Charger Chatter
Week of 9/15/24: Clear Springs High School
Message from Denise Cottenoir, Lead Counselor
Week of 9/15/2024
Good evening, Charger Nation!
September is upon us and we have enjoyed seeing Charger Nation gear up! With so many activities and events happening, things are starting to "get real!"
The CSHS Counseling Team is comprised of 8 Counselors who readily make themselves available to students in need of guidance and counseling throughout the school day. We are committed to providing our students with comprehensive services that includes: guidance curriculum, responsive services, individual planning, and system support. Click HERE to read more about our services.
During the month of September, our Counselors will be meeting individually with students for their Senior Conference to ensure they have the information needed to graduate and pursue post-secondary plans. Refer to the Senior Conference section below for more information.
Lastly, CCISD has six core values that we have adopted from the Character Counts 6 Pillars - Respect, Responsibility, Citizenship, Trustworthiness, Caring, and Fairness. Clear Springs integrates these core values daily into their school community, not only modeling but teaching students how to demonstrate these values. Every month, we focus on a core value. This month's focus is on Respect. How do you model respect? I challenge you to reflect and talk to your family and friends about ways to model respect every day.
Start with respect, the rest will follow...
It's the Charger Way,
Denise Cottenoir
Important Dates
September 23: Student Holiday
September 24-27: Homecoming week
September 25: 6:00 pm: Meet the Chargers @ CSHS Stadium
September 25: 6:00 pm: CCISD Financial Aid Night @ Clear Lake High School
September 27: Homecoming Carnival (If you plan to volunteer for the Carnival you must complete the volunteer application. This must be done every year. Please click the following link: https://apps.raptortech.com/Apply/NTU4NTplbi1VUw== )
Have questions about post-secondary planning? CCISD's Clear to College Course in CCISD YOUniversity is an excellent resource for helping students prepare for life after high school. Juniors and Seniors are encouraged to explore and understand what options fit their post-secondary and lifetime goals in this course. This is also a great supplement to our upcoming Senior Conferences.
The Course Outline includes:
- Post-secondary planning
- The College Admission Process
- Naviance
- Next Steps
Steps to Enroll:
- Click HERE to access Clear to College enrollment page.
- Click the ENROLL NOW button.
- Sign in or register.
Senior Conferences
During September/October, counselors will meet with Seniors individually for their Senior Conference during English class. In the conference, they will discuss graduation requirements/endorsements, 6-semester GPA/Rank, after high school success plan, and college/career/military readiness (CCMR). After their conference, a copy of their completed conference form(s) will be emailed to students and parents.
Senior Conference Topics:
1. Graduation Plan & Declared Endorsement – Counselor/student will review graduation plan/endorsement and make sure required coursework is completed or in progress.
2. Transcript Evaluation – Counselor/student will review transcript for accuracy.
3. GPA & Rank – Counselor/student will review 6-semester GPA/Rank.
4. Honor Graduate Requirements / Candidacy – Counselor/student will discuss, as applicable.
5. Graduation Requirements – Counselor/student will review required credits, STAAR/EOC, Peace Officer Training, FAFSA, and CPR training requirements.
6. Post High School Plan / CCMR – Counselor/student will discuss plans after graduation and a post high school success plan to be sure student is college, career, military ready.
The Senior Conference Schedule is as follows:
9/17 - E. Davis
9/18 - Rea
10/1 - D. Davis
10/2 - Smith
10/3 - Raines
10/8 - Bailey
If students have an alternative form of English credit, they are encouraged to check-in with their counselor to schedule a conference during release time/elective period.
CSHS List of Clubs
If a student is wanting to start a new club, he/she can pick up club forms in the 1100/1200 from Ms. Huerta, the pod secretary. The link provided shows all active clubs on campus and its sponsor. More information about meeting times is forthcoming with lightning lunch scheduling being finalized.
CSHS Student Support Counselors
New to CSHS Charger Lunch Group
Students, if you are new to Clear Springs High School we invite you to attend the Charger Cafe every Friday beginning on September 13th. We will be located in room 1321C (Fine Arts Hallway). Come join in to meet new people and learn The Charger Way!
