1. Freshman Year Counts Presented by: Battlefield HS School Counselors 2010-2011

2. Workshop Agenda Welcome Who is my counselor and how can he/she help me? Diploma types and graduation requirements Goal-setting and 4-year Educational Plans GPA and brief look at college Study Skills, Time Management, Resources for help Jeopardy Question & Answer

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

4. 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. Hummel. 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.

5. Ms. Julie Byrne Director of School Counseling

6. Mr. Eric McCaslin A - B

7. Mrs. Carol O’Donnell C - Dr

8. Ms. Elizabeth Chase-Kang Du - Hav

9. Ms. Jaime Iglehart Haw - Ko

10. Ms. Tiffany Kaufman Kr- Mi

11. Mr. Matt Sisson Mo - Ran

12. Mrs. Vanessa Smith Ras - Su

13. Mrs. Susan Sigmon Sw - Z

14. Student Helpers Psychologist – Mrs. Leazer Social Worker – Mrs. Romano Resource Counselor – Mrs. Aitel-Thompson School Nurse – Mrs. Fairbanks School Principal – Mrs. Ethridge-Conti Teachers Assistant Principals Security Office

15. Career/College Counseling Center Career Assessment - BRIDGES (Finds Career Matches through your interests and abilities.) College Research Tools – Family Connection, Virginia Wizard, Collegeboard (MyRoad). Test Prep for the PSAT, SAT, and ACT Tests. Financial Aid/Scholarship Info – Brochures, Search Engines, Scholarship File. Alternative Career Paths – Military, Apprenticeships, Trade Schools.

16. Diploma Types Standard Diploma 4 English 3 Math 3 Science 3 Social Studies 2 HPE 1 Fine/Practical Art 2 Sequential Electives 4 Additional Electives 6 Verified Credits/Passing the class and the SOL Advanced Studies Diploma 4 English 4 Math 4 Science 4 Social Studies 2 HPE 1 Fine/Practical Art 3 Foreign Language or 2/2 2 Additional Electives 9 Verified Credits/Passing the class and the SOL

17. 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

20. Grades Grading Scale A = 90 – 100----------- 4.0 B+= 87 – 89------------ 3.4 B = 80 – 86------------- 3.0 C+= 77 - 79------------- 2.4 C = 70 – 76------------- 2.0 D+= 67 – 69------------ 1.4 D = 60 - 66------------ 1.0 F = 59 and below------ 0.0 * Passing grades earn 1 credit for each class each year

21. How GPA’s work… Student A 9 th grade 2.1 10 th grade 3.3 11 th grade 3.3 Cum GPA 2.9 Student B 9 th grade 3.5 10 th grade 3.3 11 th grade 3.3 Cum GPA 3.4

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

23. 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

24. Classroom Tips Know your learning style: visual, auditory, or kinesthetic Participate in class discussions Actively listen Attend school regularly

25. 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.

26. Taking Notes Write Key Points Date and organize notes Seek clarification from your teacher Use outlining Review and highlight notes at home each night

27. Homework Set a schedule – do homework the night it is assigned Eliminate distractions Tackle your hardest subject first Form associations, look for patterns, and create rhymes, linking, and acronyms Hand in on time Proofread

28. Time Management Meet deadlines and feel more in control or your life. Use your agenda Write down assignments as soon as you get them Keep track of what’s coming up by looking ahead at next week or month. Put stars next to tests and other important dates. Divide big assignments into smaller steps

29. Time Management (cont.’d) Make studying/homework a routine – try to schedule it for the same time every day. Procrastinating = time-wasting habit Break up larger projects into smaller ones Set deadlines for yourself Remind yourself how good you’ll feel when you’re finished Promise yourself a reward (movie, snack) when you’re finished

30. Test Taking Review notes and earlier tests throughout the unit Stay after with the teacher before the test When taking the test… Immediately jot down facts Pace yourself Check your work Get adequate sleep the night before Read directions carefully – and clarify with teacher if you have questions

31. Raising Low Grades NHS Peer tutoring – Every Tues. and Thurs. in room 1124 from 2-3 p.m. Stay after for extra help with the teacher – arrange with them beforehand Extra-credit work Establish a study group Increase class participation Re-evaluate priorities

32. 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 2014 NOW!