http://www.rockwallisd.com/rockwall/counseling-center-2
Volume 1, Issue #1 | August 2015
Welcome Back Yellow Jackets!
Rockwall High School
Counseling Center Newsletter
Welcome back to all of our returning students and a
big welcome to Rockwall High School to our freshmen
and new students! This is the first newsletter of this
school year. Newsletters will be published once a
month and will be available on our RHS Counseling
Center web site. In each issue, you will find information on what is currently happening in the Counseling Center, important upcoming dates, and information on the college of the month. The newsletter
often contains information that pertains to all grade levels so please take the time
to read through it and visit the Counseling Center in person and on our website.
College of the Month
The University of Texas at Austin
Overview
The University of Texas at Austin is ranked among the biggest and best research
universities in the country. It is home to more than 51,000
students and is as rich in tradition as the state of Texas
itself. The city of Austin where UT is located is known for
its creative and entrepreneurial spirit.
According to the 2015 publication by U.S. News & World
Report, UT is one of the top 20 public universities in the
country.
- Visit their web site at www.utexas.edu for more information Quick Facts
 Year founded: 1883
 Colleges and schools: 18
 Alumni: 484,000 +
 Teaching faculty (fall 2014) 3,071
 Total students: 51,313
 Undergraduate Student Enrollment
(fall 2014): 39,523
 Graduate Student Enrollment
(fall 2014): 11,790
 Undergraduate Degree Programs: 119
 Study Abroad Programs: 450
Student Profile, Fall 2014
 Women: 49.2%
 Men: 50.8%
 Ethnicity/Race White: 46.9%
 Hispanic: 19.2%
 Foreign: 9.5%
 African American: 3.8%
 2 or more (excluding Hispanic/African
American): 2.5%
 Unknown: 1.0%
 African American (2 or more, excluding
Hispanic): 0.6%
 American Indian: 0.2%
 Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0.1%
1
Inside This Issue:
Welcome Back!
1
College of the Month
1
Happenings
2
Who’s my counselor?
2
Topic of the Month
3
SAT/ACT Test Dates
4
Mark your calendars
4
Classroom Success
5
Follow us on Twitter!
@JFNDCounselors
http://www.rockwallisd.com/rockwall/counseling-center-2
Volume 1, Issue #1 | August 2015
Happenings
What’s going on in the Counseling Center during August?
This month we are gearing up for and beginning a new school year! The month of August in the Counseling Center is spent leveling out classes, registering new students,
meeting with parents and students regarding scheduling issues, assisting with Fish
Camp for incoming 9th graders, and attending staff development meetings. All of this
in order to prepare for the first week of school, which begins on August 24th. If you
and/or your student has a schedule issue, please visit our web site and fill out the
online schedule change request form or you may contact your student's counselor
directly. All schedules will be available for online viewing on August 19th at 9:00 am.
If you do not have access to view your schedule online, paper copies will be available
for pick-up on August 19th between 9:00 am —6:00 pm on campus. Counselors will
also begin looking through senior transcripts to make sure all seniors are enrolled in the courses that are still needed for
graduation. Counselors will meet with seniors on an individual basis as needed to make schedule adjustments as needed
or to enroll students in credit recovery. We are working hard so that the beginning of the school year can begin as smoothly as possible!
Who’s my counselor & how do I contact him/her?
Student Last Name Counselor’s Name
Phone #
E-mail
A—Coo
Beth Morrison
469.698.7211
Beth.Morrison@rockwallisd.org
Cop—G
Kim Gamble
469.698.7289
Kimberly.Gamble@rockwallisd.org
H—I
Katie Duran
469.698.7208
Katie.Duran@rockwallisd.org
J—N
Luke Hurst
469.698.7209
Luke.Hurst@rockwallisd.org
O—So
Christina Cooper
469.698.7210
Christina.Cooper@rockwallisd.org
Sp—Z
Kristie Szafranski
469.698.7212
Kristina.Szafranski@rockwallisd.org
504
Coordinator
Sheri Pringle
972.771.7339
Sheri.Pringle@rockwallisd.org
Registrar
Margaret Mayo
469-698.7213
Margaret.Mayo@rockwallisd.org
Secretary
Yadira Galope
469.698.7207
Yadira.Galope@rockwallisd.org
2
http://www.rockwallisd.com/rockwall/counseling-center-2
Volume 1, Issue #1 | August 2015
Topic of the Month
On the Road to College—A Senior’s Checklist
In the Fall
 Finalize your list of colleges. Visit several schools and make a list of which ones are your favorite. Weigh the pros and
cons of each school and decide on your top 3-5 schools that you will apply to.
 Stay on track with your grades and extracurricular activities. Colleges will look at what you have done during your senior
year so maintain a balance between school and extracurricular activities...that way you have the opportunity to excel in
both!
 Take standardized tests. Register for and take the ACT and/or SAT tests and be sure you have requested that your test
scores be sent to the colleges of your choice.
 Keep track of deadlines. Make a calendar showing the application deadlines for college admissions, financial aid, and scholarships. Many of these
deadlines occur before winter break!
 Ask for letters of recommendation. Make a list or resume of all of your accomplishments, awards, and achievements that you have received as well
as clubs, activities and organizations that you have been involved with during your time in high school. Give these to teachers, bosses and/or administrators and counselors and ask them if they can write you a letter of recommendation. Be sure to allow at least a week for these to be written and
returned to you or mailed directly to the colleges.
 Complete applications. Finish all college application forms and make sure you have sent in all necessary materials including test scores, recommendations, transcripts and application essays. Proofread everything before sending and plan to get all of this done before winter break..
 Continue your scholarship search. Apply for scholarships
In the Winter

