PHS Celebrates College Shirt Day!

Transcription

1 COUNSELING CONNECTION A Publication of the Paramus Schools Counseling Department May, 2015 Volume 1, Issue 9 PHS Celebrates College Shirt Day! May 1 st was designated College Shirt Day at PHS. The High School Counseling Department encouraged students and staff to wear college attire to recognize decision day for those seniors attending a four year college after high school. This has become a PHS tradition and has sparked many great conversations about post-secondary school options. (pictured above are several members of the staff wearing their college shirt) Andrea Saladino District Supervisor of School Counseling Elementary Schools Laurie Corizzo Leslie Lapotasky Memorial, Ridge Ranch, East Brook Midland, Parkway, Stony Lane, West Brook Dana Folcarelli East Brook Middle School Christopher Nutland East Brook Middle School Middle Schools Vanessa De Jesus West Brook Middle School Lourdes Hyland West Brook Middle School High School Joseph Gencarelli Nicole Ives Shannon Moran Ashwini Reddy Daura Schucker Sandra Vanderzee Joseph Traina Student Assistance Counselor

2 ENTIRELY ELEMENTARY Ridge Ranch and Memorial are both winding down with lots of fun activities. Mrs. Corizzo s monthly lesson has centered on two topics: Food Allergy Action Month and Career Exploration. The children had a blast as we explored various careers and played some fun games. We also reviewed some safety guidelines regarding children with food allergies. In addition, Mrs. Corizzo is meeting with all the fourth graders to talk about the Stigma Free initiative. All the small groups in both schools are still going strong. A Girls Rock group has been added in Memorial, designed to promote self- esteem and leadership. Over in Ridge Ranch, our after school friendship club explored Losing Graciously. Mrs. Corizzo, Mrs. Creste, and Mrs. DeMoura co-facilitated a night program on Netiqutte for all fourth grade parents. During the month of May, Mrs. Lapotasky s lessons have focused on mental health awareness and kindness keeping with the ideals of Paramus Stigma Free. She has been working with the 4 th grade preparing for their transition to middle school, including their upcoming trips in June to West Brook. In Parkway the Student Council had another fundraiser for The Wounded Warriors project, the Crazy Hair Day was a huge success. The Student Council will be donating almost $600 to the organization! MATTERS AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS In East Brook, the fifth grade students were treated to a fun classroom lesson on Careers. Together in the tech lab, we explored the Bureau of Labor Statistics web site and researched some different careers. In addition, each child composed a resume on the website, careerkids.com. In addition, we also recognized that May is Food Allergy Action month by reviewing some very important safety steps in order to protect those who have food allergies. The Wiggle Worms group is getting ready to wrap up, as we only have one session left. With Progress Reports coming out, counselors are meeting with students to discuss how they are performing in the classroom. If you have any questions regarding what you are seeing on Genesis first reach out to the teacher and then contact your child s school counselor. If students in any grades are moving from Paramus, or if eighth grade students are attending high schools other than PHS, please contact your child s School Counselor to inform them of upcoming changes. With the end of the school year quickly approaching all middle school students are eager to press fast forward to begin summer vacations, but not before experiencing many exciting end of the year activities. Eighth grade students in particular have numerous events taking place, some of which include their last Relay Field Day in middle school, their last middle school spring concerts, the 8th grade class trip to Philadelphia, the 8th grade dance, pool day, and of course, the promotion ceremony. Before the pivotal transition from middle school to high school, eighth grade students would benefit from being supported at home and school, in efforts to bring closure to their middle school years. In the midst of all the jovial activities, some eighth grade students also cope with changes in friendships due to meeting new friends from the other side of town, some friends moving from Paramus, and a handful of friends attending other high schools. Allowing eighth graders to spend time with their peers in a safe environment is a wonderful way to allow them to bring closure to this special chapter of their lives.

3 HIGH SCHOOL HAPPENINGS Summer is almost here and summer break is fast approaching. To get the most out of your summer break, be active and spend your time doing something productive such as working, volunteering or planning for college. These activities will give you independence, help you acquire new skills and grow personally and professionally. Use this guide to start planning your summer experience: Find a job: If possible, find a job that you enjoy and will help you with your long term career aspirations. For example, if your long-term career goal is to teach, look for jobs that will allow you to work with students in some capacity like a student tutor or camp counselor position. Network: Start networking now to find a great summer job, specifically one that will help build your skills and credentials. Ask your parents, neighbors or friends for advice on where and how to look for job openings in your area. If you are unsure of what you want to do, visit your school counselor. Your counselor will be able to help you identify your strengths, weaknesses, and find the perfect job that best fits your skills. Find an Internship: An internship may be tough to come by on short notice, but ask around. You may be able to find an unpaid internship with a local community organization or through employers of people you know. Internship experience will look good on a college application, help you gain confidence and help you discover your strengths and weaknesses. Volunteer: Volunteering is a great way to help your community, enhance your skills, improve your resume, and beef up your college and scholarship applications. You can find opportunities at food banks, homeless shelters, hospitals or anywhere else in your community. For example, organizations like Habitat for Humanity give its volunteers the opportunity to build homes for families in need. To learn more, visit and bergenvolunteers.org for local volunteer opportunities. Plan for college: The summer is a good time to research schools and narrow down your options, especially if you are going into your senior year of high school. Use Naviance for general information about schools, admissions requirements and tuition costs. Visit college campuses: If possible, visit your top choice schools to learn more about their academics, student and campus life, financial aid options and to get a more intimate experience. If your top-choice schools are too far, or you aren t able to visit due to financial constraints, visit schools in your state (even if you are not interested in staying in state) so that you will get a glimpse into the overall collegiate experience. Improve your test score: Take an ACT or SAT prep course to help you achieve the best possible score on your standardized exams. Many standardized test prep courses charge fees, however, you can always look for free prep online. Congratulations, Ms. Schucker Ms. Schucker was honored for being chosen as Counselor of the Year, by her peers, at a luncheon on Thursday, May 21 st. Mr. Kiem accompanied Ms. Schucker as she was joined by her fellow honorees from the counties across New Jersey.

