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Freshmen Guidance Seminar Part 1
~ Frequently Asked Questions ~
1. Who is my guidance counselor?
Ms. Magary –All Freshmen, Sophomores A-E
Ms. Zotto – Sophomores F-Z, Juniors G-N
Ms. Pressler – Juniors A-F, Seniors A-L
Ms. Skillings – Juniors O-Z, Seniors M-Z
Role of guidance counselor:
Counseling: Personal / social, academic, career, college, & crisis
Goals: academic, personal, social, and postsecondary planning
2. Who is the guidance secretary?
Mrs. Brown
3. Who is the adjustment counselor & where can I find her? What
is her role?
Ms. DelMastro is the school adjustment counselor. She is a
counselor who provides social, emotional, and personal support to
students. She is another support system at the school. She is a
person you can talk to when you feel anxious, stressed, sad, mad,
depressed… if you just need to be heard.
If you would like to meet her, stop by the guidance suite and
introduce yourself.
4. If I want to see my guidance counselor or the school adjustment
counselor, what should I do?
Stop in the guidance suite to schedule a meeting with your counselor
(or for a chat if your counselor is available when you come by).
If you are supposed to be in a class, you will need to get a pass from
your teacher before coming to see your counselor.
***If it’s an emergency or a crisis, no appointment needed!*** Come see any
available guidance counselor or Ms. DelMastro, the school adjustment counselor.
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5. What does GPA stand for?
GPA stands for “Grade Point Average” and it’s cumulative.
Every year (freshmen through senior years) counts toward your
GPA.
6. Does freshmen year really count?
YES , YES, YES!! Freshmen year is very important. Once your
GPA is “set” at the end of your freshmen year, it takes a lot for it to
improve over the years.
Be competitive – with YOURSELF. Do the best that you can do in
classes that challenge you.
Don’t worry about how everyone else is doing – don’t compare
yourself to them. Class rank is no longer a major component in
college admissions decisions and high schools often don’t report class
ranks to colleges.
One of the biggest regrets we hear from upperclassmen as
they are planning for their future is “I wish I did better in
my freshmen year”.
7. Do colleges see my report cards?
What do they see?
No, colleges don’t see every individual report card or progress report.
What they do see, and what is a major factor in college
admissions decisions, is your transcript.
Your transcript lists every class you have ever taken in high school
and the final average (FAV) you received in each and every class.
(Sample transcript)
8. What makes up my final average (FAV) in a class?
Each quarter is worth 20%.
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The midterm exam is worth 10% and the final exam is worth 10%.
So, as you can see, the midterm and final exam together are a pretty big
piece of that final average.
The grading procedures represent more than just the amassing of figures.
Other factors enter into the process as well. Although students are graded
primarily on the basis of achievement, factors such as attitude, class
participation, completion of assignments, effort, and a willingness to
cooperate and assume leadership responsibilities enter into the
determination of a grade.
Be on time for class, be respectful to the teacher and your classmates, try
your hardest, raise your hand, participate, do all of your homework – these
behaviors may go a long way in helping to determine your final grade.
9. I am having trouble in a class… HELP!! What do I do?!
TALK to your teacher first. There are 3 keys to being successful in high
school & beyond: COMMUNICATION, TAKING RESPONISBILITY
FOR YOUR LEARNING, & SELF-ADVOCACY.
If you don’t feel comfortable asking questions in front of the class, that’s
okay (eventually you will be)! Approach the teacher before or after class
and ask them when it would be a good time for the two of you to talk
privately.
Need extra help? Ask the teacher when they offer extra help. Be respectful
of your teacher’s time and work around the teacher’s extra help schedule…
even if it means you are a little late to soccer practice. Staying after or
coming in early to meet with your teacher (especially before tests/quizzes)
will likely improve your understanding, and your grade, in that class.
Come talk to guidance if you have already taken these steps and you have
not see any improvement in your performance in that class.
Peer tutors, National Honor Society students, may be also available to help
tutor. Ssee Ms. Comparato to inquire about this program.
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10.
What is a “4 year planner”? How do I get one?