Act on the results of early decision applications. If you are accepted for early admission, you will need to withdraw your applications from other
schools.

Follow up on your applications. Check with the schools that you applied to and make sure they have received all of your information, including test
scores, transcripts, and recommendations.

Submit financial aid forms. Fill out the FAFSA at https://fafsa.ed.gov and if necessary, the PROFILE. No matter what your family’s income level is,
the FAFSA is your main priority for financial aid purposes because it will determine how much you’re expected to pay. Don’t send the forms until
after January 1, because they can’t be processed before then.
In the Spring

Watch your mail for notification from colleges. If you applied under the regular application process, you should receive an admissions decision by
March or April.

Compare financial aid packages. Make sure to consider each financial aid award carefully. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact the financial aid office of the college to get more information. Financial aid is a key factor in deciding where you will attend.

Prepare for any last standardized tests. You may be taking AP or CLEP tests to earn some college credit as the school year winds down.

Complete enrollment paperwork for the college you will attend. Once you accept an offer, you should receive information from the college about
course scheduling, orientation sessions, housing arrangements, and other necessary forms. Be sure to complete all required paperwork by the appropriate deadlines, including applying for student loans if necessary.
Information courtesy of Peterson’s—www.petersons.com
3
http://www.rockwallisd.com/rockwall/counseling-center-2
Volume 1, Issue #1 | August 2015
Save the Date
Test Date
Registration
Deadline
Late Registration
Deadline
(fees apply)
Test Date
Registration
Deadline
Late Registration
Deadline
(fees apply)
Oct. 3, 2015
Sept. 3, 2015
Sept. 22, 2015
Sept. 12, 2015
Aug. 7, 2015
Aug. 8-21, 2015
Nov. 7, 2015
Oct. 9, 2015
Oct. 27, 2015
Oct. 24, 2015
Sept. 18, 2015
Sept. 19—Oct. 2,
2015
Dec. 5, 2015
Nov. 5, 2015
Nov. 23, 2015
Dec. 12, 2015
Nov. 6, 2015
Nov. 7-20, 2015
Jan. 23, 2016
Dec. 28, 2015
Jan. 12, 2016
Feb 6, 2016
Jan 8, 2016
Jan. 9-15, 2016
March 5, 2016
Feb. 5, 2016
Feb. 23, 2016
April 9, 2016
March 4, 2016
March 5-18, 2016
May 7, 2016
April 8, 2016
April 26, 2016
June 11, 2016
May 6, 2016
May 7-20, 2016
June 4, 2016
May 5, 2016
May 25, 2016
Register online at www.actstudent.org
Register online at https://sat.collegeboard.org/home
If you would like to take the SAT and/or ACT test and you
receive free or reduced lunch, please see your counselor.
Mark your calendars for these important upcoming events...
Event
Date
New Student Registration—
11th & 12th Grade
August 5th
(8:30—11:30 am/1:00—3:00 pm)
New Student Registration—10th Grade
August 6th
(8:30—11:30 am/1:00—3:00 pm)
New Student Registration—9th Grade
August 7th
(8:30—11:30 am/1:00—3:00 pm)
Fish Camp for incoming 9th graders
August 12th (1:00—5:00 pm)
Freshman Parent Meeting
August 12th (5:30 pm)
Access to view schedule online
August 19th (9:00 am)
Jacket Walk About—Walk your schedule,
Textbook Pickup, Pay for Obligations, Paper
Schedule Pick-up
August 19th
(9:00 am —6:00 pm)
First Day of School
August 24th
4
Social Studies:
 Keep up with current events via local media (news, newspaper, cnn.com)
 U.S. History Quizlets—see teacher for particular web site
 Helpful Websites—World Geography:
 World Geography Flash Cards—quizlet.com/11242441/world-geography-staar-review-flash-cards
 I Like 2 Learn—www.ilike2learn.com
 Lizard Point Map Quizzes—lizardpoint.com/geography
 Online Map Quizzes—www.mapquiz.net/en
 World Geography Games—world-geography-games.com/atmosphere.html
 Helpful Websites—World History
 World History Crash Course Videos—www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBDA2E52FB1EF80C9
 ABC CLIO Database—www.abc-clio.com
 SDSU World History Big Era—worldhistoryforusall.sdsu.edu/bigeras.php
 Freeman-pedia—freeman-pedia.wikispaces.com
 Helpful Websites—U.S. History
 U.S. History Crash Course Videos—www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8dPuuaLjXtMwmepBjTSG593eG7ObzO7s
 “America, the Story of Us” - videos on YouTube

