Dear Families,

As we enter the holiday season, we want to take some time to say thank you for sharing your children with us. We are incredibly honored to be able to work with each student and to become part of their lives. We appreciate your trust in us, our school, and community. We are so very proud to be a part of the Bruin family!

REMINDER- 1st quarter ends THIS FRIDAY, November 8th. Please see your teachers to ensure you finish the quarter strong!

We wish you all peace and wellness.

Best,

BHS Counseling Office

(585) 242-5000 x4526

https://www.bcsd.org/domain/122

Sophomores- Counseling Seminar began last week. We are so happy to see you!

We are previewing the programs available through the Eastern Monroe Career Center (EMCC) in the first seminar. If you think you are interested, you MUST attend the visit on DECEMBER 13th.

Permission slips for the visit are available below or in the Counseling Office. Permission slips must be returned by NOVEMBER 26th.

Check out their website for more information and reach out to your counselor with questions: https://www.monroe.edu/EMCC

Be sure to read the weekly SENIOR NEWSLETTER newsletter and check out the Junior/Senior Information Page on the BHS Counseling Website for all of the post-secondary planning needs: https://bhs.bcsd.org/46752_3

See you in Senior Office Hours!

Please see the UPDATED date for Financial Aid 101 - December 3rd, 6:30pm

The SUNY Plattsburgh Virtual Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) presentation will take place on Monday, November 11th from 12-1 pm. This will allow you and your students to go behind the scenes with professional staff and currently enrolled students in EOP as they discuss their involvement within the program.

What is EOP? Check out this link to learn more: https://www.suny.edu/attend/academics/eop/

There will also be a live Q&A session so that you can get more answers on what EOP could mean to some of your students.

Can't make it live? As long as you and your students register, we will send you a video recording for you to review at a later time!

Register Today!

Monday, November 11, 2024 at 8:45 AM until 2:00 PM

Take part in this unique opportunity to learn more about Business and Entrepreneurship at Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship. Spend the day diving into a variety of business focus areas, such as:

- Career Opportunities in Business
- Selecting a Business Path
- Introduction to Entrepreneurship
- Introduction to Marketing & Strategy
- Introduction to Accounting & Finance
- Artificial Intelligence in the Business World.

End the day with a social surrounded by business faculty and current students at Golisano Institute!

*Please note, the cost of the program is $75. Payment is due at the time of registration. If there are financial concerns, please reach out to admissions@golisanoinstitute.org.

Register here: https://connect.golisanoinstitute.org/register/BusinessReady201

Inspirit AI is a 25-hour pre-college program that introduces students in grades 6 to 12 to fundamental artificial intelligence tools to build socially impactful projects and applications. Admitted students join a small-group capstone course taught by Stanford, MIT, and Ivy League grad students and build projects such as AI-powered legal assistants, mental health chatbots, among others. Applications for winter are due November 15.

Exploring provides exciting activities and one-on-one mentorship for youth looking to discover their future. Whether you’re a local organization looking to strengthen the community or a young person wanting to uncover the possibilities of your future, Exploring is a great place to start.

Exploring let’s you “try a career on for size!”

Students ages 14-20 can explore their career interests in a hands-on real-world environment with professionals in that field. There are Explorer Posts for areas of advanced manufacturing, aviation, cosmetology, culinary, engineering, firematics/EMS, health care, law enforcement, legal, military, skilled trades, sports management, veterinary, and many more!

Reach out to our Exploring Executive, Casey West for more information on sessions available:

Casey.west@scouting.org

https://senecawaterways.org/exploring-ages-14-20/

**You can earn INTERNSHIP CREDIT for joining an Explorer Post! See Mrs. Stern for details!

College Reps are still visiting, in-person and virtually, through Thanksgiving!

We will post the coming week's visits here, updated every Friday: https://bhs.bcsd.org/46742_3

Reps will be visiting in-person and virtually.

• If a rep is in person, they will be in room 257 (the conference room across from the Counseling Office)
• If they are virtual, you will be able to access a link to their zoom via Naviance. You may come to the Counseling Office and we can help find you a quiet space to attend if needed.
• You will need teacher permission to attend if the visit takes place during a class.

You are welcome to sign up for as many visits as you'd like! We encourage you to sit in on the ones you know, as well as some that you've never heard of before. There are so many INCREDIBLE institutions all over the country with phenomenal opportunities. You just don't know about them yet!

Be sure to check out Naviance for a complete list of ALL visits this season. Check often- we get new visits scheduled every day!

