Website: https://www.wcasd.net/Domain/518
Location: 400 Montgomery Avenue, West Chester, PA, USA
Phone: 484-266-3408

School Counselors:

Ashley Sullivan, M.Ed.; A- Cri; asullivan1@wcasd.net

Heather Bratton, M.S.; Cro-Gr; hbratton@wcasd.net
Ali Donohue, M.Ed.; Gu-Lee; adonohue@wcasd.net

Colleen Allen; M.Ed.; Lef-Pa; callen@wcasd.net
Kathy Teague, M.Ed.;Pe-Sma; kteague@wcasd.net
Becky Singer, M.Ed.; Smc-Z; rsinger@wcasd.net

Career Education Counselor:

Dave Robertson, M.Ed.; drobertson@wcasd.net

Intervention Counselor
Candy Jakubowski, M.A; cjakubowski@wcasd.net

School Psychologist
John C. Thomas, M.S., jcthomas@wcasd.net

School Caseworker
Janelle Hoole, LCSW jhoole@wcasd.net

Counseling Admin Assistants
Sharon Macnamara, smacnamara@wcasd.net - 484-266-3408

Karen Pyle, kpyle@wcasd.net - 484-266-3407

The Henderson High School Counselors are excited for the 2024-2025 school year! Our role is to help students focus on academic, career and social/emotional development so they achieve success in school and are prepared to lead fulfilling lives as responsible members of society. WCASD school counselors are committed to ensuring ethical, equitable, and inclusive school environments. Our guidance in this area comes in part from the American School Counselor Association standards addressing racism and bias. As always, Henderson counselors will work collaboratively with students, their families and our staff to ensure a smooth transition for our students into this school year. Students are encouraged to visit the counseling office or make an appointment with their counselor or crisis interventionist if they need to talk to someone during the school day.

In addition to our role of counseling students in the areas of social and emotional development relevant to the school setting, WCASD high school counselors support students in career education and college planning. Each student will create a College and Career Portfolio, consisting of at least 8 activities by the end of their junior year. Using provided career planning tools, students can discover interests, research careers, link careers to post-secondary requirements and create a resume. Using the college planning tools, students can research colleges and manage the college application process. School counselors can submit application materials to colleges electronically, thus saving time and money so that we can spend more time working directly with students.

We recognize that communication with families is of the utmost importance and we are dedicated to maintaining frequent and varied communication. Remember to visit the HHS counseling website, Schoology courses, and review emails on a regular basis for updated information regarding the counseling program and supports.

The procedure for establishing class size, schedules and staffing of teachers as well as ensuring a positive educational environment began last February with the course selection process. Teachers, administrators, counselors, students and parents collaborated on students’ course selections through the Spring. Schedules are finalized and changes from one elective to another will not be considered. As outlined in the WCASD Course Selection Guide, and per district policy, level changes (when appropriate) will be addressed and considered on an as needed basis on or after September 13th. All level changes for full year courses must be completed no later than January 20, 2025. All level changes for semester courses including English 12 Hon. and English CCP levels need to be completed no later than October 9, 2024.

Deadlines for adding electives to existing study halls was September 13th for first semester and full year courses, and January 31st for second semester courses.

A Schedule Change Form must be completed with the appropriate signatures required and turned into the Counseling Office within the time frames listed above to be considered.

The first line of support for your student is their teacher. Parents and students are encouraged to reach out directly to teachers for academic support. Counselors are also available to help support students' academic success. There are a variety of academic assistance programs available to your student.

After School HELP (Henderson Enhanced Learning Period)

The Henderson Library is open after school Mondays through Thursdays from 2:30-3:30. Staff and National Honors Society tutors (seniors) will be available to provide students with a supportive place to complete homework and get assistance with assignments. No appointment or pass is necessary. Just drop-in any time during the time frame outlined above.

