CHS Counseling Office Updates

It's hard to believe, but it's almost time for Thanksgiving. In all the craziness of 2020, we just want to take a moment to let you know how thankful we are for you. We are thankful that we get the opportunity to work with all the amazing CHS students and their families. We hope that you all get the chance to gather (even if it's virtually) with friends and family during the holiday season and enjoy the company. We all need the chance to recharge and relax, and we hope that you get the chance to engage in your own self-care.

If there's ever anything that we can do to support you or your student, please let us know. We are here to help!

The first marking period ended on November 9. First quarter report cards will be available on HAC on November 18. Please continue to work with your student to make sure they are passing all classes. If you have any questions, please reach out to your student's teacher.

Are you the parent of a junior who is planning to attend college after graduation? Are you already feeling overwhelmed just THINKING about how to help your child apply to college? Get in to college?? Pay for college??? CHS counselors are here to save the day and make your journey to college easier! The counselors are planning virtual Junior Breakfasts on the 2nd Thursday of each month, starting in December to present information to help you and your child get ready for college. The following topics will be covered:

• Thursday, December 10: College Search Process
• Thursday, January 14: SAT/ACT & Standardized Tests
• Thursday, February 11: College Application Process
• Thursday, March 11: Financial Aid & Scholarships

Registration is required to receive the link to join the virtual meeting. Sign up here: http://bit.ly/CHSJuniorBreakfastRSVP. We will send out the links to the meetings the day before. Open to parents/guardians of 11th grade students ONLY!

One of the trends counselors are seeing with students who are working at home is a struggle with time management and work completion. Here are a few strategies to consider when working remotely:

1. Set a schedule for yourself and plan out your day. Here is a sample daily schedule students can make a copy of and fill out to note when they are going to work on each of their classes and which tasks they are going to prioritize for that day. Students can adjust it for what works best for them. Schoology has a calendar feature (students can access it by clicking on the calendar icon in the upper right hand corner of Schoology) that shows students their tasks for the day. Students should also look at their missing assignments list in Schoology and HAC.

2. Make a "home office." Students should try to create a dedicated workspace for themselves that isn't the same space they use for leisure activities or sleep. Trying to study on your bed when your brain is programmed to know your bed is where you sleep does not lend itself to a lot of productivity. It is possible to be too comfortable to be very productive. A desk, table or counter top is likely a better option.

3. Limit distractions. When it is time to get schoolwork done, be sure to limit distractions and avoid trying to multitask. Set your phone in a different room and make sure your school device is the only one available to you. It is easy to get drawn in to social media, a Netflix marathon or game after game of Among Us if you don't use your time wisely. Build scheduled breaks into your daily schedule, but set a timer or reminder for yourself so you come back to work when you had planned.

4. Manage your other time demands. With us being 100% virtual and having one asynchronous day, it can feel like you have a lot of free time. However, it is important to make sure you are working in all of your classes every day. Be careful about taking on too many other time obligations if your school work is not getting done. We have seen students taking on heavy work schedules of 30 or more hours a week and then not being able to keep up with their school work.

5. Do not procrastinate! With many of our teachers utilizing standards based grading systems that allow for retakes, it is important to be tracking with your work as it comes. If you leave all your work to the last minute, you won't have time to retake assessments or redo assignments if they didn't go as well as you wanted the first time.

Learn about the opportunities for high school students to earn college credits while still in high school! CSM is hosting a Dual Enrollment Information Night for Calvert County students and parents on Thursday, November 19 at 6 PM. The session will be held virtually via Zoom. You must RSVP to receive the meeting log in information. You can RSVP by visiting www.csmd.edu/DualEnrollment.

Current 11th and 12th grade students can take college classes at CSM while still in high school. The deadline to register for Spring 2021 classes is December 15. Please contact your student's counselor to begin the registration process.

