be a chaotic and stressful time for students.  Along with balancing various activities and academics, students are also beginning to form their identities, deal with social pressures, and consider their future.  All of these potential stressors can deeply impact students in negative ways; however, students can also be resilient, learning ways to effectively manage stress.  At a minimum, students should:

-eat a well balanced diet

-get enough sleep-8-9 hours for most teenagers

-exercise regularly

-limit technology use

-engage in social relationships and activities that are affirming

-consider utilizing relaxation techniques, including deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation

Here is a good website from Cleveland Clinic regarding stress:

Stress: Coping With Life's Stressors

Don't forget to check out Pam Miller's Monday Night Meditation.  It occurs every Monday from 7-8 PM at 2700 E. Shorewood BLVD.  

In addition, RedGen has a number of events coming up, all of which highlight the importance of youth mental health:

http://www.redgen.org/new-events

Finally, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has been publishing an ongoing series on youth mental health.  Feel free to check out some of the articles associated with this series:

Kids in Crisis

Summer Opportunities

We encourage all students to get involved in some form of summer activity, including:

-sports

-paid jobs

-camps

-Shorewood Recreation Department offerings 

For students interested in pre-college programs, we have a number of mailings in our office that students can peruse.

Finally, we wish everyone a happy and healthy spring and summer!  To the seniors that are nearing graduation, we wish you all the best as you pursue life's next big adventure.  

Don't hesitate to reach out with any questions.  Thanks so much!

Sincerely,

Scott Brown

Molly Norris

Jennifer Hoffman

November/ December Musings

A Busy Fall

This fall has been a whirlwind of excitement...see the list below to see what counselors have been up to the past few months:

We presented the following information to different classes:

• Freshmen created academic and personal goals for the year, they received information and strategies for coping with stress, and they took a career interest survey in Naviance that linked them with 16 federally designated career clusters (i.e. healthcare, education, business, etc.).  To read more about career clusters, check out this link.  
• Sophomores revised academic and personal goals,  and they took a more specific career survey based on Holland codes.  This survey matched them with various specific careers (i.e. environmental engineer, pediatrician, teacher, etc.).  
• Juniors worked on their resumes, something they can use for both teacher letters of recommendation, as well as jobs/college applications.  They also took a more in-depth dive into Naviance Student, the resource we use to send transcripts and letters of recommendation electronically, and also a source of TONS of information regarding colleges and careers.  They used Super Match to put in criteria they want in a college and spent time researching various "good fit" schools.
• Seniors met as a whole class to review requirements regarding the application process.  We continue to support students one-on-one as they apply to various colleges.  As a reminder, seniors should be following up with various universities and ensuring that all application materials are received by the university.  

FYI: All class meetings for semester courses will be repeated in the spring.  

We also presented to all junior lifetime classes regarding signs of suicide, a research based program that helps students develop the skills needed to assist friends who may be suicidal.  

We will hold lunch information sessions to all junior students who opted out of Lifetime later in January.  During this time, we will discuss course registration, as well as the college related information students missed by not being in Lifetime.  

Many students also attended a number of events sponsored by the school or other organizations, such as:

The NACAC college fair, a fair that occurs every fall at the Wisconsin Center.  Hundreds of universities set up informational booths and met with prospective juniors and seniors:

https://www.nacacfairs.org/

Nelson Brown took a number of students to a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) fair as well.  A number of students were admitted on the spot to various HBCUs throughout the country.

SHS hosted their second annual University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on-site admissions in early November.  Students were able to interview with UWM and receive on the spot admissions offers.  A large number of students were admitted on that date!

SHS hosted a Financial Aid Night with Susan Teerink from Marquette.  Parents were able to hear about the ins-and-outs of financial aid, including how to fill out the FAFSA, how to evaluate different types of aid (loans, grants, merit aid), and how to deal with unique financial situations.  

Here is the link to Susan's presentation:

https://sites.google.com/shorewood.k12.wi.us/shsgreyhounds-sss/everything-college/financial-aid

SHS also hosted a parent forum in November, where parents discussed the college application process regarding their students who graduated the previous year.  

SHS hosted Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) in early December; representatives from MATC helped students with applications, discussed the Promise program, and reminded students to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).  

