December 1, 2017
Post date: Dec 1, 2017 12:01:39 PM
High School Guidance News by Chrissy Kafkalas
Keep up with the High School Guidance Department on Social Media:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jtownguidance
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jtownguidance/
Guidance Website: https://sites.google.com/a/jtowndrakes.org/jenkintown-hs-guidance/
Guidance Calendar of Events: https://sites.google.com/a/jtowndrakes.org/jenkintown-hs-guidance/guidance-calendar-of-events
Article/Video's of the Week:
Bringing a Child Home From Psychiatric Hospotalization: An open letter from a parent on what to expect and how to manage it: https://childmind.org/article/bringing-child-home-psychiatric-hospitalization/
TED Talk: Failing at Normal: An ADHD Success Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiwZQNYlGQI
Understanding the Hyperrational Adolescent Brain: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/understanding-the-hyperrational-adolescent-brain-todd-finley?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=socialflow&utm_campaign=blog
Better than Flashcards:Tips to Help Students Score More Points on the SAT and ACT Essays: http://www.linkforcounselors.com/better-flashcards-tips-help-students-score-points-sat-act-essays/
Student Recognition:
Congratulations to Cassie Lynch for being chosen for the Widener University High School Leadership Award - the Jenkintown nominee. She was chosen by the faculty! If Cassie is chosen to receive this award, she will get a $20,000 scholarship to Widener University over four years as an undergraduate. This awards program is designed to recognize high school students in the region, like Cassie, who embody the university’s commitment to develop and inspire leaders to affect positive change. With this award, the Widener University High School Leadership Awards Committee recognizes Cassie's ability to demonstrate courage by standing up for what is right, finding a way to address a wrong, or making a difference in a significant way.
Guidance/Community Events:
Click HERE for the Family Resources Page
Click HERE for the Guidance Calendar of Events
Click HERE for the Homepage of the Guidance Website
We will be rescheduling the Mock ACT for Thursday, March 1, 2018 from 12noon to 4pm. More information will be sent out in the new year.
On Saturday, January 20, 2018 from 9:00 – 1:00, LaSalle University’s ACM Student Chapter is hosting a Technology Hackathon in the Holroyd Building on LaSalle’s Campus. Click HERE for the day itinerary. During this event, students will learn computer science and information technology techniques as well as have an opportunity to speak with LaSalle alumni regarding careers in computer science and information technology. Participation is at no cost and is limited to 40 students. An agenda with more details is attached to this email. To be eligible to participate, students must do the following by January 10, 2018:
Register for the event via this form
Submit a signed LaSalle Photo Release form to MCIU (click HERE to download)
Submit a signed LaSalle Parent Consent form to MCIU (Click HERE to download)
Does your child have anxiety? The Temple Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders Clinic may be able to help. They provide cognitive behavioral therapy for children and teenagers ages 7-17 who are experiencing significant anxiety. Interested families should contact the clinic at 215-204-7165 or at info@childanxiety.org. Click HERE to view the flyer.
Special Offer from Revolution Prep - $250 Gift Card for Jenkintown Students - offer must be redeemed by 12/25/2017. Revolution Prep is offering every student at Jenkintown Middle HS $250 worth of free tutoring and test prep. Winter break is a great time to catch up on a difficult academic subject, to get ahead before spring semester, or to prepare for the SAT, ACT, SAT subject tests, APs, so act quickly to take advantage of this offer. Gift Cards must be redeemed by 12/25/17. Visit HERE for more information.
December 6, 2017: Virtual High School Day at Montgomery County Community College! The Admissions Office would love to invite Jenkintown students to participate in MCCC's very first Virtual High School Day!! On Wednesday, December 6, 2017, MCCC are offering three different times for our students to participate virtually and learn about: Admissions, Financial Aid, Scholarships, Student Life & Sports. There will also be time at the end of each session to answer questions from the audience! Please click HERE to register for an event and let Ms. Kafkalas know - you can watch the webinar in guidance. There are three 1-hour sessions are available: 8:30am - 9:30am, 11am - 12noon, 1pm - 2pm.
