BHS Counseling Dept Weekly Update

Next week of Nov 25 is a short week due to the Thanksgiving holiday. All BHS students and staff are in school Mon, Tues, with 1/2 day Wed 11/17, and off Thurs and Friday. See the schedule below.

What is a "Q" grade on a report card? It's related to class attendance and means a student is missing classes and could get a N (no credit) for this class if attendance problems persist.

According to the BHS Handbook:

Parents and caregivers of BHS juniors are invited to Hamilton’s Restaurant & Bar,1366 Beacon Street, next Sunday, November 17 at 1PM to catch the NE Patriot’s pummel the LA Rams! Stop by or stay a while. Grab a drink, meal, or snack while catching up with friends old and new. Fun times ahead!

Questions? Please email 2026 BHS Parent & Caregiver Reps (Nancy Chang, Jenn Forry, and Priscilla O’Reilly) @ 2026reps.bhs.pto@gmail.com.

Some in school counseling support is available and another social worker joining our community soon.

Counselors have outside of school resources including possible referrals to virtual counseling Cartwheel Care, local mental health practitioners, and therapy referral support using Care Solace below.

- Talk to your child to support and find out what may be going on.

- Reach out to someone on your student's BHS school support team - counselor, dean, if appropriate - program coordinator, special education liaison, school clinician

- Consider outside of school counseling support using either:

* Cartwheel Care - Virtual counseling for adolescents and/or parent guidance (contact your child's school counselor)

* Care Solace - therapy referral resource to find a provider that meets your child's needs in the Boston area. See below for more information

** NOT A BHS SPECIFIC SUPPORT RESOURCE**
Boston Post Adoption Resources is offering a support group for teen adoptees ages 16-18. This group will be starting this week on Thursday, November 21st at 6pm in-person at the BPAR office (235 Cypress Street, Suite 310, Brookline, MA 02445).

If any students are interested, their parents (or themselves directly if they're 18) can reach out to BPAR directly at lillian@bpar.org or mirela@bpar.org.

Lillian Jiwoo Hexter (she/her)

Boston Post Adoption Resources

Cancer Pathways Teen Writing Contest is open for 2025! Our contest is a writing contest for any teen around the country touched by cancer. This annual event encourages teens in grades 9-12 to write about their experience with cancer for the opportunity to win one of several $1,000 prizes. The deadline for entries is February 28, 2025. The attached flyer includes a QR code to post at your Massachusetts school or forward via email or social media to anyone in your area/district that has contact with teens. I appreciate your consideration!

The goal is to make sure any teen in the US touched by cancer has access to the contest information. Teens may have a more difficult time expressing all the emotions around an experience with cancer.

Know a teen looking for more support? Cancer Pathways offers an emotional support group for 9th to 12th graders, with cancer or a loved one with cancer. Join us virtually on Mondays, from 6:30-7:30 pm PT, starting November 18th, to build community with people who just get it.

To register, click here to complete the form.

Cartwheel Care is a virtual counseling resource available to both BHS students and parents-caregivers. Virtual counseling can be a helpful support if a student:

- has a busy schedule during and outside of the school day

- would prefer to have counseling outside of school

- would like to work with a clinician with different background or who speaks another language than English

Parents and caregivers can also receive parenting support and guidance separately via Cartwheel Care.

BHS counselors can provide more info to interested students/families, plus directly help with connecting to this resource.

This organization also offers monthly free webinars on mental health topics. You must register to get the webinar links. See the webinar calendar below for topics and additional info.

Please email Darby Neff-Verre - Coordinator of the BHS Counseling/Guidance Dept - individually for feedback on the Weekly Update.

And always check out the BHS Counseling Dept "Guidance Blog" on the BHS website for past Weekly Updates and info on career exploration, job finding, shared guidance documents and other great resources.

Thank you!

Winter sport registration is open

Please sign up well in advance of Thanksgiving.

SEE THE COUNSELOR PERMANENT OFFICE LOCATION (with office numbers, work phone numbers, emails and QR codes) below.

Of course, counselors will be in their offices whenever possible... and let's keep working on students leaving a note on the counselor's/social worker's door if they stop by and no one is available at that time. The counseling staff won't know if a student stopped by and they are in another meeting, etc if a note is not left by the student!

Just a reminder that BHS counselors are here if a student has questions/concerns or just wants to say hello to their counselor. Students are encouraged to stop by their counselor’s office when not in class. Students can be in touch with their counselor for any questions or concerns – school related, post high school planning related, extracurricular activities related, or life related.

