MAY

What were we up to in April?

April brought the start of spring!  Don't you love seeing all the green on the trees and new flowers starting to bloom?

• We had wonderful guests, The Grounded Group, share insights on cell phone and social media usage with our families at our Coffee with the Counselors. 
• Then, we were able to welcome in our new JPII Class of 2028 at JPII 101!  What a fun group of new students!  They are going to do great things!
• We have finished up course requests for the school year 2024-25 and are now tweaking students' final selections.  
• And how about that eclipse?  Wasn't that so cool?  If God can make an eclipse so awesome, just think about how much He loves you!  You're pretty awesome as well!
• We had over 220 individual conferences with students in April and love being able to provide support for each one of our Cardinals.
• Our AP Coordinator, Ms. Heslep, has been gearing up for the AP Testing Window in May.  She has everything organized and ready to go with over 880 exams to be administered in the next few weeks.  If you have any questions at all about AP, please stop by!
• We welcomed our new registrar, Ms. Arabella DeAngelis, back to JPII.  She is an alumni and has been working with our girl's basketball team.  We are so excited to have her full time on campus and helping all of our students with their record needs.  She is located in the sophomore hall, and her email is arabelladeangelis@johnpauliihs.org.  Please stop by to say HI to her!

SUMMER SCHOOL

Summer School registration with JPII will start March 1 with our rising juniors (CO 26) and seniors (C/O 25).  Our rising sophomores (C/O '27) can begin registering March 29,  See the FLYER for additional information about courses, calendar, and cost.  If you have any questions, please see your counselor.

AP UPDATES (It's Time!!!):

AP Exam Day Information for Students

Who:  All AP students

What:  AP Exam Day information

When:  May 6th through May 15th (late testing is May 22nd through 24th for approved testers)  7:30 AM morning exams and 11:30 PM afternoon exams

Where: Here is the AP exam schedule. Testing room assignments will be available the middle of April.

What to bring to each exam:

• #2 pencils, pens (with black or dark blue ink), erasers
• Calculator–for Biology, AB/BC Calculus, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Macroeconomics, Physics, and/or Statistics (extra calculator batteries as needed)
• Water bottle and snack for break (optional)
• Sweatshirt/jacket in case you get cold

Cell phone/electronics/backpack information:

• phones/smartwatches/other electronics must be powered off and placed in backpacks during exams
• backpacks will be placed in designated areas in testing rooms, not at students’ desks

Lunch information:

Students who have 8:00 am exams will be dismissed after their exam to go to lunch, then report to their 3rd/7th period classes. Depending on the length of the AP exam, students may be required to bring their lunch on exam day, eat in their testing room or dining hall, then go to class (this is due to the dining hall closing at 12:30 pm each day).  The above schedule of exams includes which exams require students to bring their lunches. 

For 12:00 pm exams, students who have “B” or “C” lunch will be dismissed from their 2nd/6th period classes at 11:00 am to eat lunch, then report to their testing room at 11:30. “A” lunch students will eat their regularly scheduled lunch and report to their testing rooms. 

Questions??--Contact Becky Heslep beckyheslep@johnpauliihs.org 

AP/DC COMPARISONS:

Unsure about the differences between Advanced Placement (AP) and Dual Credit (DC)?  How do these courses earn credit for college?  What are the requirements to enroll?  What are the costs involved?  How do high school students transfer their credits to their university?  Plan on attending the AP/DC Information Meeting via Zoom on March 20!  

No worries if you missed the meeting!  Here is the LINK to a video recording of the meeting.  Check it out!  Also attached below are the presentation slides.  Let your counselor know if you have any questions!

AP/DC Presentation

CALENDAR ITEMS:

• Coffee with the Counselors
• No meeting in May due to AP preparations.  We will see you again next school year in September!
  
• AP Testing Window (May 6-17)
• Check out the all-school calendar HERE. Lots and lots of events happening in the next few weeks!

PARENT CORNER:

Mother's Day and Father's Day will be coming up!  Did you know you're doing a GREAT job?  Parenting is one of the most important blessings and responsibilities that God has given us.  Check out these articles to encourage you!

• Parenting:  The Hardest Job You've Ever Done        
• Where Do You Turn When YOU Need Encouragement?     
• Being a Diligent Parent       
• 6 Biblical Messages of Encouragement for Parents              

RESOURCES:

• 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

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