New resource for tweens and teens in the Jenkintown community. There is a new skill-building group designed to teach the girls skills necessary to alleviate high anxiety (including school refusal), depression, cutting or self-harm behaviors, and suicidal ideation symptoms. The group is a DBT-informed Skills Training group, where girls will learn and use all the skills of DBT in an effort to better manage intense emotions and find happiness. (DBT is an evidence-based therapy designed to help people change patterns of unhelpful or unhealthy behavior). Click HERE to read the flyer:
There is a current group of girls ages 15+ which does welcome new members as needed
A new group is starting in December: DBT Group for girls ages 12-14
Here is a link to learn a bit more about DBT and this group: https://www.centerforfamilyempowerment.com/blog/2017/11/14/what-is-dbt-and-how-can-it-help-my-daughter
HERE is a checklist to determine if your daughter could benefit from DBT
Grief Counseling through Safe Harbor: http://www.abingtonhealth.org/services-specialties/childrens-health/resources/safe-harbor/#.VNt69ylYxC8 Safe Harbor, Abington-Jefferson Health’s program for grieving children, teens and their families. Peer Support Groups are available as a possible resource for any student grieving the death of a family member. The program is offered completely free of charge, with groups meeting on our Willow Grove campus for 1.5 hours on designated evenings, every other week. Interested families call our office at 215-481-5983 to begin the intake process.
Jenkintown Parents and Former Grads: Help us gather Dual Enrollment data. Guidance would like to know if your child was able to transfer their MCCC Dual Enrollment Credits to the college they are attending. Please fill out the Dual Enrollment Participation Survey for 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 Graduates: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1AVUak2o0FbP31CYg6i5fpHizhAgESYdmRF-JNA6toDc/viewform. To view our current MCCC Dual Enrollment College Credit Transfer Statistics, please click HERE.
Eastern Presentation to the 10th and 11th Grade: January 12, 2018 and the Eastern Field Trip for interested students is February 21, 2018
Interested 10th and 11th Graders --------> Eastern Center for Arts and Technology has a few open houses coming up this Spring 2018:
Sunday, March 4, 2018 - 1 to 3:30pm - General Open House
Friday, March 16, 2018 - 9 to 10am - Construction Career Cluster (Construction Technology, Electrical Technology, and HVAC)
Friday, March 23, 2018 - 9 to 10am - Health Sciences Career Cluster (Allied Health and Veterinary Science)
Friday, April 6, 2018 - 9 to 10am - Transportation & Manufacturing Career Cluster (Automotive Tech, Collision Repair Tech, and Welding)
Friday, April 13, 2018 - 9 to 10am - Arts, Human Services and Hospitality Career Cluster (Commercial Art, Cosmetology, and Culinary Arts)
Friday, April 27, 2018 - 9 to 10am - Business, Computer & Public Safety Career Cluster (Business and Technology Professional, Protective Services, and Computer Network Administration)
CLASS OF 2018 Parents and students:
1) This is a reminder that students should be checking their emails for important notices from colleges/universities. Many schools email students with information about their online portals. Please notify Ms. Kafkalas is the college is requesting for Marking Period Grades or Mid-Year Grades (forward the email or make a copy to give to Ms. Kafkalas)
2) If your child is applying to college, please make sure to check the colleges Financial Aid Deadlines.
The FAFSA is available: https://fafsa.ed.gov/
In order to "sign" the FAFSA, one parent AND the child needs to have an FSA ID. The FSA ID is your electronic signature. You can sign up for the FSA ID now, and have it ready for when you submit the FAFSA: https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm
Some schools require the CSS Profile....you will need to check with each indiviudual school to see if this is required: https://student.collegeboard.org/css-financial-aid-profile
If you missed Financial Aid Night held in October, Financial Aid Packets are available at the Greeters Desk in the High School.
3) Scholarships are being entered weekly into Naviance, make sure that you are logging in weekly to see if you qualify -- NEW SCHOLARSHIPS HAVE BEEN ADDED!