Advisory Lesson
Please be aware that on Monday, September 16th, third period teachers will show a short PowerPoint presentation on Suicide Prevention, as part of the required prevention curriculum. This information is for educational purposes only and encourages the students to reach out to a parent, trusted adult, or counselor if they have any concerns for their friends or themselves. The PowerPoint is approximately 5 ½ minutes long, and counselors will be available in the library during 3rd period that day if any students have questions or concerns.
Mrs. deGroot – Grades 9 & 12 cdegroot@ccisd.net
Mrs. Valadez – Grades 10 & 11 hvaladez@ccisd.net
Interest Survey
Each semester, our CSHS Student Support Counselors offer skills-based counseling groups focused on meeting the identified needs of the campus. To help our counseling team plan for groups, please have your student complete this short Microsoft Form: https://forms.office.com/r/RtwrE1idAm
Even if your student is not interested in participating in a counseling group, their feedback on social and emotional needs helps to inform the counseling program. Please complete by 9/23/2024.
September - Attendance Awareness Month
Learning is not the same without your children!
Parents, please be sure to send your children to school every day and on time. Missing just two days of school a month can significantly impact their learning progress and over time, chronic absences can put them behind a grade level.
Here is what you can do to keep your child on track:
- Only keep them home if they are truly ill.
- Schedule doctor appointments and vacations on non-school days.
- Maintain routines for eating, sleep, and homework even on non-school days.
- Alert a counselor or your child’s teacher if there is something happening at school that has your child thinking twice about attending.
Canvas Parent Observer Access
Helping Your Student Use Lightning Lunch Productively
During Lightning Lunch each student gets 30 minutes of lunch and 30 minutes of tutorials. In order for everyone to have a safe and meaningful lunch time it is imperative that all students sign up for at minimum 3 sessions per week using the RTI scheduler app. The only exception is seniors who have 6 and 7th period off.
You can help your student make good choices by ensuring they have registered for the tutorials. While there are not many grades yet, they will be coming in very soon and it is always good to be prepared. Clubs will also be starting soon!
Please sit with your Charger and have him/her show you where he/she is going. See the steps below:
1. Log on to the student SSO portal.
2. Click the RTI Scheduler app (shown in the upper right)
3. Navigate to the week of August 19th on calendar view.
4. You should see 3 sessions selected, if you do not there will be a blue "choose a session" button to click. A list of your students available teachers will populate.
--> See the picture below for an example of what it will look like. In this example a student has one tutorial selected (Silent reading study hall) and can select another 4 using the blue "Choose a Session" button.
Extra tips:
- Have your charger check skyward grades to make the best choices for tutorials.
- Check the Lightning Lunch section in the CSHS website for tutorial schedules and lots of helpful information.
ConnectCCISD
Beginning September 1st, CCISD will transition from using Skylert to connectCCISD powered by ParentSquare for all parent and guardian communications. This change aims to enhance our communication capabilities and streamline our engagement with families.
In order to ensure that you are able to receive the weekly emails and additional communication, make sure your Skyward Family Access contact information is current.
Instructions for how the parents can update their information using Family Access:
- Navigate to Student Info
- Click on Request Changes for student
- Click Family Information
- Update Home Language (this is the Report Card Language/ParentSquare Language)
- Update email address
- Update Phone numbers
- Click Save
PTSA Information
The PTSA would love to have parents join! You can join at www.joinpta.org
Sports Schedules
Football
Volleyball
Tennis
Water Polo
Cross Country
Wrestling
Project Graduation 2025
2024 Homecoming Dance - September 28, 2024 - 7:00-11:00 PM
The Homecoming Dance has returned after many years, and we can’t wait to see our Chargers on the dance floor! We are less than 2 weeks away from an unforgettable night of fun and excitement. Let’s make this a night to remember at Clear Springs!
Purchase your 2024 Homecoming Dance Tickets before September 15th for discounted prices and a chance to win the “CHARGED UP for HOCO” package which includes:
· Dinner for 2 at Red River Cantina
· Hair & Makeup Package by Kelly’s House of Colour
· 30 min Photo Shoot with Nicole Owen’s Photography
Don’t miss out on the Lightning Ticket Deal! $20/Single ticket & $35/Couple ticket if purchased by 11:59pm Sept 15th. Click Here to purchase your tickets today: https://homecoming-dance-8619.cheddarup.com
The Homecoming Dance is open to all CSHS grade levels. Students may bring a guest from a neighboring high school, but the guest must enter the dance with a Charger Student. The dance will be held at CSHS from 7pm-11pm, park in the back parking lot. For questions regarding the dance, please email cshsprojectgrad2025@gmail.com
Volunteers Needed! Want to volunteer to work at the dance? Click here to sign up! Join us at the Project Grad Meeting on Sept 18th 6:30pm in the CSHS Library we will be covering all dance volunteer information. Everyone is welcome to attend & volunteer!
