Dear Families,

We hope you are enjoying the beautiful weather and time off! We've been taking some much needed breaks here and there, but we're also hard at work preparing for the fall.

To our new students and 9th grade families- WELCOME TO BHS! We look forward to meeting you in the near future. We use this monthly newsletter to keep families informed of what is going on in our office and the community as related to academic, career and social-emotional learning.

Our department works closely with one another to support you throughout your time in high school. Here are the counseling team members who will be helping you in the coming school year:

School Counselors

Mary Crelley

Keri Crowley

Elissa Maxson

Jennie Viggiani (Counseling Coordinator)

Travis Figueroa

Holly Juliano

Tricia Zeller (Aspire)

College & Career Counselor

Courtney Stern

School Social Worker

Lance Mitchell

School Psychologists

Erin Merydith

Heather Gabriel

Counseling Secretaries

Jane Ingle

TBD

Registrars

Charlotte Kimberly-Haag

Gwendolyn Parks

Below are a few reminders from our office. We also have some great updates of things happening this summer throughout the newsletter.

• The Counseling Office is open Monday-Friday, 8am-3pm.
• Counselors and mental health staff are in regularly throughout the summer, but not every day.
• Please use the BHS Counseling Office phone number and school emails to connect with your counselor. If we are not in the office on a given day, we will get back to you as soon as we are. Contact information can be found on our website: https://bhs.bcsd.org/46697_3
• If you would like to schedule an appointment with your counselor (in-person or via Zoom), you can do so using our Booking links on the Counseling Website.

We'll be back in touch with another newsletter in September after school begins. We wish you all peace and wellness, and relaxing rest of summer!

Best,

BHS Counseling Office

(585) 242-5000 x4526

See below if you are retaking a regent's exam this summer - come in for review!

9th Grade Students and NEW Transfer Students’ Orientation

Thursday August 29, from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM in TCMS Gym.

This orientation is for all incoming 9th grade students and transfer students in grades 10, 11, and 12. Students will meet in the TCMS GYM (BHS gym is being renovated) at 8:00 AM. LINK CREW leaders will assist freshman and new students in grades 9-12 with their transition to BHS. Link Crew is a nationally recognized program that pairs high school student leaders with freshmen.

Please contact the main office if you have any questions regarding orientation.

We are proud to share our Counseling Family Night Series for this coming school year. These nights are open to all families (yes, parents/guardians and students!), but strongly suggested for certain grades (see below). We look forward to seeing you all at these informative nights!

BHS College Application Process (12th grade) - September 12th, 6:30pm

Financial Aid 101 (12th grade) - October 10th, 6:30pm

*NEW THIS YEAR* Program Planning Night (9th grade and new to BHS families) - November 21st, 6:30pm

College & Career Night (9th-11th grades) - January 16th, 6pm

Post-Secondary Planning Night (11th grade) - March 20th, 6:30pm

We are working hard to balance student schedules and resolve student course conflicts that have developed since the creation of our master schedule.

You will be given access to view your schedules in mid-August.

Administration has asked us to limit any new adjustments to student schedules until further notice, unless a student:

• does not have enough courses to meet full-time enrollment requirements (minimum of five classes plus physical education per semester)
• is missing a required course for graduation
• has scheduled too many courses and wants to make adjustments to free up time
• is requesting a level change
• are missing Counseling Seminar- 12th & 10th- fall semester, 9th & 11th- spring semester.

Our staffing and course assignments for the school year have been determined based on student course selections from January to June 1. Due to this, we will not be able to honor requests to switch electives or select teachers. Students are strongly encouraged to attend the classes they have chosen for the first six days of classes. We greatly appreciate your understanding.

SENIOR NEWSLETTER COMING SOON!

A summer edition of our Senior Newsletter will be sent to you mid-August, and we will resume weekly editions September through December. This will be packed with information and updates from our office, so be sure to read it!

We hope to see you at Senior Summer Bootcamp - see details below!!

URMC/BHS Partnership

Group Therapy Sessions THIS FALL!

URMC is pleased to announce group therapy offerings at BHS. Katie Lembo, M.S., LMHC, staff clinician is currently providing individual therapy services to TCMS & BHS students on Tuesdays and Thursdays and will be extending her services by including group therapy sessions. These sessions will have an intervention of focus (i.e., cognitive behavioral therapy, coping skills, social skills, anxiety, and depression).

