9-11th Grade Updates OCTOBER 2024

Students are invited to attend our annual career fair here at Chesterton High School during SRT on October 3rd! The Counseling Office is working with a variety of community organizations and local industries to provide students the opportunity to explore future career options. Please use the following link to sign up so we can get you a pass to attend that day! You must sign up in order to attend the Career Fair. (this event is for students only)

CLICK LINK TO SIGN UP FOR CAREER FAIR

The CHS Counseling Office is hosting the Dunes Area College Fair in the CHS Gymnasium on October 9th from 9:45 am - 11:15 am. (This event is for students only.) Students must pre-register to attend the college fair. Students in grades 10-12 are invited to attend. Click on this link to register on StriveFair.com. When you register online you will be given a barcode. Instructions on how to register can be found here.

During the fair, colleges will scan your barcode to send you more information about their schools. There will be approximately 40 colleges at the fair. The day after the fair, you will receive a report with information on the colleges with whom you scanned. This is a great way to learn about colleges, meet representatives, and narrow down your college search!

List of Colleges and Universities that are attending the Dunes Area College Fair

The Exceptional Learning department is excited to introduce Mrs. Erishawn Griffin as our new Opportunity Enterprises Student Career Advisor for the 2024-2025 school year. Her position provides transition services for students ages 14-22 who are currently on an IEP or 504 plan. Mrs. Griffin is a great resource for our students, providing support with career exploration, self-advocacy, employability skills, resume writing, interview practice, as well as post-graduate planning and more. Please feel free to reach out to your students’ Teacher of Record or school counselor for more information.

Log into Naviance and use the SuperMatch tool to begin building your college list. You can filter your choices based on your preferences.

Some colleges are allowing in-person college visits again, so take advantage of that if you can! Don't forget, college visits can be excused absences. Contact the attendance office for more information.

If you don't have time to schedule a college visit, check out this article about how to research colleges without visiting campus.

At the end of September, the CHS Counseling Office hosted a series of Express Admit days with area colleges and universities. Purdue Northwest, Indiana University Northwest, Ivy Tech, and Calumet College of St. Joseph all visited CHS and met with students. Over 90 students attended the various events and we are excited to report that 75 students were admitted to college during the Express Admit Days! Many students were also awarded scholarships during these events. The CHS Counseling Office is excited to continue to offer these Express Admit Days for our students in the future!

On Tuesday, September 24th the Counseling Office took 32 students to the Scholarship Fair hosted at Indiana University Northwest. During this field trip students were able to speak with representatives from a variety of colleges, universities, and community organizations. Almost 50% of the students in attendance were able to apply to universities on the spot and at least 10 students were offered scholarships during the Scholarship Fair. One student was offered a full tuition scholarship for Delaware State University and another was given the opportunity to fill out paperwork for a full-ride scholarship to Harris-Stowe State University.

Some colleges and universities are going "test-optional" with SAT and ACT scores. This can be confusing for families as they begin their college search. Also, double-check with the schools you are interested in, they might be test-optional this year, but not in future years. Here's an article that gives you more information about test-optional practices.

If a Military Academy is on your list of schools there are some extra steps that you need to take. You will need to request a congressional appointment. Here are the websites for you to make those requests.

Senator Young - https://www.young.senate.gov/help/academy-nominations

Senator Braun - https://www.braun.senate.gov/academy-nominations

Representative Mrvan - https://mrvan.house.gov/services/military-academy-nominations

The activities and homework that come with high school can make it difficult to maintain a healthy sleep schedule. Teenagers need 9-9.5 hours of sleep per night, but most teenagers don't get enough sleep.

There are some things you can do to help improve your quality of sleep.

• Try waking up at the same time every morning
• Try to get outside and move your body every day
• If worry is keeping you awake, try to find ways to tackle those problems during the day. For example try writing in a journal, talking with friends or family, or even speaking with a therapist.
• Avoid drinks that contain caffeine in the afternoon. Caffeine has a negative effect on your sleep quality and quantity.
• Create a sleep routine. Stop doing homework at least 30 minutes before going to bed and don't stay on your electronics close to bedtime. Staying on your phone late at night can stimulate your brain and the blue light can also negatively affect your sleep quality.

The video below explores symptoms of depression in teens. Depression in teens can look different than depression in adults, partly because of the way the teen brain is developing at a rapid rate. Some warning signs of teenage depression include:

1. Irritability
2. Sensitivity to criticism
3. Social isolation (particularly staying in their room a lot)
4. Selective social withdrawal
5. Throwing themselves into work (distraction)
6. Slipping grades
7. Difficulty focusing
8. Changes in energy or out-of-character behavior
9. Changes in daily habits such as sleep and appetite
10. Physical pain

If you are concerned about these signs and symptoms of depression, we recommend that you reach out to someone for help. You can speak with your parents or guardians, your school counselor, medical provider, or mental health provider. Don't be afraid to ask for help!

This is a great resource for students who have learning differences. Researching the available support services and programs will be a critical part of your list building. Learn the differences between accommodations in high school and services offered at colleges.

If you plays sports, please familiarize yourself with the NCAA and NAIA athletic recruiting requirements.

The Counseling Office at CHS regularly hosts college admissions reps as well as recruiters from each branch of the military. Students can sign up to attend college rep visits by logging into Naviance. In Naviance choose Colleges-then in the drop down list and choose College Visits. You can see which schools are coming to CHS and register to attend. Don't forget to come to the counseling office to pick up a pass to attend the meetings.

October is Bullying Prevention Month. We want to encourage all students to be aware of what is happening around them and help stop bullying. Bullying is defined as:

• unwanted aggressive behavior
• observed or perceived power imbalance
• repetition or high likelihood of repetition of bullying behaviors

If someone is being bullied, please take action. Talk to an adult that you trust. If someone is being bullied at school, please tell a school employee. You can always talk with your school counselor if you are worried about yourself or a friend.

You can find additional information about bullying prevention at the Stop Bullying website. Anonymous tips can be submitted via the CHS website.

We offer a variety of resources for students to utilize before and during the school day if they need help with their coursework. Students can reach out to their teachers directly to arrange a time for extra help, either before school or during SRT. We also have a tutor lab where students can go and get assistance.

There are a number of online resources that are helpful to families and students.

• Khan Academy
• AskRose.org
• March2Success

Mrs. Miranda Blue-Administrative Assistant mblue@duneland.k12.in.us

Mrs. Christine Starkey-Registrar cstarkey@duneland.k12.in.us

Suicide Prevention Hotline

1-800-273-8255

Crisis Text Line

Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor

Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Dial 988

Email: jesmoker@duneland.k12.in.us
Website: https://www.duneland.k12.in.us/domain/145
Location: 2125 South 11th Street, Chesterton, IN, USA
Phone: 219-983-3730
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CHS.CounselingOffice
Twitter: @CHS_CCCoffice