Upcoming Events & Fundraisers
· TopGolf Fundraiser Event – Sept 22nd 3pm-5pm – Advance Ticket Purchases are Required. $20/person = 2 hours of unlimited TopGolf play & unlimited non-alcoholic drinks.
Invite your friends & families and purchase your tickets today by clicking here.
· Charger Yard Signs – Deadline to Order is Sept 14th. Purchase your Senior Yard Sign, Charger Yard Sign, and/or Future Charger Yard Sign today by clicking here.
Who's my Counselor?
Our counselors for the 2024-2025 school year are:
- Vanessa Ward (A-Dc) vdiggs@ccisd.net
- Valerie Strickland (Dd-Hj) vstrickland@ccisd.net
- Amanda Schmidt (Hk-Mk) aschmidt@ccisd.net
- Kristi Gann (Ml-Sc) krgann@ccisd.net
- Ashley De Luna (Sd-Z) ADCorbett@ccisd.net
- Casey DeGroot (Student Support Counselor) cdegroot@ccisd.net
- Heather Valadez (Student Support Counselor) hvaladez@ccisd.net
- Denise Cottenoir (Lead Counselor) dcottenoir@ccisd.net
Click HERE for an overview of our campus comprehensive school counseling program.
We look forward to seeing you on campus and assisting you with your counseling needs!
Upcoming Events
We want our community to have a strong presence at all CSHS events. Below are some upcoming games, performances, and events that you can take advantage of to show support for the Chargers. BOLT UP!
- Sept. 4: Tennis vs. Brazoswood, 4:00pm @ CSHS
- Sept. 5-7: Volleyball CCISD Tournament
- Sept. 6: Water Polo vs Clear Falls, 5:30pm @ CSHS
- Sept. 6: Football vs Heights, 7:00pm @ CCISD Veterans
People. Purpose. Promise.
Clear Creek ISD is dedicated to focusing on the people that make this district great and their purpose to achieve, contribute, and lead with integrity. Visit this link to explore more about Clear Creek's promise to the community.
Clear Springs Assessment
Important Testing Information & Dates
Senior only SAT – October 10th, 2024 - Register HERE
Sophomore/Junior PSAT – October 16th, 2024
- All 10th & 11th graders are registered automatically.
ASVAB Interest Survey - Click HERE
2024 STAAR EOC Make-ups/Retest – December 2nd through 6th
STAAR 2024 EOC Dates:
· English I – April 10th
· English II – April 15th
· Biology – April 17th
· US History – April 22nd
· Algebra I – April 24th
Helpful Links
- Clear Creek ISD Student Handbook The student handbook encompasses all schools and any information you may need. Be sure to use the table of contents to navigate efficiently.
- Clear Creek ISD Dress Code This link takes you straight to the dress code.
- Clear Creek ISD Bus Information At this link you can find your bus number and pick up time, as well as other transportation information.
- Clear Creek ISD Technology This link has all the information you will need about student devices and purchasing insurance. Families are highly encouraged to purchase the $20 insurance coverage to protect against accidental damage, theft, fire, electrical or other damages.
- Clear Creek ISD Student Code of Conduct The student code of conduct outlines the expectations of CCISD students and contains the information for contacting the Office of Parent Assistance.
- Clear Creek ISD Volunteer and Mentor Are you looking for a way to make an impact in CCISD? Visit this link for more information on volunteering and mentoring at CCISD.
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CSHS School Profile - The School Profile provides information about our campus, including our grading scale, GPA point scale, and performance data.
CSHS Guidance & Counseling Comprehensive Counseling Program Disclosure - This link takes you to an overview of our campus comprehensive school counseling program.
Clear Springs High School
Website: https://clearsprings.ccisd.net/
Location: 501 Palomino Lane, League City, TX, USA
Phone: 281-284-1300
Twitter: @ClearSpringsHS