We’re here and ready to support EVERY BHS student!

Are you thinking about your plan for life after high school and want to explore ALL your options? Come by the College and Career Center, Rm 279 during X block on Wednesday 11/20 to learn about the world of Construction from John Marsoobian owner of Twin Peaks Construction! We hope to see you there!

The Networking Night Committee is hosting a STEM Networking Night on November, 20th from 6-7:30 pm in 22 Tappan! The focus will be on Engineering, Computer Science, and Physics. The event will include a panel discussion with professionals from these industries and a chance for one-on-one conversations. Hope to see you there!

Fill out the form to RSVP https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSebT0bGfIt4mlCVDi7PiiaclBCq2HsMlDifPGrd3NaKuJZg1w/viewform?usp=sf_link

Key highlights include:

• High demand for talent: There are 10.8 job openings for every computer science graduate.
• Strong entry-level opportunities: 39% of job listings are for entry-level roles, with an average starting salary of $108K.
• Top skills to focus on: In-demand skills include Java, Python, AWS, and Oracle Technologies.
• Emerging job markets: Cities like Austin, Atlanta, and Dallas are booming with career opportunities, often offering a lower cost of living than traditional hubs.

Check out the Youth Connections program for great resources!

Contact Darby Neff-Verre (darby_neff-verre@psbma.org/ office 285F in the 115 building) for more information.

Retakes are scheduled for Thurs December 5. Your student will need to be sure to go to the Schluntz Gym, on their own, to have their picture taken.

If you still don't have a BHS school ID, scan the QR code in the BHS 115 Main Office or on the TV monitors and put in a request for one. You can also upload your own photo to get one more quickly.

ALL STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE A SCHOOL ID TO ACCESS THE ENTRIES/EXITS TO THE CAMPUS BUILDINGS

Talk to your current teacher, parent- caregiver and counselor to consider your next step. An add/drop form needs to be completed, signed and returned to your counselor by the dates below.

The next important deadline to consider for all students is:

-- Withdrawal from any class needs to be fully completed by Nov 21 to avoid a W /grade on the student's transcript.

Here are the deadlines:

More detailed teacher extra help availability for 9th graders listed in "9th grader" section below

Keep in mind that students can join most clubs during any point in the school year, not just on the sign up day at the Club Fair. The current list of clubs has been updated. Take a look - https://bhs.brookline.k12.ma.us/clubs-and-activities-list.html

Community service hours are not a requirement to graduate from Brookline High, but there is great research that confirms that "giving back" is a great way to promote your positive mental health.

In this NACE (Natl Assoc of Colleges and Employers) article, Susan Albers, Psy.D - psychologist for the Cleveland Clinic - says that volunteering can be great for a person’s mental health, too. According to Albers, when you help other people, it activates the reward center in your brain and releases serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins, which is why many people often feel better after volunteering.

Think about experiences you may know of in Brookline or check out this TeenLife Boston area community service info. See your counselor for BHS Community Service talk about possible opportunities. And here's the link to the Community Service page with more options and the required form to get service experiences approved for possible BHS credit.

Read the fine print carefully. There are certain restrictions to the BHS community service for credit options, so read the fine print.

The Co-Leaders of the Cradles to Crayons Club at BHS to let you know that we’re hosting another clothing drive! It has been going on since the 4th and will be ongoing until this Friday, November 15th. As the weather gets colder, we want to ensure that everyone has what they need to stay warm this winter.

We would greatly appreciate it if you would consider donating! Just bring any unwanted clothes you have, and place them in any of the cardboard boxes we have (they’re labeled with Cradles to Crayons Clothing Drive so should be pretty easy to spot).

Our boxes are located in the atrium (front entrance) and the Schluntz Gymnasium — we are accepting any type of clothing, including winter/summer/child/adult, you name it. The only condition is that it must be clean (i.g. no undergarments or socks or anything very stained).

We hope everyone is doing well and off to a good start in Quarter 2! Thank you again for all your support, we really appreciate it. Please let us know if you have any questions. In the meantime, take care :) We hope you will consider donating!

Best,

Suvi Carlile and Charlotte Kaufman

Leaders of Cradles to Crayons Club @ BHS

P.S.!!!! If you have any boots to donate, we are looking to donate about 30 pairs of boots to children at a public school in Cambridge and would be so grateful if you could help us. This can be snow boots, rain boots, etc. — you can leave them right by the other boxes. Thanks!

- Seniors will be getting reminders on their college portals about missing documents now.

