One of the goals of the Plum Senior High Counseling Department is to increase communication between school counselors, students and parents/guardians. We are hopeful the Counselor Corner will be an important part of highlighting relevant information. The November/December Newsletter will discuss Scholarships, Testing Information, College in High School Credits and tips for learning better online.

Please know the PHS Counseling Department is here for all students and families. Never hesitate to reach out to us for assistance. Since many of you are in the building at this time you are welcome to stop in. We are available via phone, Google Meet, email or in person for kids in the building.

Mr. Rob Fekety A-Do Feketyr@pbsd.net

Mrs. Kerry Plesco Dr-La Plescok@pbsd.net

Mrs. Tina Crissman Le-Rh Crissmant@pbsd.net

Mr. Rich Mull Ri-Z Mullr@pbsd.net

All college visits to PHS will be virtual this year. To access college visit information, login to Naviance and go to College Visits. If you have added a school to your Colleges I'm Thinking about or Colleges I am Applying to list in Naviance you will receive an email about the visit. The link to the meetings can also be found in the students Counselor Google Classroom.

School Counselors are available for all application questions and help. All you need to do is either stop in or email your counselor. We can schedule a Google Meet and help you get your applications done!!

Please watch the following video presented by the PHS Counseling Dept. The video provides detailed information re: the College application process. We walk you through how to apply to College, using Naviance and linking The Common Application. Students were shown the video in the Social Studies classes.

Unless you’re one of the lucky ones who knows what they want to do when they grow up at birth, then finding the perfect career path is never an easy decision. Always keep in mind that nding your dream job often comes after having a variety of experiences in different industries before settling into that perfect Source: GoodFinancialCents.com.

March 13, 2021 (Feb. 12, 2021)

May 8, 2021 (April 8, 2021)

Dec. 12, 2020 (Nov. 6, 2020)

April 17, 2021 (Mar. 12, 2021)

It’s especially important to apply early for financial aid this year, college experts say, because many families have suffered economically during the coronavirus pandemic and may have to take extra steps to qualify for maximum help. Click below for the whole article. Source: NYTimes.com.

Merit based scholarship can be defined as a financial award that a college-bound student may receive based on high school success. The scholarships are typically renewable every year and can be very helpful in bringing College costs down.

Merit Scholarships as Discounts on College Tuition

Colleges also make a habit of giving merit scholarships to prospective students as an incentive to apply to their college. That practice, known as tuition discounts, can curb a college student’s total cost of attending a college or university.

According to the National Association on College and University Business Offers (NACUBO), tuition discounts via merit scholarships can cut as much as 50% off the price of attending a private college. Note that this discount is measured against tuition rates, not the full cost of attendance. The cost of room and board is not discounted.

Merit Based Scholarship Tips

• Strong academic performance. While “straight A” grades are highly helpful, lower GPAs are in play, too, depending on the scholarship provider. Most private scholarships do not directly consider academic performance, although students who do well in school also tend to excel in other areas.
• Demonstrating strong leadership qualities. Being high school class president or captain of the soccer team are good examples of showing good leadership. But, leadership is about more than just holding titles. What did you accomplish as a leader?
• Community involvement/volunteering. A demonstrable record of giving back to the community is important. Volunteering at a food pantry, working at a homeless shelter and raising money for charity are good examples of community involvement. How did you affect other people and how did they affect you?
• Superior abilities in a specific area. Merit-based scholarships are offered to college-bound students and current college students who have a demonstrated significant talent in athletics, arts, music and other specific areas and vocations. Depth matters more than breadth.

Your student might be experiencing a lot of difficulties, and not all of them can be solved immediately. Learning online and hybrid is not easy. Times are hard and uncertain for everyone. With all that in mind, here's a look at some of the most common issues and some ideas to help.

Distractions

Students are easily distracted, and home offers even more opportunities to lose focus. Minimizing distractions is key, but how do you go about doing that? Here are a few ideas:

• Make learning time a phone-free zone. Have students leave their phone in the other room and allow for breaks to let them check what's going on.
• Create a dedicated space for school work. Keep that area free from distractions like TV's, pets, siblings, and conversations.
• Ease expectations. Even when you and your child have the best of intentions, it's still so easy to lose focus. Be gentle with them and with you, and help them learn how to shift back on-task when something happens.
• Stick with routine. Many schools are keeping structured learning times, but some are not. Either way, having a routine -- when learning happens, break times, lunch, etc. -- can make it easier to transition into and out of the school day and keep distractions at bay.

New Learning Style

Online learning and Hybrid learning are different than in-person classroom learning. For many students, the shift from collaborative learning, lectures, and in-class projects to asynchronous discussions and solo coursework can be a bit overwhelming.

It will take some time to adapt to the changes, but students can look for ways to integrate their usual ways of learning into their new experiences. For example, students might find it easier to understand new material by talking about it with you. Or, they might seek out supplemental materials (from their teacher or online -- check with the teacher if you go that route!) that translate information into a different medium. Chat with peers, if possible, and ask the teacher for more direction if you're struggling.

Structure

Recreating some sense of structure is key to online learning success. This might mean:

• Getting up at the same time each day
• Establishing working hours
• Following a routine, like getting dressed, eating breakfast, and using social media for a few minutes on the couch before moving into your dedicated learning space
• Scheduling in breaks, lunch, and end times

It's easy to think that you'll just start working whenever you get up and assume you can manage without a schedule. Unfortunately, you'll quickly learn that it's often impossible to work and learn without structure.

Questions About Material

It can be tough to learn new things when your teacher isn't present to answer your questions. When you encounter something that you need guidance on, make a note about it. The teacher likely shared times that they are available or has given out an email address. It's important to keep communication open with your instructor -- they are there to help!

MAKING THE BEST OF IT

It is so important to remember that these are unprecedented times. Everyone is figuring out how to do things differently and move work, school, and social lives nearly all online. These are stressful times, too, so it's important to remember that it's hard on everyone. There will be mistakes and struggles and an adjustment period.

Here are some additional tips to help you and your family make things a little easier on yourselves:

• Keep up with communication from teachers and the school. There is lots of information being sent to parents and students, and many of those emails contain important information that will likely answer questions you might have.
• Have fun and keep things lighthearted as much as possible. It can be helpful to keep up with regular routines beyond learning -- like family dinners where everyone talks about their day.
• Know that it's okay to be anxious, and be gentle with yourself and your family.

PHS offers both CHS an AP credits. Just so you remember if you pay for CHS credits you need to request a transcript from the College the credits are through and have it sent to the College/University you will be attending. All CHS credits registration goes through the classroom teacher. The article below explains the difference between the two.