Helpful Websites—U.S. Government
 Ucscout.com
 House.gov
 Senate.gov
 Whitehouse.gov
 Opensecrets.org
 Billofrightesinstitute.org
 YouTube—Minute Government videos

Foreign Language:
 Helpful Websites:
 ASL Pro—www.aslpro.com
 French & Spanish Verb Practice—conjuguemos.com
 Spanish Grammar Tutorials—www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE8LnJ3BDb8
 Spanish Grammar Practice—www.studyspanish.com/tutorial.htm
 Spanish Reading & Listening Comprehension—www.123teachme.com/
learn_spanish
 Online Foreign Language Textbooks
 French—www.classzone.com/cz/books/french_1/book_home.htm?state=TX
 Spanish: Realidades 2—www.phschool.com (web code: jdk-0001)
 Spanish: Realidades 3—www.phschoolc.om(web code: jek-0001)
 Quizlets:
 Realidades 1—quizlet.com/AlishaBridges/folders/sp1-realidades
 Realidades 2—quizlet.com/AlishaBridges/folders/sp2-realidades
 Realidades 3—quizlet.com/AlishaBridges/folders/sp3-realidades
5
Helpful Websites—Economics
 Www.youtube.com/user/mjmfoodie
 Www.youtube.com/user/ACDCLeadership
 Dirkmateer.com/econ-topics
 Www.stlouisfed.org/education_resources
 Reffonomics.com/reff/index.html
 Glencoe.mheducation.com/sites/0025694212/
student_view0/chapter1/paul_solman_videos.html
Strategies for Classroom Success
Str
a
English:
 A  Do tegies F
tte
n’t
o
 Melinda Wright—private tutor
 C nd tu wait r All Cl
ass
tor
to a
hec
 STAAR Remediation workbooks (see an English teacher for copies)
i
 N k your als wh sk for es:
 Helpful Websites:
e
h
C
tea
a
ny
c
ou elp
lass tiona
 Khan Academy—www.khanacademy.org
l Ho hers’
get
roo
w
T
beh
ebs
 m te nor S
ake
 SAT online—sat.collegeboard.org
in
i
adv www xtboo ociety tes da d
ks a
ily
ant
.hip
 4Tests—www.4tests.com/exams
tut
age
nd
ors
p
w
of o ocam
 Amazing Grades Tutoring (972.974.5266) —www.amazinggrades4u.com
B
pus orkbo
ppo
oks
ep
c
.or
 Online English Textbooks—www.my.hrw.com
g
roa orrec rtuni
tion ties
ctiv
Math:
 English 1—Login: rhsfresh | Password: 12345
e
to m
dai
s
ly a —sta
ake
 Helpful Websites:
ssig y o
 English 2—Login: rhssoph | Password: 12345
tes
n
n
me top
t
 Khan Academy—www.khanacademy.org
nts
 English 3—Login: rhsjr | Password: 12345
of
 Purple Math Online Tutorials—www.purplemath.com
 English 4—Login: rhssr | Password: 12345
 Ebackpack—risd.ebackpack.com/login
 Brightstorm—www.brightstorm.com/math/algebra-2
 Online Calculator—www.desmos.com/calculator
 Calculus Homework Support—www.calcchat.com
 Teacher Websites—found on the Rockwall High School home page
Science:
 Online Math Textbooks—www.my.hrw.com
 Helpful Websites:
 Algebra 2—Password: rockwallalg2
 AP Biology tutorial videos—
www.youtube.com/user/bozemanbiology
 Physics—www.physicsclassroom.com
 A Plus Physics—www.aplusphysics.com
 Online Science Textbooks
 Pre-AP Biology & Regular Biology—www.my.hrw.com
 AP Biology—ebooks.bfwpub.com/hillis1e.php
 AP Biology Companion Book—bcs.whfreeman.com/hillis1e/#t_667501
 Anatomy—www.g-wonlinetextbooks.com (Login: rockisd01 | Password: anatomy14)