OCTOBER HAPPENINGS
- 833 individual student conferences during the month of September.
- Grade levels were a little more evenly distributed as we continue to provide services to our students.
- Minute Meetings were the top reason for our visits. Why Minute Meetings?
- Students love 1:1 positive attention. With Minute Meetings, each student can be assured, "My counselor knows me!".
- Students are reminded that the school counselor is a support person they can talk to.
- Counselors will get to know a student’s self-perception on things like school, family, friends, worries and needs.
- Counselors are about 2/3 through their student lists. Minute Meetings will be continued through the next few weeks of school.
- We presented in 48 classrooms for the September Guidance Lesson, Mental Health Awareness, to all students in all grade levels.
- We have mental health resources available for our students and families. Let us know if you need any information.
- The Shade is a great place in our office to reset and recharge. We love that our students are utilizing this space!
- We offer Children's TeleHealth therapy sessions to our students. HERE is their flyer for more information. Please see counselor for referral.
- Based on our Needs Assessment, we will be offering additional classroom guidance lessons on Stress Management and Time Management!
- Stay tuned for Parent Trainings and Coffee with the Counselors! We look forward to sharing additional information with you!
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Digital PSAT: Attention 9th, 10th and 11th grade Families
This year the PSAT/NMSQT is going digital. JPII will be proctoring the Digital PSAT/NMSQT for all JPII freshmen, sophomores, and juniors on the morning of Wednesday, October 11th. Parents, please make sure your students have completed the important PSAT Student Checklist below.
Students will be receiving more information with details on times and locations soon. The Digital PSAT/NMSQT will include built in tools such as a timer, calculator, reference sheet, and annotation/highlighting tools. On test day, students will be asked to bring a pen/pencil, their charged device, charger, approved calculator (if they choose) and bottled water.
Please see a short video of what to expect with the Digital PSAT/NMSQT here
IMPORTANT PSAT Student Checklist:
· All 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students need to log in to their College Board account to verify their login/password by 9/21/23. If they are unsuccessful, they need to call 866-433-7728 to reset and then write down their new login/password for future use.
· All 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students must upload Bluebook, the College Board testing app to their personal laptop by 9/21/23. Instructions for download are covered in the videos posted below:
WINDOWS/PC Users - Installing Bluebook Exams for PSAT - Watch Video
MAC Users - Installing Bluebook Exams for PSAT - Watch Video
· Students need to inform Kris Thurston, Director of Technology, ASAP if their personal device is a Chromebook (not permitted by College Board), so that a donor device can be borrowed.
· Students need to check their battery length on their device. It needs to stay charged and operational for 3+ hours.
· Students need to log in to Bluebook, using their College Board account and explore the new tools/practice test to be comfortable with the new testing platform.
· Students need to come to school on 10/11/23 with their CHARGED device and power cord.
Breakfast will NOT be served in the Dining Hall on October 11. Make sure you eat a healthy breakfast! No snacks or water bottles will be allowed in testing rooms.
School buses will run at 1:00 p.m. If you have accommodations for extended time, you may need to make alternate arrangements.
There will be no late testing or retesting available. Please make sure students are prepared for the October 11 testing date.
Payments for AP exams are now being taken through Total Registration.
Click here for Total Registration instructions.
- Students who are taking an AP class must take the AP exam in May.
- The payment deadline is Tuesday, October 31st for all AP exams (both year-long classes and 1st or 2nd semester classes.
- Get your join code from your AP teacher.
- Email Ms. Heslep if you have questions beckyheslep@johnpauliihs.org
- If students are interested in making a schedule change, students can apply again in December to be reflected on their spring semester schedule.
- No other schedule change requests will be honored at this time.
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- Guidance Lesson
- October 25 and 26 (Theology classes)
- Drug/Alcohol Prevention Awareness: FENTANYL
- Check out the bulletin board by our office for resources from each guidance topic.
- Minute Meetings
- Minute Meetings are brief meetings conducted by the school counselors to basically get the pulse of their student caseload. It gives us the opportunity to meet and make an immediate connection with every student in our building the first few months of school.
9th grade: September 5 to September 810th grade: September 18 to September 2211th grade: October 2 to October 612th grade: September 11 to September 15- If students were absent or time ran out during the visit, counselors will be rescheduling during the next few weeks
- Small Group---David & Martha
- Stress & Anxiety
- Mondays--Sept. 18, Oct. 2, Oct. 16, Nov. 6, Dec. 4 (5 sessions)
- 7:45 a.m.-8:45 a.m. in the CWA Room
- Parent permission slips will be sent home.
- Sign-up on QR Code below!
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- Need to see your Counselor? Email or stop by! Our doors are always open!
- The Shade (Elijah's Story from 1 Kings 19)
- Calming Room in the Counseling Office (check-in with counselor first)
- Reset, Relax, Recharge, Refresh, Return!
- Fidgets, Aromatherapy, Sound Machine, Cozy Chairs/Blankets, Journal, Coloring Books, & More!
- 20 minute limit....and then return to class
- Children's TeleHealth
- 6-8 FREE weekly therapist appointments scheduled during non-core periods during the school day (referral through your counselor)
- Mental Health Navigation Line
- 972-525-8181, Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Helpline sourced through Grant Halliburton to assist families with finding therapists (based on need, insurance, etc.) in the DFW area
- Coffee Days (mom support group for mothers of young people with mental health and emotional health conditions, offering opportunities to share experiences, resources, and information.)
- granthalliburton.org for upcoming meetings
- Additional Community Resources
- Resource Library:
- Class Meetings--Racial Slurs and Offensive Language
- Guidance Lesson---College & Career Readiness
- Coffee with the Counselors
- Wednesday, Nov. 1, 8:30-9:30 a.m., Athenaeum
- Topic: FENTANYL
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the John Paul II Counseling Office is to provide a proactive, comprehensive, and developmentally appropriate program to address students' academic and career goals in addition to supporting their personal and social needs. This is accomplished through a partnership with parents/guardians, staff, and community members to enable all students to become successful, productive citizens and lifelong learners in a diverse and changing world.
VISION STATEMENT
The John Paul II High School Counseling Office is guided by our commitment to provide a safe, nurturing environment where the entire learning community addresses the unique needs of students to ensure students reach their fullest potential and successfully manage their lives as healthy, responsible, competent and productive citizens who respect themselves and others. Collaborating with students, parents, faculty and staff, we will foster the development of the entire person – mental, spiritual, academic and social. School counselors believe that every student can succeed through the collaborative efforts of school, home, and community leading to responsible and productive citizenship in the 21st century.
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