JANUARY
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JUNIOR COURSE REQUEST MEETINGS!
- Meeting Window is open from January 16 through February 2.
- Check your school email for an email from Mrs. Ramirez/Naviance to get your Junior Link to sign up for an appointment with your counselor. You can also visit with your specific counselor for their appointment link.
- Do not schedule your meeting during your English, math, science, or social studies class.
- Report to the Counseling Office 5 minutes prior to your meeting.
- Bring your phone to scan the Google Form Course Request.
- Use your reminder email the day prior or 15 minutes before as your pass.
- Work with your teacher for any missed assignments.
PSAT SCORES ARE IN!
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AP UPDATES:
Stay tuned for more updates! Ms. Heslep will be finalizing the ordering of exams for the spring in the next few weeks. Make sure you read her emails!
SCHEDULE CHANGES:
- LAST DAY FOR SEMESTER---January 10!!!!
- If students are interested in making a schedule change for the spring semester, they will pick up the Request For Schedule Change Form from their teacher. The forms will be available beginning December 11. The deadline to turn return to their counselor is January 10.
- No other schedule change requests will be honored at this time.
CALENDAR ITEMS:
- Course Request
- Every student will meet with their counselor to select courses for the next year.
- Counselors will be sending a Google Calendar link to make the appointment.
- Students will NOT schedule during a core class.
- Students will report to the Counseling Office 5 minutes prior to meeting.
- Students are responsible for making their teacher aware the class prior and making up any missed assignments.
- Dates
- Juniors (January 16-29)
- Freshmen (February 5-27)
- Sophomores (March 4-April 5)
- Follow-Up for Students that Haven't Met with Counselor (April 8-19)
- Guidance Lesson
- January 30 and 31 (English classes)
- Bullying/Cyberbullying
- Check out the bulletin board by our office for resources from each guidance topic.
- Coffee with the Counselors
- Reviewing process for students to request courses for the 2024-25 school year.
- Topics to be discussed with students:
- grades/GPA
- required graduation credits
- goals/interests and how that relates to colleges/careers
- interest in changing level of rigor
- new classes: English IV topics, DC World History, DC Physics, Principles of Architecture, Small Animal Management, eSports
- Juniors (January 16-February 2)
- Freshmen (February 5-27)
- Sophomores (March 4-April 5)
- Follow-Up for Students that Haven't Met with Counselor (April 8-19)
PARENT CORNER:
How to Choose High School Electives
These courses outside the core curriculum allow students to explore and develop their interests.
High school is a time when teens begin to find real independence from their parents, look toward the future and learn more about who they are as individuals and what they’re passionate about.
Education experts say high school electives – classes students choose that allow them to explore beyond the core curriculum – are one way to help high schoolers figure out what matters to them.
Electives can help ease a student's schedule with a course they may enjoy, says Regine Muradian, a psychologist and coach who works with students on their learning and study skills. By offering students the time to focus on new and emerging passions and talents, they can also help point to future careers.
“Electives can also increase a student’s desire to learn,” Muradian says.
And having the opportunity to develop personal passions makes for a more meaningful and impactful education, says Cindy Chanin, founder of Rainbow EDU Consulting.
The Value of High School Electives
The number of electives students take varies by district and grade level, as do the courses offered. But the classes students choose can help communicate their unique academic journey, says Jenn Curtis, founder of FutureWise Consulting and co-author of “The Parent Compass.”
These courses outside the core curriculum allow students to explore and develop their interests.
High school is a time when teens begin to find real independence from their parents, look toward the future and learn more about who they are as individuals and what they’re passionate about.
Education experts say high school electives – classes students choose that allow them to explore beyond the core curriculum – are one way to help high schoolers figure out what matters to them.
Electives can help ease a student's schedule with a course they may enjoy, says Regine Muradian, a psychologist and coach who works with students on their learning and study skills. By offering students the time to focus on new and emerging passions and talents, they can also help point to future careers.
