Shorewood Counseling Newsletter
August 2020
Counseling Updates
You may be wondering what your school counselor does and how we can work with you this year. School counselors are trained to focus on academics, social and personal growth, and college and career planning. Here's what that might look like in action:
- Academics: four year class planning, grades, scholarships for fees
- Social & Personal: check ins, connecting to mental health counselors, ways to get involved
- College & Career: exploring your interests, planning for post-high school, applications
Because of this, we'll focus our newsletters on providing information, resources, and updates in all three areas. We will send out newsletters periodically!
Meet the Counseling Staff!
Ms. Roma - Counseling Secretary
She enjoys reading a good book and going on walks in the area with her friends. She had big travel plans before COVID-19 hit, and hopes to still be able to fulfill her travel dreams in the near future!
Ms. Greenway - Counselor for last names A
She's been staying busy at home during the pandemic by reading, gardening and cooking! She also loves anything outdoors like hiking, camping, fishing, paddle boarding, skiing and anything with her two girls.
Ms. Shin - Counselor for last names B-El + 12th grade AVID
She enjoys spending time with her family and being a mom to three boys. You can typically find her out in the garden or on a run in her neighborhood.
Mr. Nyhof - Counselor for last names Em-Lum + 11th grade AVID
During these unprecedented times, Mr. Nyhof has been working on getting an old golf cart he has up and running. He is a big sports fan and especially enjoys watching baseball.
Ms. Wren - Counselor for last names Lun-Ram + ELL + 10th grade AVID
She found out she was pregnant right before COVID-19 hit and has been busy at home getting things ready for the baby! Ms. Wren enjoys reading good books, hosting dinners for friends and family (prior to the pandemic), and spending time with her two dogs.
Ms. Richards - Counselor for last names Ran-Z + 9th grade AVID
Ms. Richards is excited about her newly adopted dog, who is helping her appreciate the little things in life. They go for lots of walks to look for squirrels. She also enjoys hiking and being outdoors.
Ms. Engle - Running Start
She loves spending time with her husband, two sons, and their new dog! When she is not reading a good book she is outside enjoying the great PNW.
Ms. Langon (Amber) - Prevention and Intervention
She's been trying to stay active while at home by trying out new hobbies and activities. She spent a lot of time this summer paddle boarding! Amber also loves hiking and any other activity that lets her take in the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.
Ms. Dieckman - Registrar
Ms. Dieckman has enjoyed spending time in the sun with her three month old daughter and husband during this time. You can also find her reading and watching new shows on Netflix when she has the time.
Academic Achievement
Schedules
As you may have heard, we are not able to make any schedule changes this year due to the specific nature of balancing classes for both a remote and hybrid setting. We appreciate your understanding as we all adjust and adapt to our new norms during COVID-19! You can find more information about how the schedule works here.
Credits
With our new 3x3 schedule, students will still be earning a total of 6 credits over the course of the year. This is the same number they earn in our normal Shorewood schedule and keeps them on track for graduation.
Normal yearlong classes such as English and Math will now be offered either for the first half of the year (our new terms 1 and 2) or the second half of the year (our new terms 3 and 4). Students will earn 1.0 credit for each of these classes they pass.
Normal semester classes such as Art and PE will now be offered for a quarter of the year (equivalent to one of our new terms). These classes can be taken in term 1, 2, 3, or 4 and will be paired with another typical semester long class. Students will earn the regular 0.5 credit for passing these classes.
Grades and credits will be posted to the transcript at the end of each term. This means students will have final grades at four points during the year that show up on their official transcript. More info can be found on our Shorewood Remote Learning Website.
Here is a visual of what that will look like:
College and Career Readiness
College and Career Center
Seniors
Check this out and more here!
Social & Emotional Support
Top Tips for Starting an Unusual School Year
- Take care of yourself: whether you're a parent or a student, do what you can to prioritize your wellness every day. Only you know what works for you, whether it's exercise, sleep, nature, relaxation, music, etc.
- Communicate with your teachers: most of you only have 3 teachers at a time, which helps simplify things this year. This is all new for teachers, too, and they care about you. Let them know how you're doing, and any questions you have. When in doubt, go to your teacher's home page on Canvas, and start there.
- Try to be patient with yourself and others: we're all in this together, and it's a lot of new experiences and challenges for everyone. Kindness towards yourself and others will go a long way.
Celebrating the First Day of School
Next Wednesday will be a first day of school unlike any we've experienced before. Many of the traditions you have as a family might look different. This article provides ideas for keeping traditions going or starting new ones during this remote learning time for students of all ages.
We hope the first day of school can still feel exciting as you meet your new teachers, figure out your school routine, and get oriented in your classes!
Family Advocates
If you'd like to get in touch with them, here is their contact information:
Kristin Harrington // kristin.harrington@shorelineschools.org
Erin Maurer // erin.maurer@shorelineschools.org
Ongoing Resources
School Supplies
We have a wide range of school supplies available for Shorewood students!
We plan on arranging and advertising regular pick-up times from our office windows, but in the meantime, please email your counselor and we can easily arrange pick-up for you. We have plenty of great supplies, like highlighters, binders, composition books, etc! They are for YOU, so let us know what you could use!
Mental Health
Shoreline Counseling Resources - For a comprehensive list of local counseling services and resources, please visit the Shoreline Public Schools website. Many of the services listed are likely offering variations of tele/video support during this time.
Crisis Connections - The 24-hour Crisis Line is there to provide immediate support for individuals, families, and friends of those in crisis. By calling this number, you will receive guidance and get connected to the appropriate services.
