Comprehensive School Counseling Program

The counseling center is staffed with seven full-time school counselors, two counseling secretaries and a registrar. Students are assigned to a counselor (alphabetical by student last name) for academic, personal, and college/career related services. THS counselors are professionally trained and ESA certified to provide prevention and intervention services to support the educational and mental health needs of students within the public school system.

Counseling services can include:

• Academic planning and maintenance of academic records

• Coordination of information on post-secondary entrance requirements, financial aid and scholarships

• Coordination of information related to academic and college testing 

• Consultations with teachers/students/parents to assist in working to resolve academic challenges

• Referrals to community based counseling resources such as drug/alcohol intervention and mental health 

• Brief personal counseling with students

• Acute crisis intervention

• Parent and student interventions and personal concerns

• Consultation and mandated reporting to Child Protective Services and law enforcement

• Participate or Facilitate teacher/student/parent conferences

• Deliver School Counselor Lessons and Classroom Presentations as part of the Comprehensive School Counseling Program

Students can stop by the counseling office before and after school, during power hour and during passing period for quick questions. Longer student meetings can be arranged by appointment through the counseling secretaries, online on the counseling website (Tahoma High School website > School Resources > Counseling > Counselor Appointments) or by emailing counselors directly. Counselors may also send for students during class to check in for a variety of reasons throughout the school year. 

Parent meetings are arranged during school counselor work hours by contacting the counselor directly. Counseling staff contact information can be found from in the staff directory in Parent Square or on the Tahoma High School website or by selecting School Resources > Counseling > Our Department

Official and unofficial Tahoma High School transcripts can be requested by accessing our school’s Parchment storefront. This information can be found online through Tahoma High School website > School Resources > Transcripts. Copies are sent securely and electronically to the location indicated in your order. This is the preferred method of communication for transcripts due to the security and speed of processing. Transcripts are received much faster than hard copies sent through the mail system.

CAREER AND COLLEGE PLANNING - FUTURE READY CENTER

The Tahoma School District is committed to ensuring that students have a viable plan for post-high school learning and careers. We call this initiative “Future Ready.” The school district recognizes that there are many paths to success for students. It is our responsibility to help students find the direction that best suits them as they prepare for their adult lives. The Tahoma School District has developed a career and college readiness curriculum. This curriculum is designed to help students assess their interests and skills, explore different careers and educational/training programs, and choose coursework that prepares them to meet their goals after high school.  

The THS Future Ready Center serves as a resource for students, parents and teachers. The Future Ready Center staff is available to support students and families with postsecondary planning that help students graduate with a viable plan.

• Job applications and résumé support

• Career and college advising for all post-secondary options with support doing research

• Help with post secondary program applications (college, apprenticeship, financial aid, etc.)

• Connecting with military recruiters, pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs, and college admissions counselors

• Strategies for finding and applying for scholarships

• Job shadow/career interview contacts

• Practice interviews for jobs, colleges, scholarships

• Community service opportunities

• Senior STEP requirement support, including one-on-one help when needed

• ASVAB testing

For more information, visit the Tahoma High School website > School Resources > Future Ready Center

SENIOR TRANSITION EXIT PLAN (STEP)

The High School and Beyond Plan is a Washington state graduation requirement. Each school district determines the guidelines for the High School and Beyond Plan.  At Tahoma High School, the High School and Beyond Plan is called the Senior Transition Exit Plan (STEP). Students who wish to earn a Tahoma High School diploma must complete all STEP requirements; this includes students who participate in Running Start.

During senior year, students complete STEP through their senior social studies class. Students who do not take senior social studies on campus will complete their STEP with the Future Ready Specialist in a self-directed, but supported, format using Google Classroom. The goal of the career and college planning curriculum and STEP is for students to graduate with a viable plan for post-high school education, training, and/or a career. Learn more about STEP here:  https://bit.ly/STEPhome

PUGET SOUND SKILLS CENTER (PSSC) 

Tahoma High School students have the opportunity to be involved in an off campus vocational experience at the Puget Sound Skills Center (PSSC). Students must be in grades 11 and 12 and have appropriate credits to enroll in this program. Tahoma School District will provide transportation for afternoon class sessions at the PSSC campus in SeaTac, WA. Students who participate in PSSC will only have morning classes at Tahoma High School. The following items are required for PSSC registration: completed PSSC registration form, transcript, attendance record, disciplinary record. PSSC students have slightly different Friday schedules in addition to having to adhere to the Highline School District calendar for PSSC coursework. View available programs and application information and timelines here: https://pssc.highlineschools.org/programs.