“Electives can also increase a student’s desire to learn,” Muradian says.
And having the opportunity to develop personal passions makes for a more meaningful and impactful education, says Cindy Chanin, founder of Rainbow EDU Consulting.
The Value of High School Electives
The number of electives students take varies by district and grade level, as do the courses offered. But the classes students choose can help communicate their unique academic journey, says Jenn Curtis, founder of FutureWise Consulting and co-author of “The Parent Compass.”
“Electives relate and build upon an interest and underscore who the student is and what they are about,” she says.
In the early high school years, “students don’t always know what they want to do, which is natural, but this is a time for exploration,” Curtis says. “In the later years, 11th and 12th grades, students start to home in on their interests, and electives can play a significant role in completing the picture of a student’s academic story.”
In some cases, electives can bolster a student’s college application. Some students may use their elective slots to dive deeper into subjects beyond graduation requirements. As students begin thinking about college, they can fill those elective slots with honors and Advanced Placement classes in their particular field of interest. For example, students interested in going into the medical profession might take advanced biology or anatomy. But honors or AP courses aren’t the only electives that can build on a student’s core skills. Classes in subjects like debate, photography, robotics, world languages, theater, speech, leadership or music can all enhance teens’ high school education.
Parents’ Role in Selecting Electives
Experts say parents should step back when it comes to selecting electives, and let their teen decide. “Electives provide students an invaluable opportunity to find their ‘why’ as it relates to their education,” says Chanin, helping them develop the ability to build “an education that’s happening for them instead of to them.” Students need the freedom to figure out their interests and dive in.
“Electives relate and build upon an interest and underscore who the student is and what they are about,” she says.
In the early high school years, “students don’t always know what they want to do, which is natural, but this is a time for exploration,” Curtis says. “In the later years, 11th and 12th grades, students start to home in on their interests, and electives can play a significant role in completing the picture of a student’s academic story.”
In some cases, electives can bolster a student’s college application. Some students may use their elective slots to dive deeper into subjects beyond graduation requirements. As students begin thinking about college, they can fill those elective slots with honors and Advanced Placement classes in their particular field of interest. For example, students interested in going into the medical profession might take advanced biology or anatomy. But honors or AP courses aren’t the only electives that can build on a student’s core skills. Classes in subjects like debate, photography, robotics, world languages, theater, speech, leadership or music can all enhance teens’ high school education.
Parents’ Role in Selecting Electives
Experts say parents should step back when it comes to selecting electives, and let their teen decide. “Electives provide students an invaluable opportunity to find their ‘why’ as it relates to their education,” says Chanin, helping them develop the ability to build “an education that’s happening for them instead of to them.” Students need the freedom to figure out their interests and dive in.
Still, there are some ways parents can help their high schooler in the elective process:
- Help figure out requirements. Rules around electives can vary by school and from year to year, so parents and high school counselors can step in to help students understand what's required.
- Gather information together. Explore the course catalog with your teen, and find out what excites them or piques their interest. Have an open conversion and encourage your child to ask other students about their elective experiences.
- Let your student lead the process. This is imperative, experts say. Students need to use electives to find out what they like and what they don’t like. Electives allow for the exploration of intrinsic passions.
Still, there are some ways parents can help their high schooler in the elective process:
- Help figure out requirements. Rules around electives can vary by school and from year to year, so parents and high school counselors can step in to help students understand what's required.
- Gather information together. Explore the course catalog with your teen, and find out what excites them or piques their interest. Have an open conversion and encourage your child to ask other students about their elective experiences.
- Let your student lead the process. This is imperative, experts say. Students need to use electives to find out what they like and what they don’t like. Electives allow for the exploration of intrinsic passions.
RESOURCES:
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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
- Guidance Lesson---CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
- Coffee with the Counselors--NEXT ONE IS MARCH 6, AT 8:30, ATHENAEUM
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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