Counselor Connection

September 2024

ADM High School Counseling Office

DID YOU KNOW...?

There are EIGHT new teachers at ADM High School this year!

Mr. Abdallah (Math)

Ms. Landin (ELA)

Ms. Gude (World Languages)

Chef Kubiak (FCS)

Mrs. Hickman (Special Education)

Mr. Winkowitsch (School to Career)

Mr. Novotney (Vocal Music)

Mr. Mortensen (Industrial Technology)

We are so pleased to have their knowledge and expertise here at ADM.

Stop by and say "hello" if you have a free second!

WHO IS MY COUNSELOR? AND WHERE CAN I FIND THEM?

We have three new counselors at ADM High School. They can be found in the counseling center at the high school, just behind the main office. If you don't know where to find us, please ask Ms. Shaw or Mrs. Blazek in the front office! They would be happy to lead you our way!!!

Mr. Josh Ahrens

HS counselor for students with last names A-J

This is Mr. Ahrens’ first year as a school counselor! Mr. Ahrens is passionate about soccer, the Denver Broncos, and spending time with friends and family. In his free time he likes to watch movies, draw, and play video games.

Mrs. Bailey Hoy

HS counselor for students with last names K-S

This is Mrs. Hoy’s 1st year as a school counselor. Mrs. Hoy enjoys reading and spending time with her friends, family, and French Bulldogs, Louie and Dexter!

Mrs. Carrie Laizure

HS counselor for students with last names T-Z

This is Mrs. Laizure’s 20th year as a school counselor. She shares half her time with Meadow View Elementary. Mrs. Laizure loves spending time with her family, including her grandson, Liam, and her two little Morkies, Peanut and Piper!

We love ADM’s school spirit and the togetherness within the community.

SENIORS

It's time for your Senior meeting with your counselor.

These meetings are MANDATORY and must occur during an open campus or study hall.

We will talk about college applications, scholarships, FAFSA, planning for the future,

graduation, and more, so bring all of your questions with you!

Email your counselor through the links to set up a time.

Mr. Ahrens (Last names A-J)

Mrs. Hoy (Last names K-S)

Mrs. Laizure (Last names T-Z)

Small Group/Individual Counseling Requests

As a part of the counseling program at ADM High School, our school counselors have the opportunity to offer participation in small groups and short-term individual counseling to our students.

Small group counseling is offered to students who could benefit from additional support for personal and social skills, to promote educational success. Small groups provide not only additional social-emotional learning experiences, but they also allow students to gain a sense of belonging among their peers, express themselves, build relationships with their counselors, and engage in games, activities and discussions. Students will be able to meet with a counselor and a small group of their peers for 20-25 minutes, during intervention time, as to not interrupt their academic courses.

Individual counseling is short-term and consists of check-ins, short meetings and discussions on topics of the student's choice, ranging from academics, careers, social-emotional aspects, and more.

If you believe that your student would benefit from additional support from a school counselor this year, please fill out the form linked here. The counseling office will do their best to meet the needs of each student, whether it be individually or in a small group!

Please reach out to your student's counselor if you would like additional information.

Josh Ahrens Professional School Counselor (Last Names A-J)

Bailey Hoy Professional School Counselor (Last Names K-S)

Carrie Laizure Professional School Counselor (Last Names T-Z)

**Please note that this form is completely confidential and that responses will only be reviewed by counselors in the ADM High School counseling office.

EFR at ADM

ADM is partnering with EFR to bring more support to our students through their Student Assistance Program (SAP). EFR is available 24/7, for counseling with a licensed mental health professional, in a confidential manner. Our partnership includes up to 3 FREE in-person or virtual counseling sessions with a professional employed by EFR. After 3 sessions, referral options will be provided.

Some of the concerns that EFR can help with are: anxiety/worry, depression/suicidal thoughts, stress, conflict, bullying, relationship concerns, alcohol or drug concerns, and school performance.

You can learn more about EFR and their student assistance program here or dial 515-244-6090 for more information.

FAFSA Updates

You may be familiar with FAFSA, but there are some major changes this year! Please read these 10 tips outlined below and reach out to the counseling office with any further questions. Please utilize this resource for more information about the updates!

10 Updates to FAFSA for Seniors and Families

1. The FAFSA form is available for submission starting on December 1, 2024.

2. EVERYONE who wants to put information into an online FAFSA will need an FSA ID with two-step verification to access the form (including the student and parent/guardian).

3. The Student Aid Index (SAI) formula will no longer be divided by the number in college. Students with multiple siblings in college have the potential to have a much larger SAI with no change in income.

4. The new name for household size is family size and will be determined by the number of exemptions claimed on the federal tax returns.

5. Students will now be able to list up to 20 colleges on the FAFSA.

6. Each person/role on the FAFSA will only be able to see questions related to their role. Parents/guardians cannot see student questions and students cannot see parent/guardian questions.

7. Families with an adjusted gross income of greater than $60,000 (up from $50,000) or those who filed certain schedules will be required to submit assets.

8. The new SAI formula may result in a student receiving a negative SAI down to -1500. This SAI will be assigned to all non-filer families. It will not result in a larger Pell Grant than a zero SAI and colleges will not be permitted to award students more than the cost of attendance.

9. Pell Grant eligibility will continue to be calculated based on the SAI but will also be calculated using Federal Poverty Tables and the family make-up, size, and income.

10. If a student begins the FAFSA, they will be asked to identify the parent(s) or spouse who will be contributing financial information on the form. It will be critical that they enter those person(s) information as it appears in their FSA ID so that it will match and they be able to log-in and access the student’s FAFSA.

College Visits

We know that college visits can be daunting. Missing school to travel isn't always ideal. Meeting new people isn't always ideal. We want to make that a little bit easier!!!!

We will hold occasional college visits so that students can speak with college representatives right here at school, without having to miss instruction time at all! College visits are held with one of the counselors in the Media Center during power hours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Upcoming college visits will be listed in the high school announcements in the weeks before. Sign up through flexisched on the Monday before visits.

We will also host our annual College and Career Fair on October 22nd from 5 - 7 PM in the South Gym. More information to follow.