Counselor Connection

December 2024

ADM High School Counseling Office

Did You Know???

We only have 15 days of school in December??? Our students spend more of the month of December at home than in school!

The FAFSA form for 2025-2026 is NOW open!

There are many large holidays celebrated in December, including Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yule and more. Utilize these links to learn more about how others may celebrate their December holidays.

More than 200 ADM High School students are registered to take DMACC online courses second semester!

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

The FAFSA application is NOW available per the Federal Student Aid website.

ICAN (Iowa College Access Network) is hosting a free financial aid webinar this month. Seniors and families can find the zoom registration link and more information below. During this virtual event, ICAN advisors will walk through how to complete the FAFSA form step-by-step, and answer questions along the way. The link to register is below.

When: Monday, December 18, 2024 @ 5:30 PM

Topic: How to Pay for College - Understanding the Financial Aid Process

Register in advance for this webinar:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8yVSEgUWTZisWrHRx2-zpg#/registration

Transferring College Credit

Many parents and families have been asking questions about how their dual-enrollment/DMACC online credits will transfer to different colleges. Here are a few great things to know regarding the transfer of college credits:

1) Most colleges have a transfer equivalency guide on their website. DMACC lists many schools equivalency guides on their website: Course Equivalency & Transfer Programs

2) Please note that not all college/universities will accept transfer credit, and some colleges/universities limit the amount of credits that a student can transfer into their school. There are also colleges/universities that will not accept credits from DMACC or other community colleges.

Dual-Enrollment Courses: What does that mean?

ADM offers 22 Dual-Enrollment courses.

These courses are automatically awarded DMACC credit:

Ag Entrepreneurship (3 credits)*

Ag Production (5 credits)

Classroom Field Experience (2 credits)
Intro to Education (3 credits)
PLTW Intro to Engineering (3 credits)*
PLTW Principles of Engineering (3 credits)*
PLTW Civil Engineering (3 credits)*
Applied Math (3 credits)
AP Statistics (3 credits)*
AP Pre-Calculus (5 credits)*
AP Calculus (10 credits)
AP Chemistry (4 credits)*
News Journalism (5 credits during year 1, 4 credits during year 2)
Yearbook Journalism (5 credits during year 1, 4 credits during year 2)
AP Lang & Comp (6 credits)
WBL Exploring Careers (2 credits)
WBL Employability Skills (1 credit)
WBL Job Shadowing (1 credit)

*DMACC credit is awarded only after successful completion of semester 2

AP Courses: What does that mean?

These AP courses (listed below) are not automatically awarded college credits. Students must register for the AP exam and score well to earn college credit for these courses. Credit for these courses is determined by the college they attend.

AP Government
AP Psychology
AP US History
AP World History
AP Lit and Comp
AP Studio Art 2-D
AP Studio Art 3-D
AP Studio Art Drawing
AP Music Theory

Coping with Holiday Stress

We don't like to think of the holidays as a time of stress. It's supposed to be fun and happy. But the reality is that sometimes this happiness and joy comes with a little bit of stress, and that's okay! Let's talk about ways to battle that holiday stress!

Keep Your Healthy Habits: Maintaining healthy habits during the holiday season will be one of your best defenses against stress. This means getting enough sleep, eating well, and staying physically active.

Be Realistic: The holiday season can be long and full of commitments, from parties to family gatherings and more. To help manage stress, make a list of what you expect from yourself, what others expect from you and your responsibilities for the holidays. Get comfortable with the idea that you don’t have to do everything and everything doesn’t have to be perfect.

Do Less: The spirit of the season can sometimes lead even the most pragmatic people to overcommit their time. When you’re looking at your calendar or to-do list, be fair to yourself. Decide what’s most important to you, or where you most want to go, and allow yourself to say no to other demands on your time.

Reach Out: Despite what may seem like an influx of social interaction (trips to the mall, attending big family dinners, back-to-back holiday parties), feelings of loneliness and isolation can spike between October and January. Look for new ways to socialize in your community, such as volunteering, or simply reach out to the people you care about and who care about you.

Take a Walk: A winter walk is not only an easy source of exercise when your schedule seems packed, but sunlight offers a feel-good burst of serotonin and can help fight seasonal affective disorder. Furthermore, the rhythm and repetition of walking has a tranquilizing effect, decreasing anxiety and improving sleep.

Make Small Adjustments: The holiday season can seem full of big changes, so focus on little things that can help you relax. For example, take some time away from your mobile phone; disconnecting can provide some much-needed separation from the demands of people in your life, your calendar and your to-do list. Make a point to listen to your favorite music to help relax or cook with more spices, which are associated with triggering endorphins. Small adjustments that won’t make or break your routine can be the little added boost you need to bring joy back to the holiday season.

Scholarships

Scholarships can be daunting sometimes! We want to make that a tad easier for students and families, so we post scholarships to our High School Counseling Page!

For a direct link to general scholarships, click here.

For a direct link to local scholarships, click here.

EFR at ADM

ADM partners 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.