The first group offering will target the following populations:

Any middle school student or high school student who experiences anxiety related to academic performance, sports performance, etc.

The group goal:

Group members will develop a better understanding of anxiety as well as learn and practice a variety of relaxation and coping skills, including cognitive and behavioral strategies.

How long will the group run?

The group will run for 12 sessions and will alternate class periods every week so that students will not miss the same class.

What is the cost of group?

URMC bills through insurance companies, so the cost will vary, depending on your insurance. After completing a group screen, someone from financial services will be able to speak with each individual family directly about any financial questions and/or concerns.

The second group offering will target the following populations:

Any middle school student or high school student who experiences anxiety related to schoolwork, being at school, attendance difficulties, and/or difficulties interacting with peers due to social anxiety.

The group goal:

Group members will develop a better understanding of anxiety as well as learn and practice a variety of relaxation and coping skills, including cognitive and behavioral strategies. There will also be a parent component where parents will meet virtually with group leader to practice specific skills to help their child succeed.

How long will the group run?

The group will run for 15 sessions, with 4 of those sessions being parent-only sessions and will alternate class periods every week so that students will not miss the same class.

What is the cost of group?

URMC bills through insurance companies, so the cost will vary, depending on your insurance. After completing a group screen, someone from financial services will be able to speak with each individual family directly about any financial questions and/or concerns.

If interested, please reach out to your child’s school counselor.

Reps will be visiting in-person and virtually, and all BHS students are welcome to talk with them! Colleges have already begun to schedule appointments at BHS, so check Naviance regularly for our schedule.

• If a rep is in person, they will be in room 257 (the conference room across from the Counseling Office)
• If they are virtual, you will be able to access a link to their zoom via Naviance. You may come to the Counseling Office and we can help find you a quiet space to attend if needed.
• You will need teacher permission to attend if the visit takes place during a class.

You are welcome to sign up for as many visits as you'd like! We encourage you to sit in on the ones you know, as well as some that you've never heard of before. There are so many INCREDIBLE institutions all over the country with phenomenal opportunities. You just don't know about them yet!

When the school year starts, we will list the next week's visits in the newsletter. Be sure to check out Naviance & the College Visits page on the BHS Counseling Website for a complete list of ALL visits this season starting in September. Check often- we get new visits scheduled every day!

College Fairs at BHS! Join us in the Atrium!!

College Admissions in the Rochester Area Fair

• Wednesday September 25th, 7th Period
• 14 Colleges & Universities in the Rochester Area all at BHS: http://www.rochesterareacolleges.org/members

WNY Consortium of Higher Education

• Friday November 8th, 2nd Period
• 21 Colleges & Universities will be here to chat with you! Check them out: https://www.wnycollegeconnection.com/

​​​​NACAC Virtual College Fairs are a great opportunity to connect with colleges and universities from the comfort of your own home. Have a quick video chat with a representative, drop-in on a virtual presentation, send a question through the chat — make a connection your way.

Tips for making your college fair experience productive and fun:

1) Representatives from each college will be waiting to meet you! Make sure you are ready to put your best foot forward and interact with reps when visiting college booths! Not sure what to say? Here are some suggestions:

• What do students like/dislike most about your school?
• What kinds of students are happiest at your school?
• What is the average amount of student loan debt for graduates?
• If I am awarded a grant or scholarship, can I expect it to remain constant all four years (assuming my financial circumstances don’t change)?

2) Make sure to reference your College Matchmaking® email to connect with the schools that best align with your interests!

At the time of registration, you selected the attributes that were most important to you in a college. You then should have received an email that best matched specific colleges and universities to your criteria. Reference this email on the day of the fair to connect with your best fits!

Learn more about College Matchmaking®

3) Don't sweat the small stuff!

Everyone is at a different stage in their college search process. Keep an open mind and enjoy yourself. These events are all about helping you connect and learn about lots of colleges in a short amount of time to help you land at your dream school. Have a quick video chat with a rep, drop in on a virtual presentation, send a question through chat - make a connection YOUR way!

Check the Scholarship page of the BHS Counseling Website for the most up to date list of available scholarships. As they come, they are also emailed directly to students via their BCSD email.

Below is the link to our BHS JOB BOARD- your new home for any information about work permits, available jobs or internship opportunities.

