Update from the School Counseling Office
- School Counselors have wrapped up the freshmen interviews that take place each fall. Counselors inquire about the transition to the high school, current courses, outside activities, etc along with asking students to identify an academic and/or personal goal they wish to achieve while in high school. This can be either a long term or short term goal. This 1:1 informal meeting is a good way to establish a relationship with our incoming freshmen each year.
- The School Counseling Office has been busy! Counselors are meeting with seniors, writing letters of recommendations and have already processed in the neighborhood of 529 applications so far this year. That number is somewhat lower than previous years due to the small senior class size of only 144 students this year. Over 305 of these applications fall into the category of Early Decision or Early Action. Typically the total number of applications at this time of year will double by the end of the school year. Mrs.Mong continues to record all of the applications going out to colleges and the subsequent decisions in our database. Those results create the yearly Stats Book that can be viewed in the School Counseling Office by students or parents as well as online at: https://goo.gl/KhVqx0. If you have a senior please remind him/her that all schools to which they apply must be documented in guidance by filling out a yellow cover sheet regardless of how they apply. This becomes a way for Mrs. Mong to track and record that valuable information.
- Speaking of the Common Application, we again offered Common Application Workshops after school and during Advisory this year. The next workshop will be January 11th during Advisory. This will be our fifth workshop and interested students should sign up in the School Counseling Office.
- The School Counseling Office hosted around 100 college and university representatives this year. For the most part representatives have now returned to their respective colleges and universities to begin reading applications. Most of the representatives that visit our school are also "readers" of our student applications. We make every effort for a school counselor to sit in on each of these sessions and take notes that are then available to students who may have missed the session. We have Mrs. McCowan to thank for the orchestration of these college representative appointments.
- The School Counseling Office also recently hosted the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery Exam (ASVAB) in November and a number of students signed up to take this exam. Please note that should your son/daughter ever wish to take this in the future EG is able to dictate that no contact or sharing of your child's name with the military is allowed as a result of taking the test. Students do have the option to review their results with a military representative if they so wish.
- Several weeks ago during Advisory all freshmen heard options that are available to them at three regional Career and Technical Centers. Students wishing to pursue this path should speak to his/her school counselor. There is an option for students to visit a center for a day prior to applying so interested students should at least take advantage of this opportunity. Transportation is provided for those visits. The Rhode Island Department of Education website has all Career Centers and respective careers available listed.
- Last week during advisory all freshmen met with a school counselor to learn about their school record as it is recorded on a transcript. This included information about GPA, how GPA is calculated, credits needed to graduate, options for leaving EGHS before senior year and a host of related grade/credit information. They were all given a sample transcript in order to see the educational record that becomes part of their permanent school record as well as a chart that can track accumulated and required credits.
- A career awareness activity is in progress for all sophomores. This was recently started during Advisory and is anticipated that it will conclude prior to the December break. As part of this activity students will explore, identify and find information about careers with regards to level of education, salary ranges and outlook for job growth both in RI and nationwide.
- For planning purposes starting in late February junior parents will begin receiving invitations to a post high school planning meeting with your child’s counselor. . Prior to that invitation we will meet with all juniors to discuss this process in general and to discuss some post high school options as well as issuing your child his/her transcript.
- In conjunction with the post high school planning with students we host a February parent/student night featuring a college admissions officer that all parent/students are welcome to attend. That presentation is slated for February 9th at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium.
- Thanks to our volunteers Felicia Comer, Lucy DiMase and Karen DeCesare who edit, summarize and post the mountains of information we receive weekly on scholarships, open houses and career opportunities.
As always, we are here to support your child during his/her high school years!
School Counseling/Guidance Department
Lyn A. Hostetler
Department Head of School Counseling
East Greenwich High School/Cole Middle School
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