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Issaquah High Counseling Newsletter
Winter 2018-19
Happy December!
Meeting with your Counselor
Winter Break Reminders
We will be off for Winter Break December 20th through January 1st. Some things to consider over break:
- Rest! Take time to relax, spend time with friends and family, catch up on sleep, and do things you enjoy. Make sure you're doing something for your health every day so you can come back to school in January recharged.
- If you're behind in classes, spend a little bit of time each day getting caught up. You'll be thankful at the end of break that you've spread out your work, as opposed to trying to get everything done the day before we come back.
- Staff will likely not be on email over break. So, if you need a question answered make sure to check in with your teachers or counselor by December 19th.
Updates by Grade Level
Seniors:
- Have an early January college deadline? Remember that it takes two school days to send your transcript using Parchment, counselors need ten school days to submit recommendations and school reports to colleges, and teachers need even longer. We will not be working on applications over break, so all materials need to be submitted early December to have our end done before break .
- The High School and Beyond Plan was due December 1st. If you didn't finish it, take a few minutes over break to complete this year's portion so you're ready to sign up for the Senior Exit Interview in January.
Juniors:
- Counselors are currently meeting with all juniors to do Junior Credit Conferences. We are meeting in small groups during Nest time to go over credit requirements left for graduation, senior year course planning, and other graduation information. If you haven't had your conference yet, be on the look out for a purple counseling pass inviting you to your conference location during Nest time.
- PSAT results will be available in January. Students can access them electronically through their College Board account and paper copies will be passed out at school. Stay tuned next month for more information on how to pick up your paper copy!
Local testing centers fill up fast. Consider registering now for Spring SAT & ACT dates: collegeboard.org or act.org.
The High School and Beyond Plan was due December 1st. If you didn't finish it, take a few minutes over break to complete this year's portion
Sophomores:
- PSAT results will be available in January. Students can access them electronically through their College Board account and paper copies will be available at school. Stay tuned next month for more information on how to pick up your paper copy!
- The High School and Beyond Plan was due December 1st. If you didn't finish it, take a few minutes over break to complete this year's portion
Freshmen:
- Finals will be coming up quickly after break! Be sure to attend the SEL lesson during nest on December 11th to learn effective study skills and strategies you can use to be successful on your finals.
- The High School and Beyond Plan was due December 1st. If you didn't finish it, take a few minutes over break to complete this year's portion
Academic Achievement
Grading Reminder
Semester grades: these are the only grades that will appear on your official transcript. Your transcript serves as your official high school record and will be sent to your post-high school program or school.
Quarter grades: these are updated at the half-way point during each semester. They are a good check to see if you are on track to pass the class, or if you need to put in some extra work or seek outside support to find more success. These are not posted to your transcript.
Midterm grades: these are updated half-way through each quarter and are also a good check in tool to see how you are progressing in the class. Midterm 2 and 4 grades will be the last official grade updates before semester grades are due. These are not posted to your transcript.
Make sure to check Student and Family Access after each of these grading periods to see updated grades.
Running Start
If you are a current Running Start student, we have a Remind group set up to send out important notifications about running start. Please sign up if you have not already! We will notify you through the remind group when we send out emails with our quarterly registration meeting days and times.
You can sign up by going to https://www.remind.com/join/ihsrst
New Schedule for 2019-2020 School Year
The district is proposing a new schedule for all high schools starting next year. The latest meeting minutes are now available online and include concerns they've addressed as well as next steps in the process. Check out their website for more information.
College and Career Readiness
Work Site Learning
Do you have a job? Have you participated in a CTE class? You may be eligible to earn 0.5 credit for every 180 hours you work! For more information, check out the website here or stop by the College and Career Center to pick up an application.
Apprenticeships
Our state offers numerous apprenticeship opportunities for students after high school. These include options for joining the Aerospace, Construction, Electrician, Technology, Engineering, Machinery, and Plumbing trades. Our College and Career Center hosts an extensive list of resources for interested students to check out.
Work Authorization Forms
Are you needing a work authorization signed for new employment? Please see Ms. Marbut in the counseling office. Note: we do require a 48 hour turnaround on all forms requiring signatures.
As stated on the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries guidelines for the Parent/School Authorization, it is the EMPLOYERS responsibility to ensure the form is completed prior to collecting signatures. This form is retained in our office, therefore, we cannot accept an incomplete copy. Please confirm the following are complete prior to submitting for school approval:
- Employee information
- Employer information
- ALL signatures (including employee, employer and parent)
- Work hours and work schedule (to be completed by employer)
- Optional Special Variance if applicable
Parent/Guardians: If there are any concerns regarding grades and balancing work time, your student’s counselor may reach out to you directly and make a notation in the provided comments field.
Social and Emotional Support
Empathy vs. Sympathy
1. Perspective taking
2. Staying out of judgment
3. Recognizing emotions
4. Communicating what you are noticing
Community Resources
The Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank is putting on their annual Holiday Gift Barn event! If you're in need of some extra help this holiday season, you can shop the barn to pick out gifts for your family and have them wrapped on site. Child care is also available.
Late registration may be available by going to the Issaquah Food Bank website. You can call Erin at 425-392-4123 x16 with questions.
The food bank is also offering Lunch for the Break boxes to students to help provide breakfast and lunches while school is not in session. To register for a box, click here.
Parentwiser Events
Rosetta Lee will be coming to the Mercer Island Community and Event Center to talk with parents about creating a positive self-identity in our children. She is a well-respected leader in equity and inclusion work, and aims to support parenting with identity in mind. To register for the event, check out the Parent Wiser website.
Suicide Prevention
Contact Us
Jackie Krezelak: A-Ci
Emily Combellick (Tuttle): Cj-Ham
Christian McKone: Han-La
Jen Martinson: Lb-Ol
Sam Wren: Om-Sta
Jen Schwarz: Ste-Z
Visit our website to find our specific contact information.
Email: marbutj@issaquah.wednet.edu
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/ishscounseling/
Location: 700 2nd Avenue Southeast, Issaquah, WA, USA
Phone: 4258376140