This will be updated weekly as opportunities come in. Check it often!!

**REMEMBER- IF YOU ARE A JUNIOR OR SENIOR, YOU CAN EARN CREDIT FOR YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE! See Mrs. Stern for more details!!

Will you be a junior or senior this fall? Please see below if you are interested in any of our WBL programs:

General Work Experience

• Have a job this summer or during the school year?
• Will you work at least 150 hours?
• Are you a rising junior or a senior?
• If you answered yes to the questions above, contact Mrs. Stern about earning HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT next year just for having a job!

Professional Internship/Job Shadowing

We can work together to figure out a career exploration plan!

For more detailed information on either programs, please check out our site: https://bhs.bcsd.org/46761_3

Email Mrs. Stern if you are interested in either of these programs.

Hands on experiences are the best way to learn more about the career opportunities available to our young adults. And our students are asking for them! When we thought about who our students could learn from, we wanted to first look to the professionals in our own back yard.

PARENTS- If you are interested in possibly hosting a student for a Job Shadow experience or Professional Internship in the future, please reach out to Courtney Stern. There is no obligation to host a student shadow or intern currently. It is merely helping us to create a network of professionals in our community. Please complete the interest form : https://forms.office.com/r/s3020Rbffq

If you are in need of an intern OR have paid jobs available for students, please email Courtney Stern directly so I may add it to our Job Board!

If you have any questions regarding our Work Based Learning programs, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time. Thank you in advance for considering hosting a student shadow or intern in the future!

Courtney Stern, College & Career Counselor

Courtney_stern@bcsd.org

Sam Rizzo, CTE Coordinator

sam_rizzo@bcsd.org

Exploring provides exciting activities and one-on-one mentorship for youth looking to discover their future. Whether you’re a local organization looking to strengthen the community or a young person wanting to uncover the possibilities of your future, Exploring is a great place to start.

Exploring let’s you “try a career on for size!”

Students ages 14-20 can explore their career interests in a hands-on real-world environment with professionals in that field. There are Explorer Posts for areas of advanced manufacturing, aviation, cosmetology, culinary, engineering, firematics/EMS, health care, law enforcement, legal, military, skilled trades, sports management, veterinary, and many more!

Reach out to our Exploring Executive, Casey West for more information on sessions available:

Casey.west@scouting.org

https://senecawaterways.org/exploring-ages-14-20/

**You can earn INTERNSHIP CREDIT for joining an Explorer Post! See Mrs. Stern for details!

If you have questions specific to BHS testing procedures, please reach out to Deirdre Carter: deirdre_carter@bcsd.org. As things are changing so often, please refer to the testing sites for updated information:

Standardized exams have traditionally been a part of the college application. This year, due to COVID, many schools allowed students the option of submitting test scores or not. Juniors- It's safe to say it's a good idea to get an exam or two under your belt if you are thinking of applying to a four-year college. Below is some brief information about the two exams and the website to check out to get more information/sign up for the exams.

SAT

Collegeboard.org

• Designed to measure academic aptitude in verbal and numerical reasoning.
• Test Content: Reading, Math and Writing.
• Cost $68.00

ACT

Actstudent.org

• Designed to measure academic achievement.
• Test Content: English, Math, Reading and Science Reasoning.
• Cost $69.00 (w/o writing)
• Cost $94.00 (with writing)

Visit www.fairtest.org for a list of colleges that do not require standardized tests. Check in with your counselor about a Fee Waiver , if needed, to help cover the costs of the exams.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (504s & IEPS)

SAT- The BHS Counseling Office applies for all College Board test mods prior to your sophomore year (this summer). If approved, these will apply to all future SAT & AP Exams

ACT- you MUST REGISTER FOR AN ACT EXAM before we can apply for your test mods. Be sure to sign up early, indicate you will be requesting accommodations, and let your counselor know ASAP so we can get them processed before the test date. This typically takes 6-8 weeks.

Remember- both College Board and ACT are private companies. They have the right to approve or deny any test modifications you may have. If you have any questions, please reach out to your counselor or College Board/ACT for more information.

Email: courtney_stern@bcsd.org
Website: https://www.bcsd.org/Page/2063
Location: 1150 South Winton Road, Rochester, NY, USA
Phone: (585) 242-5000