National Honor Society Tutoring

The National Honor Society (NHS) provides peer tutoring services at no charge to HHS students experiencing difficulty in any subject area, or simply for help preparing for a test or quiz. Students can sign up by scanning the NHS QR code posted around the building or by contacting Mrs. Rose or Mrs. Purnell-Bratcher, NHS Co-Advisors. Tutors and students seeking tutoring will be paired according to the subject area and their mutual free time (study halls and/or lunch).

Teacher Assistance

Teachers are available after school (from 2:15—2:50) for help with classroom assignments and test preparation. Students or guardians can arrange this by either speaking with or e-mailing the teacher directly.

Warrior Block

Warrior block runs from 10:39am-11:09am every day. This is a great time for students to get extra support from their teachers! Students do not need to sign up in advance to meet with their teachers. They can simply report to their teachers' classrooms for help.

Math Support

Period 4: Mrs. Gillespie- Room 257

Period 5: Mrs. Schiele- Room 256

Period 6: Mrs. McCormick- Room 260

Period 7: Ms. Larcombe- Room 266

Monitoring Progress

Monitoring your student’s progress by using the online Parent Portal on a regular basis is a good way of reminding your student that you play an important role in their education. It is appropriate at the high school level to step in and assist your student if they are experiencing academic difficulty and are unable to or are an ineffective self-advocate. Counselors are available to meet with students to review organization, time management, study skills and anything else that may be hindering their progress. Encourage your student to seek help from their teacher(s), counselor, and grade level administrator, and then follow up by emailing your student’s educators.

If you do not have a Parent Portal account or would like to add a child to an existing account and have not received your Access ID and password, you may contact the Counseling office and obtain it from Ms. Sharon Macnamara or from Ms. Karen Pyle. If you have an account but don’t remember your username and/or password, please click on the ‘Forgot username or password’ link on the Parent Portal site (https://ps.wcasd.net/public/) and enter the email address that was used to create your account. If you do not have access to that email or need assistance please send an email to parentportal@wcasd.net.

Key points for seniors right now:

Seniors should-

• Meet with their counselor for their individual senior meeting.

• Be completing applications and submitting apps, depending on individual college deadlines.

• Be aware of their deadlines and college requirements. It is a student's responsibility to be aware of the requirements of each school.

• Continue to work to improve academic achievement. Many colleges request first and second marking period senior year grades.

• Check their email and college portals often for updates from their colleges.

Utmost on many students’ and their families’ minds is the college admissions process and career planning. Many families have questions specifically regarding standardized testing (ACT/SAT). While almost all colleges still accept scores, many colleges are now test optional, providing more choice for students. You should check each college’s website for the most updated information on their application requirements.

PSAT/NMSQT (For 10th and 11th)

The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (commonly known as the PSAT) is a practice test for the SAT and will be administered to all Sophomores and Juniors on Tuesday, October 15th, 2024 at Henderson during school hours. Students are not required to register or pay for the test. The WCASD will provide student test registration and fees to the College Board for all Sophomores and Juniors. PSAT scores are not reported to colleges. The PSAT on October 15th will be given in a digital format. This will allow students to become accustomed to this testing format for the digital SAT. Any senior who wants or needs to take the SAT should take it no later than December.

The PSAT/NMSQT is also used to identify and enter Juniors in competition for national recognition and scholarships. Juniors should especially make an effort to be at school on October 15th. There will be a make up PSAT on October 22nd. PSAT results will be released by mid-November through the College Board website.

While 10th and 11th grade students are taking the PSAT on October 15th, 9th grade students will be participating in several activities run by the counseling office. More information will be provided about these activities.

SAT/ACT (for 11th and 12th)

The following information is for planning purposes relevant to college bound Juniors and Seniors and is subject to change based on college admissions requirements. As a general rule, most schools will accept both the SAT and the ACT. Many schools are now also test-optional. Students are responsible for their own test registration on-line for the SAT and the ACT.

SAT/ACT DATES

Remember to use the Henderson’s school code #395170 when registering. Students hoping to apply to college under 'Early Decision' or 'Early Action' and military academy candidates should take the SAT’s or ACT’s twice before their senior year if required or optional.