A 4 year planner is a plan that we, the student and his or her guidance
counselor, will create together during an individual meeting. This meeting
will serve a few purposes:
1) Get to know each other!
2) Make a tentative academic plan for 9th thru 12th grade to make
sure you will be on track to graduate in 2015.
3) Discuss your goals and areas of interest. We will help you align
your high school career to achieve those goals (while also remaining
flexible because your goals & dreams may change 1,000 times
between now and graduation!).
We will be setting up individual meetings with each one of you. Please
stop by before/after school, during lunch, or passing time, to schedule an
appointment.
The 4 year planner meetings will take about 30-45 minutes so please plan
accordingly.
11.
What is Virtual High School (VHS)? How do I sign up for
a VHS class?
With Virtual High School (VHS), you can take classes entirely over the
Internet during the school day. You would take the class during one period
in Ms. Comparato’s computer classroom. She would help you with the
technology (e.g. signing you up for your class & making sure you can log
in) but you are essentially on your own and responsible for any deadlines
and assignments the online teacher gives you.
The courses will most likely involve homework and projects that cannot be
completed during that one period and you will be expected to do work at
home. You receive a grade (A-F) in the course, just as you would in any
course you take at the high school.
Why do VHS? VHS offers classes we may not offer here at SHS… like
Meteorology, Zoology, Art History, and advanced course work like
Advanced Placement Music Theory or Biology. VHS also gives you
flexibility and fosters independence – it is a great test run for college!
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Check it out at govhs.org. Students pick their top 3 favorite classes, fill out
a form (with guidance), and return the form to Ms. Comparato. Guidance
or Ms. Comparato will be in touch with the student to let them know if
they have been scheduled for a VHS class.
You can do more than 1 VHS class at a time (space permitting!).
Note: There are a limited number of spaces for the VHS program… sign
up early during the registration period to increase your chances of being
enrolled in a VHS class!
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How many credits do I need to graduate?
100
13.
How many credits do I need to move on to the next grade?
25
14.
How many credits do I need to take each year to be
considered a “student in good standing”?
30 (which means you must take 6 classes out of a total of 7 available
periods)
15.
How many years of English, Math, Science, Social
Studies, and Foreign Language, do I need to graduate?
English: 4 years
Math: 3 years
Science: 3 years (Biology, Chemistry, Physics)
Social Studies: 3 years (U.S. History required)
Foreign Language: A sequence of 2 years of the same foreign language
Of course, we recommend 4 years of all of the above subjects.
16.
What are the other classes I need to graduate?
P.E. Grade 9 (1 semester)
P.E. Grade 10 (1 semester)
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Freshmen/Sophomore Health (1 quarter)
Junior/Senior Heath (1 quarter)
Computer Applications (1 semester)
Expository Writing (1 semester)
Electives: Career Technology Education and Fine Arts (at least 2 courses)
17.
What about MCAS? What do I need to take and when?
Biology – Freshmen year (June)
English – Sophomore year (Spring)
Math – Sophomore year (Spring)
There ARE opportunities to retake MCAS throughout your high school
career.
18.
What should I do if I think another student is in danger of
either harming themselves or another person?
Tell an adult at the school as soon as possible… a counselor,
teacher, the school nurse, an administrator, the hall monitors…
This would be considered an emergency situation where you don’t
need an appointment!
Remember: If you think a friend is in danger of harming
themselves, this is a cry for help! Tell an adult immediately.
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Who is the registrar? What is her role?
Mrs. Samiljan. She is in charge of student records & transcripts.
She can be found in the guidance suite.
20.
I haven’t really found any clubs, activities, or sports that I
am interested in yet… what should I do?
Freshmen year is about self discovery and exploration… who are
you? What do you like to do? What type of people do you like to
be around?
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Try as many activities as you can during this year. You will most
likely find at least a couple activities that you will enjoy doing and
that you will stick with for the next four years.
21.
Where can I find a list of all sports, clubs, and activities
that SHS offers?
In the guidance department!
It’s important to get involved in school, whether it’s the
Interact Club, Culinary Club, Math Team, Band, football or
track (or all of the above!).
~Q&A~