Freshman Year Counts Presented by: Battlefield HS School Counselors

Workshop Agenda Who is my counselor and how can he/she help me? Diploma types and graduation requirements GPA and a brief look at college Study Skills video and discussion Resources for help Question & Answer

Counselors’ Responsibilities Help students succeed academically, personally, and socially Academic planning Collaborate with teachers, principals, students, and parents College and career planning

Meeting with your Counselor How to see your counselor: Come to the Counseling Center outside of class time to schedule an appointment with the Counseling Center secretaries – Mrs. Burchfield or Ms. McClelland. If you have an emergency or you need immediate assistance: Let your teacher know, get a pass, and come down right away. Let the Counseling secretary know it is an emergency.

Ms. Julie Byrne Director of School Counseling

Mr. Eric McCaslin A - Cg

Ms. Carol O’Donnell Ch-Fo

Ms. Elizabeth Chase-Kang Fr-Ji

Ms. Tiffany Kaufman Jk-Mb

Mr. Matt Sisson Mc-Po

Ms. Vanessa Smith Pr-Sta

Ms. Elle Nguyen Ste-Z

Diploma Types (for students who entered 9 th Grade in 2012) Standard Diploma 4 English 3 Math 3 Science 3 Social Studies 2 HPE 1 Economics & Personal Finance 2 Fine Arts, CTE or Foreign Language 4 Additional Electives (including 2 sequential electives) For a total of 22 credits 6 Verified Credits/Passing the class and the SOL Advanced Studies Diploma 4 English 4 Math 4 Science 4 Social Studies 2 HPE 1 Economics & Personal Finance 1 Fine/Practical Art 3 Foreign Language or 2/2 3 Additional Electives For a total of 26 credits 9 Verified Credits/Passing the class and the SOL

Think Ahead It’s very helpful to have a sense of direction for your future It’s also helpful to know what’s required for what you want to do It’s okay to change your mind on what you plan to do It’s never too early to start thinking about and exploring careers

Grades Grading Scale A = 90 – B+= 87 – B = 80 – C+= C = 70 – D+= 67 – D = F = 59 and below * Passing grades earn 1 credit for each class each year How many credits do you need to earn to be a 10 th Grader?

How GPA’s work… Student A 9 th grade th grade th grade 3.3 Cum GPA 2.9 Student B 9 th grade th grade th grade 3.3 Cum GPA 3.4

What colleges are looking for… Challenging courses – even 9 th grade GPA Test scores Athletics/Activities Essays and letters of recommendation

Colleges are getting harder to get into Average GPAs for college admission are going up. George Mason – 3.56 James Madison – 3.75 Virginia Tech – 3.85 Most Virginia state schools are looking for a 3.0 GPA or higher

Family Connection A website we use as a communication device and a college application tool Features include: resume building, scattergrams, college searches, scholarships, enrichment programs Visit the school website, ‘For Students’, ‘Family Connection’ to log on All freshmen will be introduced to this website this year

George Mason Scattergram

Study Skills Video Importance of studying Best ways to study Preparing to study Concentration Role of reading Memory and study tips

Classroom Tips Come prepared to class (bring a pencil, notebooks, homework) Participate in class discussions Actively listen Attend school regularly

Attendance Policies & Procedures If you are absent, you have 2 school days to turn in an excuse note If you miss 5 or more days consecutively, you need a doctor’s note If you know ahead of time that you will be out of school for a trip or special event, please see your Asst. Principal to get it pre-approved. Students who miss 10 or more class periods in any one class for the year – excused or unexcused – and who have completed little or no make-up work, may fail that class for the year.

Raising Low Grades NHS Peer Tutoring – Every Thursday in Room 1124 from 2-3 p.m. Lunch and Learn – 4 th Block in Room 1005, 5 th Block in Room 1144 Stay after for extra help with the teacher – arrange with each teacher beforehand Honor Societies Establish a study group Increase class participation Re-evaluate priorities

Things to consider Maintain a balance of course selections, extracurricular activities in and out of school, family/home commitments Find strategies that help to manage stress such as exercising, talking with friends, watching comedies, etc. Avoid the temptation of cheating, copying others’ work, plagiarizing Try to make wise choices in and out of school and avoid peer pressures

Freshman Year Counts! When a student enters high school all the doors are open. Don’t close any of the doors this year by getting poor grades or making poor choices. Senior year will be here before you realize Begin planning for June of 2016 NOW!