Here is some information regarding the Promise Program, an offer of free tuition if eligible:

In Other News

Junior Conferences

All junior students, as well as their parents/guardians, have been meeting with their respective counselors to discuss post-secondary planning.  These junior conferences are typically one hour long and focus on two purposes: a back and forth regarding the students' plans for the future and a discussion of the nuts and bolts of the college application process.  We also discuss:

• Financial Aid and Scholarships
• Admission Criteria
• Letters of Recommendation
• Use of Naviance Student and other important websites (Big Future, College Scorecard, etc.)
• Timelines
• Standardized Testing
• College Visits

Each student receives a folder filled with useful information that students can reference as they begin the college search process.

Application Process

Just a reminder that the "typical" college application consists of the following (seniors should try to do all of this AT LEAST one week in advance of a deadline):

1. Completing the online application (see the admissions page to access this).  In the application, students will list activities, grades, current courses, demographic data, and write the personal essay.
2. Stopping in our office and completing a blue transcript request form.  Once we receive this, along with five dollars per transcript, we will electronically send your transcripts and your letters of recommendation (as well as anything your counselor might need to do).  
3. If required, sending in your ACT scores directly from act.org.

Some highly selective schools may have more requirements!  Remember to always review the university's admissions page to see what you need to submit. 

It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to ensure that the university receives all supplementary materials.  Technology can fail, so it is important that you monitor what has and has not been received.

Scholarships

Now that many students have applied to various colleges, it is time to begin the search for scholarships.  This article by Forbes presents good information regarding the various types of scholarships.

Here is the link to the article: Finding, Earning And Debunking Myths of the Coveted College Scholarship.

Generally speaking, scholarships are awarded in one of three ways:

1. Through the university (find out if you need to apply or if they are awarded automatically to incoming freshmen--look every year for new ones!)
2. Through national search engines (the College Board, Fastweb, etc.).  These scholarship searches will match students with scholarships from companies, foundations, etc.  We also list some of these scholarships on Naviance Student.  
3. Through SHS--we offer a number of competitive scholarships.  This information is given out in homeroom during the winter months.  

For example, students that attend the University of Minnesota or the University of Wisconsin-Madison can apply for a full tuition award through the HAMP scholarship foundation.  See this link for more information.  

In addition, if families have not completed the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), they should do so ASAP, regardless of parental income; here is the federal website: FAFSA.   Read this article about some of the biggest myths surrounding FAFSA:

Biggest Myths About the FAFSA That Can Cost You

Some private schools may require that parents fill out a more in-depth financial document called the CSS profile.  Check out this link to learn more about it: CSS Profile.

In addition, check out this graphic to determine how student aid is determined:

This graphic describes the different types of financial aid:

Testing:

1. ACT testing will occur for all juniors on February 20th.  Students will be in small classes, and the entire school will be empty except for juniors.
2. ACT WORKKEYS, a state mandated test meant to evaluate students' workplace skills, will occur February 21st and be in the Arena.  All students will be attending school that day.  This test in NO WAY is reported to colleges or universities and does not impact admission decisions.  
3. AP test registration will occur from February 4-13.  Students in Advanced Placement classes can sign up to take the tests in May of this year.  Next year, the College Board is requiring that students sign up for tests much earlier, perhaps as early as October.  More information will come out regarding this over the summer.  For detailed information about registration this year, see below:

• Online registration window (through Total Registration): Monday, February 4 (at 6:00 am) through Wednesday, February 13 (at 11:59 pm) (after this date, you must register in the student support office, and you will be assessed a late fee).
• Late Registration begins: Thursday, February 14 ($55 late registration fee applies)
• Registration Website: www.TotalRegistration.net/AP/502112
• This year’s AP Exam fee is: $98 per exam (there is a late registration fee of $55 for anyone who registers after February 14)
• MOST AP Exams will be taken in Room 209/210 of the PE Building* (please note the location of testing listed by the exam--other possible spots include the upper gym and the Arena (also in the PE building)). Students will not leave campus for testing. Exam times are not flexible, so students may miss class to take an exam. Students are responsible for coordinating any missed work with appropriate teachers. (*except Studio Art, which will take place in the art room.)
• Talk to your teachers regarding exam selection: They can help you choose what exams are best for you.
• Visit https://student.collegeboard.org/: helpful information for exam content and format. Please note that afternoon exams may run beyond the normal 3:19 p.m. dismissal time, and other arrangements for after school athletics may need to be made.
• Students with afternoon exams will be excused from their 4th hour class to have more time for lunch.  If students are taking two exams in one day, they should bring a bag lunch to eat during the brief break.