- If missing Q1 grades are mentioned, please know that the BHS Counseling Dept will be automatically sending your Q1 grades in the upcoming period between 11/20-11/26. You gave us permission to send your Q1 and sometimes Q2 grades to colleges when you signed your transcript release form.

- If you have a missing grade or another issue with your Quarter 1 report card, see your teacher, then counselor tomorrow Monday 11/18.

Example message from MIT admissions-

- Also, please know missing documents are not any one person's fault, and we are all doing the best we can. Applicants will not be penalized for documents that we process after our application deadline.

Check the Financial Aid link for each college:

- Many colleges require the CSS Profile Financial Aid form to be completed by certain dates - USUALLY RIGHT NOW FOR STUDENTS WHO APPLIED EARLY ACTION OR EARLY DECISION. Be sure to check these deadlines!

- Every college - even community college - requires students (and guardians) complete the FAFSA, federal financial aid form to be considered for aid. Although these forms are not due to December 1, the time is now to start this process by getting a FAFSA ID.

Seniors -

-- If you missed a senior seminar or haven't reviewed your transcript, see your counselor now!

-- It is your responsibility to be sure your transcript is accurate before giving BHS permission to send to any colleges or post HS grad programs.

You should be checking that you are earning all required credits towards graduation this June 2023 too.

English- 4 credits

Science - 3 credits

Social Studies/History - 3 credits including US History

Math - 3 credits (4 years required for UMass State colleges/universities)

World Language - 2 credits (same language)

Elective - 3 credits distributed across Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Career/Tech, Community Service

Wellness - .5 Lifetime Wellness, 3 - .25 wellness credits

+ additional credits to earn minimum total credits of 22

-- See your Naviance account for your current BHS GPA

- Set up a meeting with your assigned counselor (If you are a senior who has Kate Kennedy, contact Darby Neff-Verre or Lenny Libenzon).

- Follow the steps listed on the BHS College Application Guide - see below for digital version

- Be sure to complete the transcript release form link FOR YOUR COUNSELOR and include ALL of the information requested on this link. See the digital BHS College Guide below for these links or contact your counselor. You can add one school at a time or up to 5 schools that you know you're applying to. Use this link again if you apply to more colleges later on.

By completing this link, you are giving BHS permission to send all of your needed school documents to these colleges - transcript, BHS school profile, counselor recommendation and 1-2 teacher recommendations. In addition, you are agreeing that BHS guidance will send your 1st and 2nd term grades to these schools when available (usually starting around Nov 18). Last, you will inform us which college you are planning to attend in May and this permission link allows us to send your final transcript after graduation to that college.

- Be sure to do the FERPA waiver and the "Matching" steps (see the BHS College Application Guide for easy instructions) to allow BHS guidance to send your BHS documents - transcript, school profile, counselor recommendation and teacher recommendations. WE CANNOT SEND YOUR DOCUMENTS TO COLLEGES UNTIL YOU DO THESE STEPS!

- Reminder - students cannot add to the "Colleges I'm Applying To" section on Naviance. This step is done by the counseling dept secretaries after a transcript release form has been shared.

- BHS College Counselor Lenny Libenzon is available for additional support after the student has met with their assigned counselor.

This is a great deal for many students who don't want to accrue financial burden and want a good education option for an Associates degree ( 2 years of college) or Certification program.

Here's some details and the link

* Earn an Associate Degree

Finish strong! Your GPA can increase your benefits:

• Finish with a 2.0 or higher
  • application essay and fees are waived
• Finish with a 2.5 or higher
  • admission to your major is guaranteed on a "space permitted" basis.
  • *work with your academic advisor to plan: some majors require a higher GPA or additional steps like auditions or portfolio submission.

* Finish at a State University or UMass Campus

You have so many choices to complete your bachelor's!

• Four UMass campuses: UMass Amherst, UMass Boston, UMass Dartmouth or UMass Lowell
• Seven comprehensive state universities in Bridgewater, Fitchburg, Framingham, Salem, Westfield, Worcester, and North Adams
• Two special-mission colleges: the Massachusetts College of Art & Design and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy

with your counselor 3 weeks before your 1st college deadline date. See below for a copy of that questionnaire or complete a digital version by going to your Naviance account and look under "school surveys".

YOUR COUNSELOR CANNOT WRITE A RECOMMENDATION FOR YOU WITHOUT THIS QUESTIONNAIRE BEING COMPLETED AND SHARED WITH THEM IN A REASONABLE TIME BEFORE YOUR APPLICATION DUE DATE.

