Counseling Corner

Dear Families,

School is in full swing...and so are pumpkin spice lattes :)

Below are a few reminders from our office. We also have some great updates of things happening this month at BHS and in the community.

If you need us, please do not hesitate to reach out.

We wish you all peace and wellness.

Best,

BHS Counseling Office

(585) 242-5000 x4526

WHEN:
October 21st, 2026, from 8 AM- 11 AM

WHERE:
Brighton High School Gym.
Students with testing accommodations may take their exam in a separate location based on the College Board-approved accommodation (s). Those students and families will be notified before the exam regarding approved accommodations and the testing location.

WHAT SHOULD WE BRING?:
1. A CHARGED school-issued laptop that has the Bluebook app downloaded and ready to go. Info about the blue book app will come out separately. Students who have taken an online AP exam in the past will be familiar with the app. It is critical that this app is installed PRIOR to the day of the exam to avoid any delays.

2. Your Bluebook login ID card. These will be issued by BHS prior to the exam. More info to come soon on when/ how these will be issued.

Other info:
- ALL 11th-grade students have been automatically registered, and there is NO cost to the student for this practice SAT exam, and there is NO need to register.
- Testing locations could shift based on adult supervision on the day of the exam. While we are working to ensure everything is set for the day, we know things come up and things change. I will communicate any significant changes once I am made aware.
- Upon completion of the exam, students are expected to follow their schedule and attend classes as normal.
- Students with testing accommodations should utilize those accommodations as intended. Students with extended time will have that time automatically added to their testing application as the test times themselves. We here at BHS will not have the ability to add or reduce time once the exam has started. The College Board updates ​each exam based on the approved accommodations. If there are accommodations you wish to remove or add, ​YOU have to be the ones to call College Board and ask for this. We are not authorized to change these.

For more information regarding the PSAT NMSQT, please visit this website:
https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt

PSAT exam breakdown below:

Counseling Seminars are an important piece of your child's HS journey. We meet in small groups each year to start thinking about our strengths, interests, and personality traits to better prepare for life after high school.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

FALL SEMESTER:

Senior Seminar began SEPTEMBER 16th

Sophomore Seminar begins NOVEMBER 3rd

Teachers will update gradebooks on the following dates so families can have an accurate picture of current grades. Be sure to check Schootool often!

1st Quarter

• Wednesday, October 7, 2026, by 8:00 AM
• Wednesday, October 28, 2026, by 8:00 AM

2nd Quarter

• Wednesday, December 16, 2026, by 8:00 AM
• Wednesday January 13, 2027, by 8:00 AM

3rd Quarter

• Wednesday, March 3, 2027, by 8:00 AM
• Wednesday, March 31, 2027, by 8:00 AM

• Wednesday, May 19, 2027, by 8:00 AM
• Wednesday, June 2, 2027, by 8:00 A

Be sure to read the weekly SENIOR NEWSLETTER newsletter and check out the Junior/Senior Information Page on the BHS Counseling Website for all of the post-secondary planning needs: https://bhs.bcsd.org/46752_3

See you in Seminar and Senior Office Hours!

We hope to see you there!

ACCES-VR is partnering with Monroe County to host a Disability Mentoring Day for youth aged 14-22 in or out of school. This event will occur on Thursday, October 22nd, 2026. The goal is to give youth exposure to the different jobs they may potentially be interested in. Youth will pick the top 3 preferred locations they’d like to tour. Location assignments will be based on first come, first serve. We will make every effort to match preferences.

Please fill out and send back the applications and releases as soon as possible. The deadline to submit everything is Thursday, October 8th, 2026, at 4PM.

• Airport
• Department of Information Services
• Highland Park (Parks Department)
• Monroe Community Hospital
• Monroe County District Attorney
• Probation Department
• Seneca Park Zoo
• Water Treatment Plant (Environmental Services)
• Weights and measures

The Drop off/Pick up location will be at the zoo around 8-8:30AM and pick up is at 2:30PM at the Seneca Park Zoo. The address for the zoo is: 2222 St Paul St. Rochester NY 14621.

On the day of the event, once everyone has registered, we will have opening comments from our partners at Monroe County government and ACCES-VR. Youth will then be able to board the RTS bus to be dropped off at their chosen and assigned location for their shadowing opportunity. Once shadowing is completed, the bus will bring youth/staff back to the zoo for lunch (included) and wrap up. If time permits, youth can check out the zoo and see the animals. We anticipate that the event will end at 2-2:30PM.

We are always looking for volunteers, so if you would like to volunteer, please register. https://form.jotform.com/262516140132141

We will have a volunteer information session via Zoom on Tuesday, October 13th at 1PM.