Scheduling and Course Registration:

Scheduling meetings will begin occurring in January, where counselors will meet with students to discuss course options for next year.  Just like last year, students will register online during a specified window of time.  Students should discuss course selections with their parents/guardians.

Wellness

Spearheaded by the student REDgen group at SHS, Shorewood High School had its second RECESS!  Research shows that adolescents need time to unwind and alleviate stress.  This "free period" gave students the time to do just that.  It was a resounding success!  See the flyer below for more information regarding what occurred on Thursday, December 13:

To learn more about REDgen and its work fostering teen resiliency and balance, check out their website.

In addition, if students feel they need additional support, they should check out free teen wellness circles beginning in January.  See the flyer below:

In addition, Pam Miller continues to run "Monday Night Mindfulness for Teens and Young Adults."  Please check out the flyer below for more details:

Counselors also have been spending the fall attending trainings on trauma informed care and brief interventions.  These trainings help counselors stay up-to-date, learning valuable techniques to effectively attend to students' needs.

If you are interested in learning more about one of the more serious concerns that counselors contend with, feel free to check out this article from the Washington Post concerning the rising rates of anxiety.  The article stresses the need to encourage teens to reduce screen time and utilize social media in moderation.

Here is the article.

Communication:

Finally, it is important that parents and guardians understand how we, the counselors, communicate information to students.  Below are just some of our methods:

• We utilize a bulletin board outside of our office for announcements, job postings, college visits, and scholarship information.
• We use loudspeaker announcements to convey important meetings, announce college visits, and discuss upcoming opportunities.
• We mass email parents/guardians when needed, particularly concerning testing.
• We send information to the parent bulletin.
• We utilize an application titled "Remind" to text students about upcoming opportunities (those who have opted in).
• We use Instagram to update students with important events and inspiration.
• College visits are also posted within Naviance Student.

Here is our wonderful bulletin board, as an example of some of our communication methods:

To conclude, if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out directly to your child's counselor.  We are more than happy to help in whatever fashion we can.  

Molly Norris-A-G (anorris@shorewood.k12.wi.us) 414-961-3177

Scott Brown-H-O (sbrown@shorewood.k12.wi.us) 414-961-3176

Jennifer Hoffman-P-Z (jhoffman@shorewood.k12.wi.us) 414-961-3179

We wish all families a happy and restful break!  Enjoy a little wisdom from our daily quote board outside of our office:

September/October Musings

Welcome Back!

The student support staff wants to welcome all students back to the school year, and we wish everyone a successful and healthy 2018-19 school year!  We are a little tardy on updating the blog, and we can hardly believe that October is already here and the leaves are changing.  We know that this is a stressful time of year, particularly for our senior students as they work diligently to complete college essays and apply to various universities throughout the country.  Know that we are here to support you, and remember to take time for yourself.  Below are some small suggestions for ALL students, though specifically targeted to seniors:

1.  Keep a calendar and slowly chip away at the application process (plan small weekly college-related tasks):

• Focus on the application process, including essays, first, as these are the most time consuming.
• Prioritize!  Be sure to start and finish those early application deadlines before looking at other colleges.  Consider applying early as this can reduce stress and (potentially) increase your odds of admission.
• Ask questions of your counselor; we are here to help guide you through this process.
• Get a second (or third) pair of eyes on that college essay.  Remember to show (don't tell!) your personality in your writing.  Universities also look at your writing abilities, so double and triple check your grammar and organizational structure.  Ask a teacher, ask a counselor, or come in on Fridays (usually 11-1:30) to meet with Ms. Schill, who can help evaluate essays.
• Finally, fill out our blue transcript request form, so that we can send out your letters of recommendation (remind teachers!) and your transcripts.
• Don't forget to send in official ACT scores should they be needed (act.org).
• Try to complete everything, including sending in test scores and transcripts one week before the college's official deadline.
• Complete the FAFSA with your family to determine how much aid you will receive (https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa).  Do this soon after October 1, when the site opens (there is now a phone app as well).  

