OCTOBER

 

PUMPKING SPICE AND EVERYTHING NICE!

Football, fuzzy sweaters, fall decorations, campfires with s'mores, and pumpkin patches....who's ready for the cooler weather?????

WHAT WERE WE UP TO IN SEPTEMBER?

• 532 individual student conferences were held during the month of September.
• Our Seniors visited us the most this month!  We love that they see us as a resource!
• Academic questions were again the top reason for visits as students settled into their schedules, found the appropriate level of rigor, and honed their communication skills with stakeholders on campus. 
• We presented in 42 classrooms for September Guidance Lessons, Mental Health Awareness, to all grade levels in the Theology classes.  We focused on stress, anxiety, sadness, depression, and suicide ideation.  Students were reminded that they are loved, given tools to identify the different emotions and concerns, and resources to help themselves or others they care about.

• NEEDS ASSESSMENT RESULTS
• Thank you to all that participated!
• We will look at ways to incorporate the 3 highest needs (College & Career Exploration, Time Management, and Test Skills/Anxiety) that you identified in our future Guidance Lessons, Coffee with the Counselors, Counseling Blog, and guest speakers.
• Our adult stakeholders also asked for more information about Financial Aid/Scholarships, Anxiety, and Graduation Requirements.  Stay tuned as we look for different ways to share this information with you!

SCHEDULE CHANGES:

• 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.
  

PSAT UPDATES:

Attention 9th, 10th, and 11th Grade Families: Digital PSAT Information

JPII will be administering the Digital PSAT/NMSQT for all freshmen, sophomores, and juniors on the morning of Wednesday, October 9th. 

What You Need to Know
Parents, please ensure that your student has completed the necessary preparations outlined in the PSAT Student Checklist below. Details on testing rooms will be provided to students soon. 

What to Bring on Test Day:
Pen/Pencil
Charged Device

Device Power Cord
Approved Calculator(optional)
Bottled Water

IMPORTANT PSAT Student Checklist:
1. Verify College Board Account:  
9th grade students will be setting up their College Board Account with counselors this month. 10th and 11th-grade students need to log in to their College Board account to verify their login and password by September 20, 2024. If unable to log in, students should call 866-433-7728 to reset their credentials and write down the new login/password for future use.

2. Download Bluebook App:  
All students must upload Bluebook, the College Board testing app, to their personal laptop by September 20, 2024. Instructions for downloading are provided in the video linked HERE.

3. Check Device Compatibility:  
If a student's personal device is a Chromebook, they must inform Kris Thurston, Director of Technology, ASAP, as Chromebooks are not permitted by College Board. A donor device will be made available for those who need it.

4. Ensure Battery Life:  
Students need to check their device's battery life to ensure it can stay charged and operational for at least 3 hours.

5. Familiarize with Bluebook:  
Students should log in to Bluebook using their College Board account and explore the new tools and practice tests to become comfortable with the testing platform.

6. Test Day Preparation:  

On October 9, students must arrive at school with their fully charged device and power cord.

DID YOU KNOW THAT STUDENTS CAN PRACTICE FOR THE PSAT?

• Their Bluebook account has practice questions and a full-length exam.  Check it out!
• Students call also access college, career, and scholarship opportunities in EXPLORE BIG FUTURE.

STUDENT GUIDE

STUDENT CALCULATOR GUIDE

DO YOUR STUDENTS NEED TO MAKE CHANGES TO THEIR COLLEGE BOARD ACCOUNT? CHECK OUT THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS!

If a student can't access their account or needs to make name, address, or birthdate changes, they will need to call the Student Support Helpline at (866) 315-6068.  Students can also visit with their counselor if they are having trouble accessing their account.

No Late Testing or Retesting: Please note that there will be no late testing or retesting available, 

so it is crucial that students are well-prepared for the October 9th testing date.

AP UPDATES:

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 31, 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 at beckyheslep@johnpauliihs.org

CALENDAR ITEMS:

• Minute Meetings
• Minute Meetings are brief meetings conducted by the school counselors to  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.
• 10th/11th grade:  October 15 through 18
• If students were absent or time ran out during the visit, counselors will reschedule with the students.
• October 11, Early Dismissal; October 14, No School!
• Guidance Lesson
• October 29 and 30 (English Classes)
• Drug Prevention Awareness:  Vaping
• Check out the bulletin board by our office for resources from each guidance topic.

• COFFEE WITH THE COUNSELORS
• October 2 at 8:45 a.m., in the Athenaeum
• Mental Health Awareness

                              

• Did you miss our September COFFEE WITH THE COUNSELORS? Check out the INFORMATION from our September meeting!
• Save the dates!  See below!

PARENT CORNER:

5 Ways to Help Your Teen Quit Vaping

You may have taken an important step by encouraging your teen to quit, but keep in mind that quitting any product that has nicotine is hard and can take many attempts. Your support can greatly help your teen quit!

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 TCHATT
• 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 in the 21st c