Is your student interested in learning more about the military? Here's their chance to meet virtually with a military branch representative! These visits are no pressure or commitment - just a chance to chat with a representative to learn more about that military branch. CHS is hosting virtual visits over the next few weeks with representatives from each branch of the military.

To register, students visit http://bit.ly/CHSMilitaryChat. Open to all CHS students in grades 9 -12! Once the student registers, they will receive an email on their Office 365 email with the link to join the meeting. Registration will close at 12 PM on the day before the scheduled visit.

• Navy: Thursday, November 5 at 12 PM
• Air National Guard: Tuesday, November 10 at 12:10 PM
• Coast Guard; Monday, November 16 at 12:10 PM
• Marines: Tuesday, November 24 at 12:10 PM

Application Deadlines

College application deadlines are quickly approaching! We ask that students submit transcript request forms and recommendation request forms to their counselor AT LEAST 10 SCHOOL DAYS in advance of any deadlines! If students turn the forms in later than that, we cannot guarantee that the documents will be sent to the college on time. The transcript request form and recommendation request form can be found on the CHS Counselor Schoology page.

*PLEASE NOTE: If your child is planning to apply to Towson University or any other college with a December 1 deadline, their completed transcript request form and/or recommendation request form is due to their counselor by Thursday, November 12!*

FAFSA

FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This is a form that both seniors and their parents will need to complete in order for students to receive financial aid at most colleges (including CSM – this is how you apply to get the Promise Scholarship aka FREE community college!) and trade/technical schools. We recommend that ALL seniors complete the FAFSA! There’s limited availability of some grants/scholarships, so it’s important to complete this quickly. You can complete the FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Attached are three documents that may be helpful to you as you complete the FAFSA – one covers things you’ll need to complete the FAFSA, one covers the step-by-step process of how to complete the FAFSA and one explains the Promise Scholarship program.

If you need help with this or have questions, please reach out to your child's school counselor. Mrs. Kidwell, CHS’s representative from Chesapeake College Plan, is also available to answer any questions you may have about the FAFSA. She can also schedule one-on-one virtual appointments to help you complete the FAFSA. She can be reached at collegeplan.mk@gmail.com.

Wall of Acceptance

Don’t forget to share your acceptance letters with your school counselor! We love hearing your good news! 😊 Check out where the Class of 2021 has been accepted so far: https://bit.ly/CHSclassof2021wallofacceptance.

Mrs. Sinclair - Students Last Names A-E

sinclairk@calvertnet.k12.md.us / 443-550-8896

Link for student appointments: https://bit.ly/CHSSinclair

Ms. Aris - Students Last Names F-J

arisb@calvertnet.k12.md.us / 443-550-8894

Link for student appointments: https://bit.ly/CHSAris

Mrs. Ponti - Students Last Names K-Q

pontij@calvertnet.k12.md.us / 443-550-8895

Link for student appointments: https://bit.ly/CHSPonti

Mr. Verlich - Students Last Names R-Z

verlichd@calvertnet.k12.md.us / 443-550-8897

Link for student appointments: https://bit.ly/CHSVerlich

Chesapeake College Plan is a great resource for our juniors and seniors and their families. Our representative, Michelle Kidwell, is available to meet with students and their families to help with all the aspects of the journey to college, like applications, scholarships, and financial aid.

Mrs. Kidwell offers weekly virtual meetings (on Google Meet) every Wednesday from 12 - 1 PM for students. To request an invitation, email Mrs. Kidwell at collegeplan.mk@gmail.com.

Mrs. Kidwell is also available to meet with students or families via an individual virtual appointment. To request a meeting, email Mrs. Kidwell at collegeplan.mk@gmail.com.

Email: pontij@calvertnet.k12.md.us
Website: https://chsweb.calvertnet.k12.md.us/guidance
Location: 520 Fox Run Boulevard, Prince Frederick, MD, USA
Phone: 443-550-8893
Twitter: @CalvertGuidance