Patriot Post
Counseling Corner: October
Monthly Theme: Mental Health Awareness
In recognition of World Mental Health Day on October 10th, and in continuation of our overarching theme of sharing mental health awareness to our fellow Patriots, the BHS Counseling Department and Mental Health Specialist held a "Wellness Week" mental health fair on campus, in which local agencies were invited to come on campus and share resources, goodies and useful info related to our mental health. Some of the agencies that joined us included The Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance, Families Together of OC, APAIT, NAMI OC, and Western Youth Services.
Wellness Corner
Please be sure to join our upcoming Parent Workshop, facilitated by Dr. Sina – physician at HOAG Aspire, focusing on Teen Depression & Anxiety. The workshop will be held virtually via zoom on Wednesday, November 10th. Please me sure to RSVP here.
Additionally, the BHS School Counseling Department recently held a schoolwide lesson on Mental Health Awareness. We would like to share some exciting data collected from student responses that underscores the success and need for our mental health support. One piece of data we’d like to highlight is the large increase in students becoming aware of what mental health related services are available to them at BHS.
Challenge Success
College and Career Resources
The Orange County Department of Education is pleased to announce virtual College and Career Discovery Fairs on the afternoons of October 19, 20, and 21 for all high school students, educators, and families.
Reasons to attend:
Align your college choice with your career interest
Communicate live with college representatives
Choose from 72 colleges across the USA and the world
Discover how to save on tuition
Consider an international degree that is accepted globally
The TUSD Virtual College and Career Fair is November 2 and 3, 4-8 pm!
High School and Middle School students and parents can:
- Discover over 150 colleges & universities
- Attend workshops to learn how to apply for college and financial aid
- Explore career pathway opportunities
- Learn from industry experts and more!
Registration link in flyer below. All attendees must register to receive an access code.
Once registered, students will receive event reminders and the access code the Friday before the fair. Students should use their mytusd.org email addresses-all event correspondence has been whitelisted to ensure students receive the messages.
Recursos Universitarios para Familias Hispanohablantes (College Resources for Spanish Speaking Families)
La Feria de Educación del Estado de Sacramento brinda información y recursos a miles de padres y estudiantes hispanohablantes para ayudarlos a tener éxito en el sistema educativo de California y obtener una educación superior. El evento de este año se llevó a cabo del 1 al 2 de Octubre, pero las grabaciones de video de la Conferencia 2021 las puede acceder a continuación y pueden ser un recurso muy valioso para las familias de habla hispana. Haga clic AQUÍ HERE para acceder al sitio web o en los enlaces a continuación para ir directamente a los videos.
The Role of Parents in Their Child's Education: How to become strong advocates and supporters of their children’s education from K-12 to higher education.
Roadmap to Community Colleges: Learn more about the Community College (CC) system, such as Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADT), Associate Degrees, Career Education, and financial aid opportunities (including the 2 year tuition free program).
Roadmap to California State University: Info about the CSU system (undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs). Develop an undergraduate admissions & financial aid plan to ensure students become college and career ready.
Roadmap to the University of California (UC) System: Prepare students to become competitive applicants for the UC system; introduction to UC's admissions criteria; develop an academic and financial aid plan to pursue a postsecondary education at a UC.
Apply to College 101: A walkthrough of applying to California’s Community College (CCC) , California State University (CSU) , University of California (UC), and Independent Colleges.
Undocumented Students CAN go to College! Provides undocumented students/students with mixed-status families information & resources that will help them navigate the college-going process and succeed in higher education.
Grade Level Info
Senior Scene
CSU & UC Application Tips
Cal States
- If your child is working on their CSU application and has questions, the Cal State Apply Freshman Guide 2021-2022 is a great place to get their questions answered.
- Take a look at the Top Freshman Application Do's and Don'ts before completing the app.
- If your family has had a significant change in the income you may qualify for an application fee waiver appeal. Fee waiver appeals are handled by the individual CSU campuses. Your students would need to contact each campus(es) they are interested in applying to. Contact information for campuses can be found at: https://www2.calstate.edu/apply/Pages/contact-a-campus.aspx
University of California
The UCs recognized this is an unusual year so they have offered these tips when completing their application:
- Apply to multiple UCs. Remember that the fee waiver allows students to apply to up to four UCs for free.
- Select “No Selection” when asked for citizenship status if they are undocumented, including those with DACA and AB540 status.
- Research majors at the different campuses, as programs vary, and consider selecting an alternate major.
- Work from unofficial transcripts when completing the Academic History to ensure accuracy of courses, credits, and grades. If a student has a repeated course, both the original grade and the repeated grade must be included in the application.