We will also have a parents/staff/student information session via Zoom on Tuesday, October 13th at 6PM.

Volunteer Information Session Link: Volunteers & Adults Zoom Link

Parents/School & Agency Staff/Student Session Link: Parent/Youth Zoom Link

We hope this opportunity will provide students and youth with hands-on and real-life exposure to different career opportunities. If you have any questions, please reach out to Julia Rood (julia.rood@nysed.gov) or Amanda Ross (amanda.ross@nysed.gov).

If you have someone interested, please have them sign up for this opportunity. Mentoring Day Youth / Participant Registration

Adults/ Parents/ School or Agency Staff / ACCES VR Staff / Monroe County Staff / Volunteers and Sign Language Interpreters Registration link: : Adult Registration Link

Exploring provides exciting activities and one-on-one mentorship for youth looking to discover their future. Whether you’re a local organization looking to strengthen the community or a young person wanting to uncover the possibilities of your future, Exploring is a great place to start.

Exploring let’s you “try a career on for size!”

Students ages 14-20 can explore their career interests in a hands-on real-world environment with professionals in that field. There are Explorer Posts for areas of advanced manufacturing, aviation, cosmetology, culinary, engineering, firematics/EMS, health care, law enforcement, legal, military, skilled trades, sports management, veterinary, and many more!

https://senecawaterways.org/exploring-ages-14-20/

**You can earn INTERNSHIP CREDIT for joining an Explorer Post! See Mrs. Stern for details!

Hello,

My name is Maddie, and I am writing to formally invite your school to the 10th annual BOLD (Business Oriented Leadership Development) Conference hosted by Harvard Undergraduate Women in Business (HUWIB)! The conference will run from November 14-15, 2026. In-person attendance is highly encouraged; however, we will be offering a virtual option to tune into our incredible speakers!

Our mission as an organization is to empower a group of diverse young women and future leaders by uniting them through business education and experience. Since 2017, our conferences have been a profound experience for both our organization and the high school girls who have attended. This year's conference will include empowering events that introduce high school women to the business world and guide them in developing essential skills for charting their path forward in the industry. On its second day, which functions as a half-day, the conference will cover all aspects of applying to college, including a panel led by current Harvard students, resume and personal brand workshops, and a tour of Harvard’s campus.

This year, BOLD attendees will hear from a variety of keynote speakers, panelists, and multiple fireside chats! We are excited to hear from a diverse group of expert professionals – recent Keynote addresses have included Jenny Frankel (Co-founder, Nudestix), Mikayla Nogueira (Content Creator and Founder, Point of View Beauty), and May Chen-Contino (CEO, Unit 221B). In addition to hearing from industry speakers, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from current Harvard students about applying to college, both through an organized panel and informal breakouts. In its tenth year, BOLD will continue to welcome and empower the next generation of female leaders.

The in-person conference will be located on Harvard College’s main campus in Cambridge, MA. Ticket registration is now open and can be found here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/harvard-undergraduate-women-in-business-2026-bold-conference-tickets-1986484948957?aff=oddtdtcreator. We have special reduced group pricing available for groups of 5+ ($120/per person) and 10+ ($100/person). If you are interested in group pricing, please reach out to theboldconferenceoutreach@gmail.com and we can provide you with the appropriate discount codes.

For more information about the BOLD conference, please visit our website wib-bold.com, and for additional information regarding Harvard Undergraduate Women in Business, please visit huwib.com. Feel free to reach out to theboldconferenceoutreach@gmail.com with any questions or concerns. We look forward to hearing from you and hope you join us for this exciting event!

All the best,

Maddie and The BOLD 2026 Conference Team

The Academy offers Business programming for high school students at both the Rochester Golisano Institute and Buffalo Golisano Institute Campuses.

An overview of programming is below. More information, including registration, can be found on our website: The Academy - Golisano Institute for Business.

• Foundations in Business Session

  Note: Foundations in Business Workshops are offered at both Buffalo and Rochester Campuses, starting immediately.

• Audience is schools and school groups

• 3.5 hour session, including lunch and snack at Golisano Institute

• Schools provide their own transportation

• 25 students per group (it's what space permits)

• $300 per group

• No fee for Title I schools

• As we're launching the program now, the fee will be waived for any groups scheduled to attend Foundations in Business sessions before January 1st, 2027, regardless of Title I status.

  
  

• The Academy Master Classes

  Note: For Quarter 1, Academy Master Classes will only be offered at our Rochester Campus. In future quarters, we will expand Master Classes to both Buffalo and Rochester.

• Audience is individual students and families

• Once per week for 6 weeks, 3:15 - 4:30.