4) Handy Scholarship Search Engines:
CLASS OF 2019 Parents and students:
1) The Guidance Department is starting to schedule the Junior Class Individual Growth Plans (IGP’s). The purpose of the IGP is to maintain an ongoing record of a student’s progress from 7th through 12th grade. Some of the main component areas include: Course selection, transition activities and career development, standardized testing, Transcript Review and College Planning, post-secondary educational planning. Annual meetings are held with individual students and parents to review and plan for individual progress. Since course selection is right around the corner (February 2017), this is a perfect time to meet with your child’s counselor. The IGP meetings are conducted with both the parents and the student and are done during the school day. Meetings start as early as 7:30am and the last meeting of the day is 2:45pm. To schedule a conference with Ms. Kafkalas, you should call the Guidance Department at 215-884-1801. You may also email Chrissy at kafkalac@jenkintown.org. Conferences will be scheduled in 45-minute intervals. I look forward to working together with you on behalf of your child. **Please note that 7:30am meetings are very limited.
2) The Junior Guidance Workshops will begin December 4, 2017.
Please note: All Guidance Workshops happen during the school day in the guidance suite and are for students only.
1st Workshop (December 4, 2017): Intro to Junior Guidance Workshop Series and Intro to College Admissions, Review of Family Connection
2nd Workshop (December 11, 2017): Intro to College Testing - SAT/ACT, College Board Overview
3rd Workshop (TBD): Career Interest Inventory, Exploring Careers and College Majors
4th Workshop (TBD): Resume Workshop
5th Workshop (TBD): The College Essay
6th Workshop (TBD): Review the Junior/Senior Checklist/Paperwork, NCAA and the Common Application
3) Eastern Center for Arts and Technology will be visiting with the 11th Grade class on January 12, 2018. To learn more about their programs and/or to have your child attend the Eastern Field Trip, information and forms are available here: https://sites.google.com/a/jtowndrakes.org/jenkintown-hs-guidance/eastern-center-for-arts-and-technology The Eastern Field trip will be on Wednesday, February 21, 2018.
4) PSAT scores will be mailed at the end of December.
CLASS OF 2020 Parents and students:
1) PSAT scores will be mailed at the end of December.
SUMMER/SPECIAL PROGRAMS:
START PLANNING NOW!
1) Interested in business or health care careers? Would you like a culturally diverse summer educational experience? Are you a current 10th or 11th Grader?
The Pennsylvania School for Global Entrepreneurship (PSGE) at Lehigh University held July 1 - July 28, 2018 and the University of Pittsburgh Health Scholars Academy (UPHCSA) held on June 24 - July 21, 2018, former Governor's School programs, are accepting applications for the 2017 summer programs. Current high school sophomores and juniors are encouraged to apply.
The application deadline is February 15, 2018.
For more information on the Global Entrepreneurship: http://global.lehigh.edu/iacocca/psge
For more information on the Health Careers Scholar Academy: http://www.hcsa.pitt.edu
2) 10th and 11th Graders: PFEW Applications are NOW Available: Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week 2018 is a unique and challenging program designed for high school sophomores and juniors. PFEW furnishes a perfect opportunity to learn about career opportunities that students may not have considered. What will you do at PFEW? By acting as an executive management team and running your own business, you and your peers will learn about our free enterprise system. With the task of turning an “imaginary company” into a financial success, you will determine selling prices, marketing costs, budgets for production, research and development, financing and stock options. You will develop your own marketing strategies and design an advertising campaign. In essence you will make all the decisions that are demanded of real life company executives. Throughout your PFEW adventure, you will meet and work with some of Pennsylvania’s top executives. Representing career fields including law, engineering, manufacturing, advertising, environmental protection, computer technology, and politics. These inspiring professionals will share their motivational success stories with you. INTERESTED? The EARLY BIRD APPLICATION DEADLINE is March 2, 2018, the final appellation deadline is April 6, 2018. Applications are available here: http://www.pfew.org/student_application.php. Don’t delay, this could be a wonderful opportunity to do something exciting this summer.