2.  Relieve stress!

• Be sure to take time for yourself.  Walk outside, do deep breathing exercises, talk with family and friends, make a to-do list, follow a sleep routine, and eat healthy foods.  
• Talk to your school counselor if you are feeling overwhelmed.  
• Focus on times you have been successful in the past, despite strong pressures.  
• Reframe the situation.  Remember that this stress will pass and is but a stepping stone towards your goals.  As Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, "that which does not kill us, makes us stronger."  

3.  Keep everything in perspective.

• Where you go to college will not define you for the rest of your life.  If you are hard working and ambitious, you can be successful regardless of what college you attend.  Last year, the student support staff read the book, Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be, by Frank Bruni.  Bruni details many fantastically successful individuals who did not attend prestigious schools, and nonetheless, achieved great success.  Check out a review of the book here.
• According to an article in the New York Times, "Colleges themselves have widely diverging views on what makes an ideal applicant...Instead, what counts in admissions depends on the mission of the institution — and that can vary a great deal from school to school."  See the link to the article here.  In other words, even if you are a fantastic student with great grades and test scores, you may not get into your dream school.  This reality has NOTHING to do with your personal worth.  Recognize that getting into prestigious schools often has little to do with how great you are as an individual; DON'T beat yourself up as admissions' decisions begin arriving.

New research out of Stanford suggests that college rankings, as well as where students ultimately attend, doesn't really matter in terms of life outcomes.  This is really important to keep in mind! 

Check out this article to read more:  The first step to choosing the 'right' college? Ignore the rankings, says Stanford researcher

In addition, here are some articles concerning the advantages and disadvantages of early action and early decision:

4 Things To Know About College Early Action Programs

How Applying Early for College Affects Financial Aid

How To Know If Early Decision Works For You

We hope this time is one of excitement and anticipation.  Don't hesitate to reach out for help!

Who We Are and What We Do

School counselors are educational professionals with training in education, as well as mental health.  School counselors provide support in three areas, following a model of counseling promoted by the American School Counselor Association; this model is research based:

1. Academic support
2. Career and college support and development
3. Personal, social, and mental health support

In other words, we try to help individuals and parents solve problems, not by providing the answers, but rather by helping individuals recognize their own strengths, passions, and problem solving abilities.  A key hallmark of the counseling profession is to actively listen, and while we certainly do provide guidance and advice at times, the term "guidance" counselor is outdated and describes only a very small snapshot of what we do.  Counseling is about helping others arrive at their own decisions, so that individuals can become independent, confident, and able to effectively manage their lives.

There is no average day for counselors.  We can be working with students individually on emotional problems, discussing grades, examining data, writing recommendations, coordinating testing, screening students for mental health, working in classrooms on career development, and coordinating with teachers, parents, and administrators, to name only a few of the activities we do.  Ultimately, our job is to be an advocate for the student first.  While we are all responsible for a specific part of the alphabet, and as such, have discrete caseloads, we all work as a team, and students can meet with any of us if their specific counselor is busy.  

Molly Norris works with students with last names A-G.  This is Molly's fifth year at SHS after spending time in the West Allis School District.  She enjoys time with her family, listening to live music (especially music created by her husband, James Norris), and the Green Bay Packers.

Scott Brown works with students with last names H-O.  This is Scott's third year at SHS after spending time working at Nicolet High School.  He enjoys soccer, running, and time with his little ones.

Jennifer Hoffman works with students with last names P-Z.  This is Jennifer's first year at SHS after spending time at Oconomowoc High School.  She enjoys interior design, tennis, and Wisconsin sports.

Upcoming and Past Activities:

Freshmen:

Counselors are implementing a program titled 9 for 9 with all freshmen; our hope is to have nine points of contact throughout the year, including orientations, class meetings, small group meetings, and individual meetings.  