4 From April 26 th through April 29 th, Ms. Vanderzee attended the SUCH (Skidmore, Union, Colgate & Hamilton) Counselor Tour. Skidmore College is located in Saratoga Springs, NY, participates with Common App, requires two letters of recommendation from teachers, transcript, SAT/ACT scores, midyear senior grades, and highly recommends campus visits and interviews. Skidmore accepts about 700 freshmen (40% of admitted class through Early Decision), including 36 students spending their first semester in London. The college has 2,400 undergraduates (95% living on campus all four years), offers multiple majors (most popular majors include: English, Government, Business, Psychology, Economics, Studio Arts, Theater, Biology and Environmental Studies), Ms. V & Olivia Ying (PHS Class of 2012) at Colgate special academic options (i.e., 4+1 M.B.A. program, Dual-Degree in Engineering, 4+2 M.S. in Occupational Therapy, 4+3 Doctorate of Physical Therapy), internships (for academic credit), research opportunities (as early as 2 nd year) and has a great Career Development Center. Union College is located about 2 ½ hours from Paramus in Schenectady, NY. The college has 2,200 undergraduate students (90% living on campus), with an average class size of students. Union works on a trimester system and offers an interdisciplinary curriculum (i.e., arts, humanities, sciences, social sciences and engineering), several minors and joint programs. The college participates with Common App, is test optional, recommends personal interviews and meets full demonstrated financial need of all admitted students. Colgate University is located in Hamilton, NY (4 hours from NYC and 1 hour from the Syracuse airport) and was recently voted the most beautiful campus in the country. Colgate has 2,872 undergraduates (about 70% of students study off-campus, including locations abroad and across the country), 9:1 student to faculty ratio, and 99% of their faculty has Ph.D. or highest degree in their field. The university has a 26% acceptance rate, is looking for the best and the brightest who are passionate about what they do and are involved in the community, participates with Common App (with Colgate-specific supplement), and is need aware. Colgate has a core curriculum that is interdisciplinary, exposing students to texts that will help them question things and prepare them to be engaged college students and informed citizens of the world. Their most popular majors include: Business/Management, Communications/Media, Education, Financial Services, Technology/Computing, Health/Medicine, Social Change, Arts/Design and Sales/Marketing. Colgate has over 1180 clubs and organizations, NCAA Division I athletics, strong alumni network, fraternities and sororities, and several pre-orientation opportunities. Hamilton College is located about five hours from Paramus in Clinton, NY. Hamilton has 470 students in their freshmen class, 1,888 total undergraduates (99% living on campus) and a 9:1 student to faculty ratio. The college requires SAT/ACT scores (will allow students to send 3 combinations of test scores including: SAT, ACT, AP and SAT Subject Tests) and has an acceptance rate of 24%. Hamilton is looking for students who rank in the top 10-20% of their graduating class, who are unique, intelligent, friendly, strong writers, ready to be who they are and prepared to pursue their future goals. The college offers an Open Curriculum including courses within math, science, social science and the arts. Pictures from Ms.Vanderzee s SUCH College Tour Union College Colgate University: Case Library Hamilton College Skidmore College

5 . Coffee with the Counselors A K-12 District Initiative EAST BROOK MIDDLE SCHOOL June 1, 2015 East Brook Middle School at 10:00 am. The topic of discussion will be Reducing Educational Loss during the Distracted Summer PARAMUS HIGH SCHOOL June 4, 2015 Paramus High School at 9:00 am. Topics of discussion will be Final Exams, Highlights from Career Day, Summer Programs and End of Year Wrap-up & What to Expect Next WEST BROOK MIDDLE SCHOOL June 5, 2015 West Brook Middle School at 9:00 am. Topics of discussion will be Transitioning; Academic Year Wrap-up and What Comes Next EAST SIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS June 10, 2015 East Brook Middle School at 10:00 am. Ridge Ranch & Memorial parents are welcome. The topic of discussion will be Transitioning to East Brook A collaborative PTA/Counselor sponsored event WEST SIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS June 16, 2015 Stony Lane at 1:00 pm. Midland, Parkway & Stony Lane parents are welcome. The topic of discussion will be Summer Homework, How to Make it Less Stressful