Vikings Counselor Connection
Schreiber Guidance Department Newsletter May 2022
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
A note from the Director's Desk
Greetings, Schreiber Students and Families,
It's hard to believe that May is here! In May, we recognize Mental Health Awareness Month. One positive outcome of the pandemic has been the increased awareness of mental health topics in everyday conversations. No longer stigmatized, we've learned that it is perfectly okay to prioritize our own mental health needs in order to be our best selves. Managing uncomfortable emotions can be especially challenging for young people who haven't learned the skills and strategies to tackle the discomfort. This month, I'm including some articles from NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness as a resource. Students, there's lots of information in there to help you spark a conversation about your mental health needs with friends, parents, trusted adults, and more. Relaxation videos at the end might also help manage the tension you might be feeling before AP exams as well. Please take a look and let me know what you think.
In May, the School Counselors are busy with a Junior College Essay Writing Workshop in collaboration with the English Department and our Librarian, Mrs. Cohan. In addition, Ms. Garcia is discussing resilience with freshmen and sophomores. We're also scheduling dates for next year's events. Look for more information about that in the weeks to come.
This office is also buzzing with updates from our seniors who are making their final college decisions. Seniors - be sure to read the UPDATES section for next steps you must take at this time!
May is a busy month with the upcoming District Budget Vote and end-of-year planning. Be sure to take care of your own wellness. I wish you all a healthy and safe May!
Lorrie Director, Pre-K-12 Director of Guidance
High School Guidance Team
Counselors and email addresses
Guidance Office phone: (516) 767-5810
Office Hours: 8:00 am - 3:15 pm
Ms. Cangemi (Substitute for Mr. Gomez) jcangemi@portnet.org
Ms. Cerny ncerny@portnet.org
Ms. Garcia vgarcia@portnet.org
Ms. Jacobson ljacobson@portnet.org
Ms. Hazan khazan@portnet.org
Mr. Lorge jlorge@portnet.org
Ms. Ludwig jludwig@portnet.org
Ms. Rafferty drafferty@portnet.org
Ms. Strell dstrell@portnet.org
Schreiber Guidance website
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Important Naviance Student Task for Seniors
*Important* Class of 2022 - must read!
Seniors,
- Decision Day is May 1st! You must update Naviance Student with information about your final decision college/university. We can't send your final transcript without this information!
- You also must update Naviance with your acceptances, denials, PLUS scholarship dollars you received from merit scholarships AND outside scholarships. HINT: If a university offered you a $20,000 merit scholarship over four years, you will report that as receiving $80,000 from that university.
- WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT?? Remember how you benefited from looking at the scattergrams? Please pay it forward and help future Schreiber students with their applications. The information you share is anonymous!
- Speaking of final transcripts, they are expected to go out via Naviance the second week in July. Do not worry if your college says they are due by July 1! NY high schools are the last to graduate in the country and it takes time for finalizing/processing - colleges are aware of our timeline. Feel free to let your school know when we intend to send them.
- It's not too late to apply for scholarships! Fastweb and Scholarships.com are good places to start. You can also check Naviance, where we are adding new outside scholarships every week.
- Remember to check your Portnet email!
- Join the Guidance Class of 2022 Remind to receive reminders via text message. Come to Guidance for more information.
Feedback from College Consortium
Thank you to everyone who joined us at the fair on April 6th. We hope you enjoyed being there as much as we enjoyed hosting it. And to the students and families who shared feedback with us afterwards, we appreciate you! Your input will help us to guide future fairs.
I thought I would share some of the feedback with all of you and hopefully answer some of your questions.
Communication about the fair was a common discussion point among parents and students. Some of you requested advanced notice about the panels and colleges that cancel their attendance. We will look at ways to improve communications for the future. Unfortunately, a college can cancel at the last minute due to an unforeseen situation, however, we can use social media in the future to handle those last-minute updates.
College panels are also subject to change, unfortunately. But based on parent feedback, there may have been too many options to choose from. We are already discussing ways to provide students and parents with an even better experience with our college representatives.
Speaking of the panels, here are some important takeaways from our reps:
- Test scores - no one is going to give you a definite answer on whether or not to send your scores for test-optional schools. As a guide, review the test scores from the last three admissions cycles. Do your scores fall below the mid-50% range? You may want to reconsider sending them. But be mindful of additional requirements that schools may look for in lieu of the SAT/ACT. Ask your high school counselor if you have questions.
- Essay - be sure it is written in your voice. Admissions representatives know when they are reading an essay that has been "assisted" by a well-meaning adult. Take your time, and revise often.
- Last year was a record breaking year in terms of college applications. Many colleges/universities have become even more selective due to the number of applications they have received. I've included some recent articles below that speak to this.
Some of you also commented on the schools in attendance. With over 70 schools in attendance, we hope that there's something for everyone. We realize that's not always the case. Keep in mind that not all admissions offices are back to their regular travel schedule due to COVID. Budgets are also not back to normal yet, and some universities are scaling back. Some highly selective institutions simply don't see the value in larger fairs. Remember, college fairs are typically recruiting events. Highly selective institutions receive so many applications - there is no need to recruit anyone! If you haven't yet read Jeff Selingo's Who Gets Into College and Why?, I highly recommend it. Selingo's explanation of "Buyers and Sellers" in college admissions provides tremendous insight into the process.
Schreiber Guidance offers multiple opportunities for students to connect with college representatives. In the fall, we host mini-fairs in the lobby for students. We also host college representative visits every day from mid-September to early November. And in the spring, we host the larger fair. The counselors and I also attend workshops and conferences hosted by the colleges to keep us updated on their campus programs and initiatives.
Again, thank you for attending and sharing your valuable feedback. We look forward to planning future college events based on your input.
Admissions Related Resources
Peer Helpers Steerers Celebrate Their Future
Social-Emotional Learning
During Quarter 4, Ms. Garcia will be visiting freshman and sophomore classes to discuss resilience and how it helps us move forward. It has been a challenging year for many students and it's hard to believe we are getting close to the end! We are here to help and support all students during their high school journeys. A special shout-out to the Peer Helpers who have been volunteering their time during these lessons to share their Schreiber experiences. Thank you, Peer Helpers!
Save the Date!
Class of 2022 Department Awards - Wednesday, May 25th
Class of 2022 Community Awards - Wednesday, June 15th
Paul D. Schreiber High School Graduation - Thursday, June 23rd
More information to follow!
Join Your Counselor's Google Classroom
Passport for Good
Our Passport for Good participation is on the rise!
Passport For Good is a mobile-friendly web-based platform that simplifies, recognizes, and celebrates your engagement outside of the classroom. It allows you to journal and verify your community service, career development, and participation in extracurricular activities.
To make this transition a success, we need your help. You must first register for Passport For Good - Click the flyer below for the link and QR code to register. Once your account is activated, you are ready to begin using Passport For Good!
Some of Schreiber's clubs and groups have switched to using Passport For Good, logging their community service and career development hours directly within the platform.
Ask your Counselor if you have questions about Passport For Good.
Welcome to Methodize
Did you hear that Method Test Prep has a new name and platform? All Schreiber students have FREE access to Methodize by Method Learning. Methodize offers SAT and ACT prep courses, plus financial literacy in a comprehensive digital learning platform. Please click on the links below for more information.
Schreiber Writing Center
Click the link below for more information.
The California Healthy Minds, Thriving Kids Project
Video: Relaxation Skills for High School Students
Video: Habilidades de relejacion - estudiantes de high school
Articles from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
Articles below are presented in English and in Spanish.