- Use the Additional Information section in Academic History to explain any key academic changes, including gaps in education or unique changes in grading systems. UC understands that students have experienced changes in course delivery and grading options during the pandemic. Students can use the additional comments section to explain these academic changes.
- Start working on the Personal Insight Questions (PIQs) early and make sure it’s their own, original work. If students would like to share how they or their family have been impacted directly by the COVID-19 pandemic, UC recommends that they use the “Additional Information” sections on the application rather than the PIQs.
- Consider activities and awards from a broad perspective, since a lot has changed in 2020/2021. Work experience, family responsibilities, online activities, and individual activities will help readers get to know the student. Students should focus on their role, time commitment, and responsibility for activities, and should include information about the selection process for all awards and honors. While students can enter up to 20 items, quality is more important than quantity!
- Apply for all scholarships for which they meet the criteria. There is no limit to the number of scholarships students may select.
Financial Aid Application is OPEN
The FAFSA and Dream Act applications are open and are both due March 2nd. We encourage students to complete their FAFSA before the deadline not only to see if they qualify for Federal Financial Aid but also Cal Grant and Merit-Based Scholarships. The counseling department will be hosting a series of Cash for Colleges workshops stay tuned for dates. Check out these helpful resources to help guide parents/students through the application process.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_iS7gmQd9o&feature=emb_rel_pause
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn4OECMTh5w&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK0bbu0y5AM&feature=youtu.be
https://www.csac.ca.gov/pod/financial-aid-checklist
https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/grants
Important Information for Seniors Regarding their mytusd.org email
- As you start working on your college applications, it is important that you are using your personal email address when completing applications and not your mytusd.org email.
- Once you graduate, the Tustin Unified email address will no longer be available to you. Using a personal email address when applying will allow you to continue to receive communication once you have graduated.
College Application Help
The Beckman Counseling Team will be offering college application (Common App, CSU/UC, or Community College) support in the Library on Wednesdays, during students' CCE and 6th period. Be sure to have students bring their electronic devices!
During CCE Time:
- October 13
- November 3
- November 17
During 6th period:
- October 28
- November 9
Junior Junction
Virtual College & Career Fair
Junior year is a key time to explore career pathways and colleges. Sign up for the TUSD Virtual College and Career Fair! Mark your calendar for November 2 and 3, 4-8pm! All attendees must register to receive an access code.
· Discover over 150 colleges & universities
· Attend workshops to learn how to apply for college and financial aid
· Explore career pathway opportunities
· Learn from industry experts and more!
Recap of the 10th and 11th Grade “B Prepared” Page
- Last week our B Prepared Page for 10th and 11th Grade went live; find it here: https://sites.google.com/mytusd.org/10-11bprepared/home
- Parents (and students) can get information about wellness resources, tutoring information, club information, career exploration resources, and other topics.
- Video: Parents can navigate the page by watching the video that has all the information. The video can be viewed at your convenience. There is also a link to the slide deck that goes along with the video.
- Post Questions: Parents can post their questions (if you have any) on the Padlet Wall and the counseling team will respond to it within 48 hours. Parents can also see questions posted by other parents and the responses.
- Take Survey: There is a brief survey that we encourage parents to take after you had a chance to go through the information. We will take the feedback from the survey and do our best to improve for next year.
11th Grade AVID Lesson: “You CAN Afford Higher Education”
- The 11th Grade AVID students participated in a counseling lesson titled “You CAN Afford Higher Education” that focused on introducing students to the three types of college funding.
- Learning Objectives:
- Students will be able to name the three types of higher education funding
- Students will study and categorize the types of funding on sample financial aid packages
- Students will create a Google Drive Folder in their school account where they can collect required information
- Check-out the Pre/Post Survey Results
Sophomore Stop
Have you ever been in a situation where you have experienced or witnessed bullying and wished you knew what to say or how to help? The website below has wonderful information on various ways to seek help. Kids who know what bullying is can better identify it. They can talk about bullying if it happens to them or others. Kids need to know ways to safely stand up to bullying and how to get help. Speak to a trusted adult if you are bullied or see others being bullied. The adult can give comfort, support, and advice, even if they can’t solve the problem directly. Please report bullying if it happens. Please visit the websites below for extra advice and support.
Freshman Forum
This month and next, freshmen will receive a counselor-led lesson on pathways, high school graduation requirements, and A-G requirements. After the lesson, freshman will enter their four-year academic plan in Aeries. They will continue to revise this plan throughout high school to select their coursework.
Parent tip: 10 ways to help your student succeed in high school
Be sure to attend Report Card Night on Oct. 13th from 5:30pm - 7:30pm. This is a great opportunity to meet your freshman's teachers and get feedback regarding their performance in class.