Crisis Text Line - Free 24/7 text line support with trained Crisis Counselors for concerns about the coronavirus, bullying, anxiety, depression, suicide, self-harm, emotional abuse, loneliness, and more.
Teen Link - A program that serves the youth of Washington State. Volunteers are available to listen and assist you with any concerns about bullying, drugs and alcohol, relationships, stress, depression, and more.
The Trevor Project - The Trevor Project exists to support members of our LGBTQ+ community through times of crisis. Call, text, or chat online with a trained counselor today!
Consejo Counseling (Spanish) - Provides various behavioral health services to the Latin community across Washington state.
Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) - Provides multicultural counseling services and support for members of our Asian community. Now available in more than 40 languages and dialects!
Food
Little Free Pantries
You can stop by any of these locations and pick up a few food items anytime:
- Ballinger: On the corner of NE 198th St. & 14th Ave. NE (Facebook Page)
- Briarcrest Little Free Pantry (14511 25th Ave. NE, in front of Shoreline United Methodist Church)
- Echo Lake/Northridge: 20008 6th ave NE (park on 200th side)
- Lake Forest Park: 25th Ave NE and NE 184th St
- Meadowdale: 15724 53rd Pl. W., Edmonds (Facebook Page)
- Meridian Park: 18312 Corliss Ave N.
- Mountlake Terrace: On 56th Ave. W. between Calvary Fellowship Church & Espresso Break (Facebook Page)
- North City Cabinet & Cooler: 18910 8th Ave. NE (cold food in a cooler & hot food at 8:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri.)
- North City: 1674 NE 185th (Facebook Page)
- Richmond Beach: 1422 NW 195th St.
- Ridgecrest: 15815 11th Ave NE (Facebook Page)
- Richmond Beach: 1422 NW 195th St.
- St. Barnabas Anglican Church/Parkwood: 2340 N. 155th St. (across from Twin Ponds Park)
- The Triangle Little Free Shed: 14544 Evanston Ave. N.
The new school year is almost here. Please take a few minutes to review the information below.
- Shoreline School District is returning to the regular National School Lunch Program as required by Federal guidelines. Students purchasing meals will be charged based on their lunch code status of free, reduced or paid.
- We are working on plans to have families order and pick up a meal box once a week (that will contain 5 breakfasts and 5 lunches). More information to come.
- If you plan on purchasing meals for your student during the remote learning period, now is a great time to reload your student's meal account by paying online. There is a $1.50 convenience fee.
- Meal prices for the new school year can be found on our Prices & Payments page.
- To help avoid accounts from becoming overdrawn, each Monday, an automated "low-balance" email notification is sent if your student's account balance is below $10.50. Automated negative meal account balance messages will be sent twice weekly.
- 2020-2021 applications for free or reduced priced meals are now available. Paper applications will be attached to the school calendar that you receive by mail and/or in your opening packet from school. A printable application and instruction sheet in English are attached to this email. If you prefer to apply electronically, you can find the application link on the "Food Service" tab when you log into Family Access.
- Paper applications can be submitted in the following ways; scan/email to nutrition.services@shorelineschools.org; fax to 206.393.4104; drop off at the Food Services office; send by mail to Shoreline Food Services, 18560 1st Ave NE, Shoreline, WA, 98155. Masks are required when entering district offices.
Community Food Support
- Hopelink Food Bank (pre-packaged food items)
17837 Aurora Ave. N.
Tues. 12-4 p.m., Wed. 3-7 p.m., Thurs. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. (closed Fridays) - North Helpline Food Bank
12726 33rd NE, Lake City
Wed. 10 a.m. -1 p.m.; Thurs. 4:30-6:30 p.m.; Sat. 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
* Bitter Lake Location Sat. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. - Free Community Brown Bag Dinners
- Ronald United Methodist Church (5:30-6:30 p.m. each Thurs., 17839 Aurora Ave. N. Shoreline)
- St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church (5:30-6:30 p.m. each Tues., 722 N. 145th St. Shoreline)
- POPy's Cafe (5:00-6:00 p.m. each Wed., 14514 20th Ave. NE Shoreline)
Contact Us
Counselors
Shannon Greenway // shannon.greenway@shorelineschools.org // Last names A
Julia Shin // julia.shin@shorelineschools.org // Last names B-El + 12th AVID
Bradley Nyhof // bradley.nyhof@shorelineschools.org // Last names Em-Lum + 11th AVID
Sam Wren // samantha.wren@shorelineschools.org // Last names Lun-Ram + ELL + 10th AVID
Pam Richards // pam.richards@shorelineschools.org // Last names Ran-Z + 9th AVID
Gina Engle // gina.engle@shorelineschools.org // Running Start
Amber Langon // amber.langon@shorelineschools.org // Drug/Alcohol Prevention specialist
Family Advocates
Kristin Harrington // kristin.harrington@shorelineschools.org // Family Advocate
Erin Maurer // erin.maurer@shorelineschools.org // Family Advocate
Counseling Staff
Sharon Roma // sharon.roma@shorelineschools.org // Counseling Secretary
Nikka Dieckman// monika.dieckman@shorelineschools.org // Registrar
More info can be found on our website.
Shorewood Counseling Department
Email: sharon.roma@shorelineschools.org
Website: https://www.shorelineschools.org/domain/629
Location: 17300 Fremont Ave. N. Shoreline, WA 98133
Phone: 206-393-6122