High School Guidance Counseling Update
The high school counseling office has been full of activity this year, as usual! During the fall semester, many college representatives come visit with juniors and seniors who are interested. This gives students a chance to get more information about the curriculum, tuition, room & board, food service, financial aid, etc., so they can choose the best college. Southeastern Community College also hosted its annual college representative day in the fall, and all juniors and seniors and their parents were invited to attend. Students were able to visit with more than 40 representatives from Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota, and Nebraska. Along with universities, there were community colleges, tech schools, and military institutions represented. In October, the sophomore class was transported to SCC for their Career Day. Students attended four sessions of their choice and, after listening to the speakers, they were able to ask specific questions about those career areas.
Both semesters this year, we had many students take online college courses through SCC. The school recommends that students be juniors or seniors when they take online courses—or are part of the talented and gifted program if they are underclassmen. The Senior Year Plus program also requires that students be proficient in reading, math, and science on their ISASP exams to be eligible for online college courses. Students are in the process of signing up for upcoming fall SCC online classes right now. We were also able to offer Ag Welding and Issues in Ag as dual-credit courses this year.
The evening of fall parent/teacher conferences in October, SCC and IHCC had financial aid representatives help seniors and their parents file the FAFSA. They also take appointments throughout the year to help families file, regardless of where their students plan to attend college.
Also in October, juniors were able to take the PSAT/NMSQT exam. This gives students more practice with standardized college entrance tests, supports college and career planning, identifies students who may have potential for Advanced Placement courses, and also enters them into the highly competitive National Merit Scholarship contest.
In December, all juniors took the ASVAB. Although the assessment used to be given mainly for military recruiting, it now has a wonderful career exploration program that we shared with students in a follow-up session in February. Students can find out which careers are best suited for their interests and skills and abilities, what kind of education is required, what kind of salary to expect, and what the outlook is for each career area. This college and career resource is used in addition to the online Kuder Navigator site, which students can access for the same purposes.
Earlier this spring, we hosted a College and Career Planning and Financial Aid Night for sophomores, juniors, and their parents. A representative from ICAN (Iowa College Access Network) does this presentation each year. We also took students to SCC in Keokuk for the Industrial Maintenance Technology Day. Most recently, students were able to attend the Southeast Iowa Trades Expo to learn more about apprenticeship programs.
I have been working with eighth graders in Ms. McCoy’s eighth-hour Careers class, working on their transition to high school. We have talked about graduation requirements and what classes they might like to take throughout the next four years. Each eighth grader is required to make a tentative plan outlining their courses, and we will revisit it many times as they progress through high school. Schedules will be worked on over the summer and be handed out at registration. Parents and students may visit with me if they have questions or need to make changes. At Freshman Orientation, parents and students will be given more information, and can also make changes after that to best suit their child’s needs.
The spring season is always an extremely hectic time of the year, with scholarships, spring break, prom, and graduation all happening at the same time. All scholarship opportunities are emailed out to seniors and their parents, and we have many teachers willing to proofread applications and write letters of recommendation. Before we know it, summer will be flying by and we will be right back to start a new year all over again!
As always, if you ever have any questions or need my help with anything, feel free to call or email me (ext 3272 or amoore@centrallee.org).