Test Date/ Registration Deadline Test

*please also check late registration dates*

October 5, 2024 / September 20, 2024 SAT

October 26, 2024 / September 20, 2024 ACT

November 2, 2024 / October 18, 2024 SAT

December 7, 2024 / November 22, 2024 SAT

December 14, 2024 / November 8, 2024 ACT

February 8, 2025 / January 3, 2025 ACT

March 8, 2025 / February 21, 2025 SAT

April 5, 2025 / February 28, 2025 ACT

May 3, 2025 / April 18, 2025 SAT

June 7, 2025 / May 22, 2025 SAT

June 14, 2025 / May 9, 2025 ACT

July 12, 2025 / June 6, 2025 ACT

College Search Opportunities

The Counseling Office schedules college admissions representatives to visit HHS during the year to meet with prospective students. The college rep visit schedule is posted on Naviance. Please encourage 11th and 12th grade students to register for any college visit in which they are interested! In addition, there are a few upcoming college fairs, which students are encouraged to attend:

• Chester County College Fair

• Philadelphia National College Fair

Senior Conferences and Highlights of the College Process

As part of the WCASD developmental counseling program, students were given the opportunity to meet with school counselors during lunch periods throughout the 2nd week of school. These meetings provided an opportunity to support students with their college process and to answer questions. In addition, School Counselors meet individually with each senior during the first marking period to review credit requirements for graduation, the student’s transcript, and their senior schedule. Other relevant issues discussed during this conference will include educational options, standardized testing, grade point average, financial aid, post high school career plans, and the college and scholarship application procedure used by the HHS Counseling Office.

Parents/guardians are welcome to attend their students’ senior conferences. Conferences are scheduled during the school day during a period when it is least disruptive to instructional time. Contact your student’s counselor as soon as possible to confirm a date and time that you can attend.

During the college application process, the student should take the lead and assume the responsibility of gathering information, meeting deadlines, and communicating with the relevant school personnel. The counselors are here to help students by providing them with the tools and resources necessary for them to complete their application requirements. If students encounter difficulty during this process, it is very important that they contact their counselor for assistance. SAT’s and ACT’s are not on WCASD transcripts, so students are responsible for sending their own scores (if required or optional) directly to colleges from collegeboard.org and act.org.

Since college applications, essays, activities, and application fees are submitted online by the student, many colleges require nothing more from the school counselor than a student's official transcript and a Henderson school profile. Students should meet with their counselor to review their transcript for accuracy. Students will use Naviance to request teacher letters of recommendation, request transcripts, track application deadlines, find schools and college majors suited to them and much more. Naviance aids communication between students and counselors concerning college-related information.

Teacher, administrator and counselor recommendations: Don’t be surprised if many colleges either do not require recommendations, or they make them optional (try to send one or two if they are optional). Students will invite their teacher recommenders to upload a recommendation electronically via Naviance only AFTER they have asked the teacher for a letter. Colleges may also require a counselor letter of recommendation. Students must follow their counselors' protocol for requesting letters of recommendation.

Faculty and administrators are not required to write recommendations, but may agree to do so upon request. Students should be prepared to provide an unofficial electronic copy of their transcript and a list of extra-curricular activities to their recommender. Unofficial copies of transcripts can be obtained from the counseling office administrative assistants or a counselor. Students are responsible for creating their own record of school-related and outside-of-school activities, including employment and volunteer work. This could look like a simple bullet pointed list or a resume using the resume builder in Naviance.

Deadlines: Application deadlines are the student’s responsibility. Our preference is that all requests to send transcripts be made to the counselor via Naviance at least 10 school days prior to application deadlines - even if students haven’t submitted their applications yet. Because of the volume of transcripts processed around Thanksgiving and winter break, the recommended guideline for all requests for transcripts with a January due date is December 6, 2024 for your best chance that the transcript will be sent before winter break starts. Counselors will not be checking for transcript requests over the winter break.