Counselor Corner

We hope you had a restful summer and we look forward to seeing students in the halls again. We would like to ensure that all freshmen and new students know that the school counseling department is here to assist them with more than scheduling and future planning. We are also here to assist with any mental health and personal needs they may have.

Now that student schedules are available online, please check to be sure you have at least four core classes (one science, one social studies, one math, and one English). It is ideal to have two core classes per semester to have a balanced schedule. If you are unsure if your schedule is correct, please reach out to your school counselor. Students can add or drop a class (depending on class sizes and original course requests) within the first seven days of school. Paperwork for changes is available in the counseling office. For college-bound upperclassmen, it is advised to have a full-load of rigorous classes as your junior and senior years will be weighed heavily in the college application process.

As the start to a school year can bring a welcome routine to some, for others it may bring stress as sports, academics, and sometimes a job create a balancing act. In the link below, you can find excellent resources from white noise, visual relaxation, guided meditations, healthy eating and exercises, coloring activities, even live animal cams.

** Please know the following links are purely for educational purposes and are not intended as psychological interventions nor as a substitute for psychological treatment. We can provide you resources, should you need or seek professional help.

https://sites.google.com/aldineisd.org/techcarewilson/home?fbclid=IwAR1hqYi7Sq25mdgUJn3LWgsBPlulxz2zjQ0DyMU6DiUQsZMTerCcf2yGgXE&fs=e&s=cl

All freshmen and new students can come to the high school on Monday, August 15th for a brief overview along with important information that will be shared in the high school Media Center. An opportunity to walk throughout the school and get comfortable with how to navigate the hallways and locate the classes on your schedules will be provided. Students with last names A through K attend at 9:00 a.m. and students with last names L through Z attend at 10:30 a.m.

There will also be an open house for all students on Tuesday, August 16 from 3:00-4:30 p.m. where students can meet their teachers for the school year.

The suicide hotline now has a new number of 988. A person is automatically connected to trained crisis counselors when they text or call this number. If you or someone you know needs help, 988 is for mental health, substance abuse, and suicide crises.

Perry Schools is now registered with the Ohio Safety Center, which is the Safer Ohio School Tipline. The anonymous reporting system accepts both calls and texts 24 hours a day. The number is: 844.723.3764. Speak Up, Save Lives.

All sophomores and juniors will be given the opportunity to take the PSAT (practice SAT) on Wednesday, October 12th. All sophomores can take the test for free while juniors can take it for the cost of $18. Registration will occur starting in September.

All juniors will have the opportunity to take the ACT for free on Tuesday, February 28, 2023.

For qualifying students, fee waivers are available in the school counseling office for ACT and SAT national tests.

Beginning in September, the school counselors will visit the senior English classrooms to assist with the college application process. If you are a student who does not take an English class on campus, please reach out to your counselor at any time to set up an appointment so that we can assist you with your college applications. The Common App opened in August and takes quite some time to complete. We have resources available on our guidance website to assist you in completing this document. Please note that if you decide to send your national test scores to colleges, you will do so directly from the testing site (i.e., ACT, CollegeBoard).

Students who are applying to colleges that require a letter of recommendation should complete the Google letter of rec form on the guidance webpage to provide details for a strong letter. Please talk with the teacher prior to completing the form and allow two full weeks for teachers to compose a letter (not including holidays).

Students will request transcripts via their Scoir accounts. This is another layer we will discuss when visiting the senior English classes.

For any student who is not sure if they are heading off to college, stop down to talk to your school counselor and/or Mrs. Soeder about career, trades/technical and military options.

Guidance Department:

Lisa Gigante - School Counselor (A - K): gigantel@perry-lake.org

Kelly Holderman - School Counselor (L - Z): holdermank@perry-lake.org

Amy Sorine - Counseling Department Secretary: sorinea@perry-lake.org

Guidance Related Services:

Elia De La Garza - LEAF Advisor: edelagarza@leaf-ohio.org

Bob Gecewich - Social-Emotional Specialist: gecewichb@perry-lake.org

Russell Newman - District Social Worker: newmanr@perry-lake.org

Rita Soeder - Career Exploration Specialist; teacher: soederr@perry-lake.org

Kali West - Student and Community Connector; Teacher: westk@perry-lake.org