• For our Quarter 1, the course is on Tuesdays

• Fall Course offering will be "The Sales Edge"

• There will be additional topics in future quarters

• The registration link for this course is open and live on The Academy website -please feel free to share and promote with your students

If you have any questions at all, please reach out! Beyond Foundations in Business Sessions and Master Classes, there is a lot of opportunity for more.

Many, many thanks,

Ted Eckert

Ted Eckert | Executive Director, The Academy at Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship

(716) 274 -1275 Office

(716) 713 - 9458 Cell

Rochester: 150 Sawgrass Drive, Rochester, NY 14620

Buffalo: 125 Washington St, Buffalo, NY 14203

teckert@golisanoinstitute.org

Find out which career is right for you!

Do you want to make money while learning? How about going to college for free?

Then the Finger Lakes Youth Apprenticeship Program may be for you! FLYAP offers job shadows and paid co-ops at local manufacturing companies and also provides free dual enrollment at Monroe Community College.

https://fingerlakesyouthapprenticeship.org/

By joining FLYAP, youth apprentices receive critical classroom and on-the-job training that prepares them for today’s workplace and higher education.

Reps are back at BHS this year!

Reps will be visiting in-person and virtually. Colleges have already begun to snag spots at BHS, so check Schoolinks regularly for our schedule.

• Be sure to SIGN UP for the visit in Schoolinks for reminders.
• If a rep is in person, they will be in room 257 (the conference room across from the Counseling Office)
• If they are virtual, you will be able to access a link to their zoom via Naviance. You may come to the Counseling Office and we can help find you a quiet space to attend if needed.
• In person or virtual, you will need teacher permission to attend if the visit takes place during a class. Grab a pass from the counseling office.

You are welcome to sign up for as many visits as you'd like! We encourage you to sit in on the ones you know, as well as some that you've never heard of before. There are so many INCREDIBLE institutions all over the country with phenomenal opportunities. You just don't know about them yet!

Be sure to check out SchooLinks & the College Visits page on the BHS Counseling Website for a complete list of ALL visits this season. Check often- we get new visits scheduled every day!

This week's list will also be posted outside of room 257!

NACAC Virtual College Fairs are a great opportunity to connect with colleges and universities from the comfort of your own home. Have a quick video chat with a representative, drop-in on a virtual presentation, send a question through the chat — make a connection your way.

Tips for making your college fair experience productive and fun: https://www.nacacattend.org/fairs/virtual-fairs

1) Representatives from each college will be waiting to meet you! Make sure you are ready to put your best foot forward and interact with reps when visiting college booths! Not sure what to say? Here are some suggestions:

• What do students like/dislike most about your school?
• What kinds of students are happiest at your school?
• What is the average amount of student loan debt for graduates?
• If I am awarded a grant or scholarship, can I expect it to remain constant all four years (assuming my financial circumstances don’t change)?

2) Make sure to reference your College Matchmaking® email to connect with the schools that best align with your interests!

At the time of registration, you selected the attributes that were most important to you in a college. You then should have received an email that best matched specific colleges and universities to your criteria. Reference this email on the day of the fair to connect with your best fits!

Learn more about College Matchmaking®

3) Don't sweat the small stuff!

Everyone is at a different stage in their college search process. Keep an open mind and enjoy yourself. These events are all about helping you connect and learn about lots of colleges in a short amount of time to help you land at your dream school. Have a quick video chat with a rep, drop in on a virtual presentation, send a question through chat - make a connection YOUR way!

The Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) is a groundbreaking and exciting program that transforms local middle and high school students into real, confident entrepreneurs. Through the year-long program, students in grades 6-12 generate business ideas, conduct market research, write business plans, pitch to a panel of investors, and launch their very own companies.

The Rochester Chapter is held right down the road at The Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship

Each month, our friends from WNY R-AHEC Provides us with a newsletter featuring exciting careers in healthcare. We hope you enjoy!

If you have questions specific to BHS testing procedures, please reach out to Deirdre Carter: deirdre_carter@bcsd.org. As things are changing so often, please refer to the testing sites for updated information:

Standardized exams have traditionally been a part of the college application. This year, due to COVID, many schools allowed students the option of submitting test scores or not. Juniors- It's safe to say it's a good idea to get an exam or two under your belt if you are thinking of applying to a four-year college. Below is some brief information about the two exams and the website to check out to get more information/sign up for the exams.

SAT

Collegeboard.org

• Designed to measure academic aptitude in verbal and numerical reasoning.
• Test Content: Reading, Math and Writing.