We will meet with freshmen next week to discuss methods of stress relief, as well as navigating the high school experience.  Students will also take a career cluster survey on Naviance Student (https://student.naviance.com/shorewood).  This survey helps students determine what career area students might be interested in.  Feel free to login with your child to view the results.  They can login using their email (without the @shorewood.k12.wi.us part) and their Infinite Campus login to get into the program.  

To read more about the career clusters, check out this link.

Later on in the year, we will also be presenting to all freshmen concerning the signs of suicide, a research based intervention that helps students recognize warning signs of suicidal thinking, as well as ways to act if they are concerned about someone.  

Sophomores:
We will be meeting with sophomores in Team Concepts to take a career interest inventory, an inventory that provides students with more specific jobs that match their likes and dislikes.  The students will be using Naviance Student to complete this inventory.  They will have time to examine potential career matches, learning about required skills, education, and wages for various job matches.  The survey is based on John Holland's research, who created "codes" that represented the personalities of people and the types of work that people do.  You can see a visual about the codes below:

Juniors:
We will meet with juniors in their Lifetime class (or over lunch for students who opted out of Lifetime).  We will be discussing the college search process and looking at various tools within Naviance Student that students can use as they begin the process of finding a good fit.  Students will also craft a resume that can be used for both jobs and college applications, as well as requesting letters of recommendation. 

Through the fall, we will also be conducting junior conferences.  This is an opportunity for junior parents/guardians and students to sit down with their counselor and hold a lengthy discussion about post-secondary plans, as well as an opportunity to discuss the nuts and bolts of the college search and application process.  Parents/guardians should keep an eye on their email, as information concerning how to sign up will be conveyed electronically.

This fall and spring, we will also be presenting about the signs of suicide, a research based, preventative intervention meant to help students recognize and act on warning signs related to suicidal thinking.

Seniors:
We met with seniors at the beginning of the year in a whole class assembly to remind them about the application process and letters of recommendation.  We continue to work with them one-on-one to support their process and ensure that they are on track and meeting deadlines.

Upcoming Important Deadlines and Dates:

• October 1st: FAFSA is available; parents/guardians and students should complete this as soon as possible.
• October 24th: FAFSA presentation at SHS at 7:00 pm.  This is a great opportunity to learn the ins-and-outs of financial aid.
• November 1st: many colleges have an early action or early decision (binding) deadline at this time.
• November 6th: UW-Milwaukee will be conducting on-site admissions interviews.  Students should see Mr. Brown ASAP if they are interested in signing up.  

Remember, a typical application to college includes the following:

• the actual online application (listing activities, address, etc.).  This includes an essay (or more than one essay).  The Common Application is the most widely used online application system in the United States.  
• a transcript (some colleges are accepting self-reported grades now, but students should understand that they will eventually need to send in an official transcript should they choose to attend a specific college).
• letters of recommendation (we will send these in for you once you indicate you are ready via the blue forms in our office and $5).  
• official ACT scores (sent directly from act.org; more schools are also allowing self-reported ACT scores.  Again, students will eventually need to send in official score reports once they are admitted).  

Some highly selective schools may require, recommend, or provide the option to send in additional materials, including:

• an interview with an alumni from the school (or a video interview)
• a portfolio of work (particularly for art schools)
• a video presentation
• SAT II subject tests
• the CSS profile (a more in-depth financial reporting tool, similar to FAFSA)

In Other News:

REDgen has a number of events coming up, all of which speak to the ongoing focus on student wellness.  Be sure to check out their website:

http://www.redgen.org/new-events/

October 10th was World Mental Health Day.  Take a look at the link below from the World Health Organization:

http://www.who.int/mental_health/world-mental-health-day/2018/en/

An article from Education Week regarding how we value achievement over mental health (interesting read):

https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/08/16/why-do-we-value-achievement-over-mental.html

A local resource guide:

https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/6a065917-e128-401c-badd-02aba919813e

Interested in Research Supported Therapeutic Approaches:

The approaches below are common approaches that school counselors utilize when meeting with students, albeit in a brief format.

Read about Solution Focused Therapy at this link:
What Is Solution Focused Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Mayo Clinic