Transition from school age programs to adulthood

This year's conference will focus on transition topics: Housing Alternatives, ACCES-VR 101: Everything you need to know about Services for Youth and Adults, Managing your Government Benefits, Discipline & Suspension, Alternatives to Guardianship, Family Guide to Transition Planning, Trusts and ABLE Accounts, Public Safety, The Role and Importance Sensory Plays throughout your Lifetime, OPWDD Overview: Supporting Young Adults Transitioning from School, Diagnostic Considerations for Teenagers and Adults: Assessing for Autism Later in Life, NYS Diploma Options for Students with Disabilities, Executive Functioning, Healthy Relationships, Redefining Advocacy for Greater Impact: Moving the Needle on the Housing Crisis and Home Care, and What's Next? Getting your child ready for the Transition from High School to College.

For more info and to sign up, click here: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E232727&id=499

It's not too early to start planning for next summer! Our friends at Oxbridge Academic Programs are offering a SPECIAL DISCOUNT for students in the Rochester Area. This is ON TOP OF any other scholarship or financial support you also may qualify for! Check out the flyer and website below for more information.

Below is the link to our BHS JOB BOARD- your new home for any information about work permits, available jobs or internship opportunities.

This will be updated weekly as opportunities come in. Check it often!!

Please see below if you are interested in any of our WBL programs:

General Work Experience

• Did you have a job this summer or during the school year?
• Will you work at least 150 hours by end of the school year?
• Are you a junior or a senior?
• If you answered yes to the questions above, contact Mrs. Stern about earning HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT next year just for having a job!

Professional Internship/Job Shadowing

We can work together to figure out a career exploration plan!

For more detailed information on either programs, please check out our site: https://bhs.bcsd.org/46761_3

Set up an appointment with Mrs. Stern if you are interested in either of these programs: https://outlook.office365.com/book/CourtneyStern1@bcsd.org/

Hands on experiences are the best way to learn more about the career opportunities available to our young adults. And our students are asking for them! When we thought about who our students could learn from, we wanted to first look to the professionals in our own back yard.

PARENTS- If you are interested in possibly hosting a student for a Job Shadow experience or Professional Internship in the future, we encourage you to fill out the survey below. There is no obligation to host a student shadow or intern currently. It is merely helping us to create a network of professionals in our community. If you have paid jobs available for students, please email Courtney Stern directly.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=ZLm1_AgyPkeLzTMrIV6bE1FNnWpNYnRGluEgXgoFHwJUREJWMUJTNTBTWThHN0VQRExKSVZPNURLSy4u

If you have any questions regarding the programs below, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time. Thank you in advance for considering hosting a student shadow or intern in the future!

Students- if you are interested in a Job Shadow, Internship or earning credit for your Work Experience next year, reach out to Mrs. Stern and we can see what we can do!

Courtney Stern, College & Career Counselor

Courtney_stern@bcsd.org

Sam Rizzo, CTE Coordinator

sam_rizzo@bcsd.org

If you have questions specific to BHS testing procedures, please reach out to Deirdre Carter: deirdre_carter@bcsd.org. As things are changing so often, please refer to the testing sites for updated information:

Standardized exams have traditionally been a part of the college application. This year, due to COVID, many schools allowed students the option of submitting test scores or not. Juniors- It's safe to say it's a good idea to get an exam or two under your belt if you are thinking of applying to a four-year college. Below is some brief information about the two exams and the website to check out to get more information/sign up for the exams.

SAT

Collegeboard.org

• Designed to measure academic aptitude in verbal and numerical reasoning.
• Test Content: Reading, Math and Writing.
• Cost $68.00

ACT

Actstudent.org

**Changes are coming to this exam! Read more here: 2025 ACT Enhancements–First Looks – Chariot Learning

• Designed to measure academic achievement.
• Test Content: English, Math, Reading and Science Reasoning.
• Cost $69.00 (w/o writing)
• Cost $94.00 (with writing)

Visit www.fairtest.org for a list of colleges that do not require standardized tests. Check in with your counselor about a Fee Waiver , if needed, to help cover the costs of the exams.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (504s & IEPS)

SAT- The BHS Counseling Office applies for all College Board test mods prior to your sophomore year (this summer). If approved, these will apply to all future SAT & AP Exams

ACT- you MUST REGISTER FOR AN ACT EXAM before we can apply for your test mods. Be sure to sign up early, indicate you will be requesting accommodations, and let your counselor know ASAP so we can get them processed before the test date. This typically takes 6-8 weeks.

Remember- both College Board and ACT are private companies. They have the right to approve or deny any test modifications you may have. If you have any questions, please reach out to your counselor or College Board/ACT for more information.

BHS has a long standing tradition of offering short-term individual and group counseling services to all students.

If interested in any services, please reach out to your child's School Counselor or complete the form using the QR code below.

We can also help refer to community services. We are here to help in any way we can!

Email: courtney_stern@bcsd.org
Website: https://www.bcsd.org/Page/2063
Location: 1150 South Winton Road, Rochester, NY, USA
Phone: (585) 242-5000