ACT

Actstudent.org

**Changes are coming to this exam! Read more here: 2025 ACT Enhancements–First Looks – Chariot Learning

• Designed to measure academic achievement.
• Test Content: English, Math, Reading and Science Reasoning.

Visit www.fairtest.org for a list of colleges that do not require standardized tests. Check in with your counselor about a Fee Waiver , if needed, to help cover the costs of the exams.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (504s & IEPS)

SAT- The BHS Counseling Office applies for all College Board test mods prior to your sophomore year (this summer). If approved, these will apply to all future SAT & AP Exams

ACT- you MUST REGISTER FOR AN ACT EXAM before we can apply for your test mods. Be sure to sign up early, indicate you will be requesting accommodations, and let your counselor know ASAP so we can get them processed before the test date. This typically takes 6-8 weeks.

Remember- both College Board and ACT are private companies. They have the right to approve or deny any test modifications you may have. If you have any questions, please reach out to your counselor or College Board/ACT for more information.

UPCOMING BRIGHTON BOOT CAMPS

We have two SAT/ACT Boot Camps scheduled at the high school this fall:

October 6, 7, and 8 @ 3:30-5:30pm

November 21 @ 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Below is the link to our BHS JOB BOARD- your new home for any information about work permits, available jobs or internship opportunities.

This will be updated weekly as opportunities come in. Check it often!!

Please see below if you are interested in any of our WBL programs:

General Work Experience

• Did you have a job this summer or during the school year?
• Will you work at least 150 hours by end of the school year?
• Are you a junior or a senior?
• If you answered yes to the questions above, contact Mrs. Stern about earning HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT next year just for having a job!

Professional Internship/Job Shadowing

We can work together to figure out a career exploration plan!

For more detailed information on either programs, please check out our site: https://bhs.bcsd.org/46761_3

Set up an appointment with Mrs. Stern if you are interested in either of these programs: https://outlook.office365.com/book/CourtneyStern1@bcsd.org/

Hands on experiences are the best way to learn more about the career opportunities available to our young adults. And our students are asking for them! When we thought about who our students could learn from, we wanted to first look to the professionals in our own back yard.

PARENTS- If you are interested in possibly hosting a student for a Job Shadow experience or Professional Internship in the future, we encourage you to fill out the survey below. There is no obligation to host a student shadow or intern currently. It is merely helping us to create a network of professionals in our community. If you have paid jobs available for students, please email Courtney Stern directly.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=ZLm1_AgyPkeLzTMrIV6bE1FNnWpNYnRGluEgXgoFHwJUREJWMUJTNTBTWThHN0VQRExKSVZPNURLSy4u

If you have any questions regarding the programs below, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time. Thank you in advance for considering hosting a student shadow or intern in the future!

Students- if you are interested in a Job Shadow, Internship or earning credit for your Work Experience next year, reach out to Mrs. Stern and we can see what we can do!

Courtney Stern, College & Career Counselor

Courtney_stern@bcsd.org

Sam Rizzo, CTE Coordinator

sam_rizzo@bcsd.org

Please check out the QR code below for more information and instructions on how to sign up!

October 3 - November 7

Family Empowerment Series – Fall 2026

This is an online series FREE to family members of children who have disabilities thanks to the support of grants from state and federal funders. Links will be sent after application is complete.

October 8 - November 5

Creating a Life After High School - Fall 2026

Together, we can help you and your child with a disability plan for life after high school. We offer a safe and encouraging environment where families can dream and explore options. Two sessions are offered with in-person and virtual options available.

October: Managing Anxiety

Teen anxiety is increasingly common and can be triggered by academic pressure, social stress, and the demands of growing independence. While occasional worry is normal, persistent anxiety can affect your teen’s ability to focus, attend school, or enjoy daily activities. As a parent or caregiver, your role in providing emotional safety, listening without judgment, and helping your teen learn how to cope in healthy ways is crucial. The more we normalize conversations around anxiety, the easier it becomes for teens to ask for help when they need it.

Tips:

· Encourage open conversations about feelings.

· Help break overwhelming tasks into smaller steps.

· Promote healthy habits: sleep, exercise, and breaks from screens.

Family Challenge: Create a “Calm Corner” at home with cozy items and stress-relief tools (books, coloring, stress balls) where your teen can take breaks when feeling overwhelmed.

If you have any questions, concerns, or feel that your child may need additional support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to their teacher or school counselor. We are here to partner with you to ensure your child feels safe, supported, and successful—socially, emotionally, and academically.

Email: courtney_stern@bcsd.org
Website: https://bhs.bcsd.org/46697_3
Location: 1150 South Winton Road, Rochester, NY, USA
Phone: (585) 242-5000