See below for this form. When done, please share directly with your senior's counselor or have your student drop it off to the counselor's office.

This Brag Sheet is available in other languages if needed. See your counselor or Lenny Libenzon for more info.

CHAT GPT and college applications (from College Data): Quick Answer is Don't Do It!

And.... use your own words! Don't count on CHAT GPT to give you the most accurate

info on "good fit" colleges and your chances of getting into any particular school!

Your best resource is your BHS counselor for next steps and questions!

https://www.collegedata.com/resources/getting-in/5-things-college-applicants-should-know-about-using-chatgpt?utm_source=dotdigital&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_term=chat-gpt&dm_i=50NV,KE9H,2HLH1D,2AH7R,1

Check out this list of accredited Gap Year programs - https://www.gapyearassociation.org/accredited-gap-year-programs/

The BHS Gap Year Fair will is scheduled for January 14, 2025 - see the flyer below for more info

Click here for spot-on considerations about life at almost any college or university these days.

Plus additional reading to dig deeper into these topics.

1) Inaccurate upfront budgeting due to misleading available info

2) Confusing Financial Aid Forms

3) Misleading Award Letters and Failure to Appeal

4) Missed Opportunities for Merit Aid

5) Predatory Lenders in Student Loan Market

Every BHS family should be registering for the FREE College Affordable resource!

See below for more info....

Please view the College Affordable information sheet below.

To access this critically important resource, please register with College Affordable!

We’re excited to continue our partnership with College Affordable for the 2024-25 academic year. For those of you who are not familiar with the program, they offer financial aid support for our members of our community. In addition to being your resource for all questions related to the FAFSA, CSS Profile, and financial aid eligibility, they also hold monthly webinars specifically designed to support families where they are in the financial aid process.

Monthly Webinar topics (need to registered with College Affordable to get link to attend) -

November webinar topic: Your Outside Scholarship Search

Starting your search for outside scholarships can be daunting. Join College Affordable as they help you explore the best approach to starting your search to achieve the best results.

Thursday, November 14, 2024 at 6:30 PM

All families who are new to College Affordable and their support, should click on this link and continue to our school icon to register. This page will house information related to different program aspects you can take advantage of.

If you previously registered with College Affordable and need to just sign up for these webinars, please follow this link.

All questions can be directed at College Affordable via email financialaid@collegeaffordable.org or call/text 781-343-1941.

1. Check - https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt/scores/release-dates

2. When to Expect Scores? Students will likely receive scores on their College Board accounts around November 14, 2024.

3. Access the BigFuture School mobile app if you provided your mobile number on test day.

Test takers can use their personal College Board student account to view additional insights online.

December 7, 2024 - Digital SAT

December 14, 2024 - Paper ACT
February 8, 2025 - Paper ACT
March 8, 2025 - Digital SAT
April 5, 2025 - Paper ACT
May 3, 2025 - Digital SAT
June 7, 2025 - Digital SAT
June 14, 2025 - Paper ACT
July 12, 2025 - Paper ACT

Applications for the National Honor Society will be sent out in the fall of Senior year. To be eligible students must fulfill the following three requirements:

(1) have a GPA of 3.3 or above

(2) Have no academic or conduct violations

(3) Complete 15 hours of community service during their junior year/summer prior to senior year

Students should work towards these requirements during their Junior year in anticipation of the application during Senior Fall. Any questions regarding the National Honor Society process should be directed to the co-advisors, Mr. Whitehead & Mr. Jones, at bhs-national-honor-society@psbma.org.

Sophomore year brings new challenges, including social pressures, open campus, and greater exposure to tricky situations. The PTO and B-PEN invite parents to meet on Tuesday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. in the MLK Room to learn about what's happening with their teens and explore ways to communicate with them. Bring your questions and concerns to share with BHS social worker Abby Dean and licensed mental health counselor Kelly Miller.

Learn about B-PEN

Dear 10th Grade Families,

Our school is again participating in the MGH Oasis Project (Optimizing and Advancing SBIRT In Schools). Please read the linked letter to learn more about an upcoming survey of 10th graders in advisory. There will be a chance to opt out your student(s) should you not want them to participate.

MGH OASIS 10th Grade Survey - Nov. 20th

Thank you for your consideration!

BHS Nursing Team

Advisory Topic - MOTIVATION! What helps to motivate and what gets in the way?

Stop by your counselor's office either in the 22 Tappan or 115 Greenough counseling suites. Grab a snack and say hello. Ask a question that's on your mind or set up an appointment about something happening academically, socially, or otherwise.

Click here