Viz US Counseling News

Welcome back for the 2024-2025 school year. We hope you have settled into your new class schedule and are off to a great start. In an effort to provide students and parents with the most up-to-date and important information, the Counseling Department will send periodic communications with key dates and other relevant details related to our work. As always, please reach out if you have any questions. We look forward to working with you.

Stephanie Sparks, 9th Grade Counselor (all)

Karen Verstraete, 10th-12th Grade Counselor (A-G)

Mary Bodlovich, 10th-12th Grade Counselor (H-M)

Chrissy Boyce, 10th-12th Grade Counselor (N-Z), Counseling Department Chair

• September 11: Senior Parent Night with Counselors, 6:30pm in DeChantal
• September 18: Freshman and Sophomore Parent Night with Counselors, 6:30pm in DeChantal
• September 25: Junior Parent Night with Counselors, 6:30pm in DeChantal
• September 29: West County College Fair, 2:00-4:00pm at Whitfield
• October 5: SAT National Test Date (regular registration deadline 9/20)
• October 10: Testing Day @ Viz (Grade 9: PreACT, Grades 10-11: PSAT)
• October 26: ACT National Test Date (regular registration deadline 9/20)
• October 27: NACAC College Fair, 1:00-4:00pm at St. Louis University

Each fall, admissions representatives from colleges across the United States visit Viz to share information about their respective institutions with our students. Juniors and seniors are welcome and encouraged to attend any session, but if they will miss class, they need to ask for teacher permission prior to attending. Freshmen and sophomores may attend sessions during Collaboration or their free period. All students must sign up to attend a college visit in Naviance at least 24 hours in advance.

Colleges scheduled to visit 8/26-9/6:

• University of Mississippi
• Furman University
• Xavier University
• University of Denver
• Missouri University of Science and Technology
• Boston College
• Kansas State University
• Truman State University
• Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
• Syracuse University

For date and time information and to view a complete list of scheduled visits, click here.

Note: Visits are added almost daily. Please check back for an updated list.

Seniors are off to a busy start! We had a large group College Advisory during Enrichment last week and begin meeting in small groups this week. We have invited all seniors to schedule a one-on-one with their counselor to review their college list, application requirements, and deadlines.

Upcoming events:

8/27: College Advisory Group A

8/30: College Advisory Group B

09/05: SLU 1818 presentation during Enrichment

09/09: College Advisory Group A

09/11: College Advisory Group B

We kicked off College Advisory with juniors last week. We provided them with an introduction to college admissions testing and college research. All of this information (and more!) will be shared with parents at Junior Parent Night at 6:30pm on September 25.

Upcoming events:

09/05: SLU 1818 presentation during Enrichment

09/26: PSAT and AP registration information during Enrichment

While we encourage students to start thinking about their future plans early on, the primary goal for sophomores is to continue focusing on earning good grades and participating in activities that help them explore their interests, meet new people, develop as leaders, and build their high school resumes. Sophomores will take the PSAT on October 10. Information about this test (and more!) will be shared at Freshman and Sophomore Parent Night at 6:30 p.m. on September 18.

Upcoming events:

09/17: PSAT information during Advisory

09/18: AP registration information during Advisory

This week, the 9th-grade class participated in the first of three different presentations during Enrichment: Library Orientation with the Librarian, Study Skills with the Learning Consultants, and Mental Health 101 with their Counselor. In the mental health presentation, students discussed language around mental health, how and where to get help, and factors that positively and negatively impact our mental health. In September, the 9th grade will begin The Social Institute program, where they will learn how to navigate their social world through online lessons on trending topics and current events. You can learn more about The Social Institute at the Freshman and Sophomore Parent Night on September 18.

Upcoming events:

09/05: Library, Study Skills, and Mental Health 101 during Enrichment

09/12: Library, Study Skills, and Mental Health 101 during Enrichment

09/19: The Social Institute during Enrichment

The Elks National Foundation Most Valuable Student (MVS) Contest:

The 2025 MVS application is now open. Applications can be found online at enf.elks.org/MVS. The application deadline is November 12, 2024.

The Elks National Foundation Legacy Awards – The Legacy Awards program begins on September 1, 2024. Legacy Awards provide $4,000 scholarships for children and grandchildren of dues-paying Elk members. The ENF offers a total of 350 national awards. The application deadline is February 3, 2025. Please visit enf.elks.org/Leg for more details and the application link.

Academy Day at Jefferson College on Saturday, September 14

Interested in learning about attending college at one of the five US Service Academies? Consider attending "Academy Day" from 9:30am-12:00pm on Saturday, September 14 ​​​​​at Jefferson College in Hillsboro. This is a great opportunity for students and parents to meet admissions representatives from all five US service academies and learn about their programs and application process. Congressional staff will also discuss the nomination process. Email AcademyDay24@mail.house.gov to register for the event.

Case Western Reserve University Diversity Overnight Program

Case Western Reserve University is currently accepting applications for their Diversity Overnight program on October 13-14 and November 10-11. Diversity Overnight is designed to give smart and curious high school seniors from diverse backgrounds an in-depth look at the opportunities available at Case Western. Students interested in the October 13-14 program, should apply by the September 5 deadline.

Harvard, Princeton, UVA, Wellesley, and Yale Virtual Information Sessions

Harvard, Princeton, UVA, Wellesley, and Yale have teamed up to offer virtual information sessions for prospective students and their families. Admissions officers from all five schools will share information about their programs, admissions process, financial aid offerings, and more. Click here for additional information and to register.

Good sleep is essential for our health and emotional well-being. Adolescents who do not get enough sleep have a higher risk of obesity, diabetes, injuries, poor mental health, and problems with attention and behavior. Teens need 8-10 hours of sleep per day. About 7 out of 10 (72.7%) teens do not get enough sleep on school nights which can impact their academic performance.

How to improve your sleep:

• Stick to a consistent routine- go to bed and wake up at the same time every day
• Avoid caffeine later in the day
• Avoid napping
• Avoid blue light and technology 1 hour prior to bedtime
• Use bed only for sleep (not homework, reading, or other activities)
• Make your bedroom comfortable- cool, dark, and quiet

Resources:

https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/features/students-sleep.htm

https://childmind.org/article/help-teenagers-get-sleep/

https://www.thensf.org/back-to-school-sleep-tips/

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/school-and-sleep/back-to-school-sleep-tips

Stephanie Sparks, 9th Grade Counselor (all)

Karen Verstraete, 10th-12th Grade Counselor (A-G)

Mary Bodlovich, 10th-12th Grade Counselor (H-M)

Chrissy Boyce, 10th-12th Grade Counselor (N-Z), Counseling Department Chair

Meghan Swaller, Counseling Department Coordinator