PTHS Counseling Office Newsletter
September 2025
1. Welcome Back, PTHS
2. PT Counseling Team
3. Academic Platforms
4. Mental Health
5. Senior Spotlight
6. Underclassmen
7. Upcoming Events
The counseling department is excited to welcome back all of our students and families for the 2025-2026 school year! We hope the summer was full of lasting memories and gave everyone a chance to rest and recharge. As you begin this year, we encourage you to stay present in the little moments and to be kind - to yourself and others. High school is a time of growth, discovery, and challenge, and kindness can go a long way in building supportive community where everyone feels like they belong. Remember that even small acts of encouragement, a smile, or simply showing up for one another can make a big difference.
Throughout the year, our team will be sharing monthly newsletters filled with helpful resources, reminders, and opportunities. You can look forward to information about mental health and wellness, academic, college and career readiness, scholarships, special events, and tips for personal growth and success. Whether you are navigating your first year of high school or preparing for the transition after graduation, we are here to support you and your family every step of the way!
Ms. Patton
Ms. Simmons
Mrs. Prinsen
Mrs. Kottner
Mr. Sudol
Ms. Wolf
Powerschool
PowerSchool offers parents the real-time access to grades, attendance, homework assignments, other class information, and course scheduling.
Canvas
Canvas is the Learning Management system for PTSD students in grades K-12. Canvas bundles assessments, grading, state standards, messaging, learning data, and more—while keeping everything simple, easy, and in one place.
Naviance
Naviance is a comprehensive career and college readiness program for high schools that helps align student strengths and interests with post secondary goals.
PTHS Library: https://pthslibrary.weebly.com/
PTHS Clubs and Activities: https://www.ptsd.k12.pa.us/hsActivities.aspx
PT Important Forms (Attendance, ETF): https://www.ptsd.k12.pa.us/Forms.aspx
PT Powerschool Info: https://www.ptsd.k12.pa.us/powerschool.aspx
PT Athletics: https://www.ptsd.k12.pa.us/athletics_home.aspx
As you begin your final year of high school, preparing for life after graduation becomes a top priority. Naviance, is an online college and career readiness platform, can be an essential tool that can help you navigate the complexities of postsecondary planning. Through Naviance, students can explore:
- potential career paths
- research colleges
- track the college application progress
- explore military branches
- connect with recruiters
The Western PA Builders Guild
The Builders Guild of Western Pennsylvania is a unique, non-profit labor/management initiative, representing 16 building trade unions, eight affiliated general and specialty contractor associations, and the Pittsburgh Construction & Building Trades Council. The Builders Guild is a positive forum for labor, management, and community relationships, and fosters a cooperative and productive climate for regional commercial construction development.
US Airforce
US Army
US Coast Guard
US Marines
US Navy
US Space Force
Trying to get into the groove of the classroom? Not quite understanding the material of the course? You are not alone! Your teachers are there to support and help you. If you do not ask questions or ask for help, they will not know that you are struggling and will not be able to help. Recognizing when we need help, learning how to advocate for ourselves and seeking out the support we need are important parts of growing into mature and responsible adults.
Here are a few tips on the best way to connect with them to get the help you need:
- Be Considerate: Get to class a few minutes early or stay behind a few minutes after class to talk with teachers. Ask if they would have a few minutes to talk. If not, ask them when a better time would be and make a point of putting it in your planner or calendar.
- Ask Specific Questions: In order to make the most of your time, go in with specific questions you want to ask. Bring in a problem that you answered incorrectly. Ask them to talk you through where you went wrong. For English or History, ask them how you can improve the organization of ideas if that is where you seem to score the lowest. Ask your teacher how to better prepare for tests, quizzes, and assessments.
- Keep email communications professional: Consider emailing your teacher instead of speaking in person. Make sure that your email is professional and appropriate. An email should start with a salutation, followed by an explanation of why you are writing, and end with a closing and your name. You’re more likely to get a quick response if you use a subject line like "Questions about homework or questions about the essay due." Also, anticipate a wait time for a response and consider following up in person.
- Be proactive: It is best to ask for help when you first realize that you are struggling with something rather than after you’ve received a poor grade. Be proactive about seeking out help from a teacher or tutor if you feel like you’re starting to fall behind.
- Respect your teacher’s decisions: If you are uncertain as to the reasoning for a grade then ask. Ask them where you lost the points and how you could have improved your grade for next time. Use it as a learning opportunity to gain an understanding of how you could do better the next time around.
- Other ways to advocate for yourself: There are other ways that you can get help in a certain subject as well. Are there other students in your class who seem to understand what is going on? Seek them out and see if they can explain concepts to you or create a study group for the next test. Ask your parents or siblings or make an appointment with your counselor or tutor for additional help. Check out Khan Academy for free, online tutoring. If you have specific questions about the tutoring options available at our school, stop in to see your counselor or check out the Counseling Website!
Adapted from: https://educationalendeavors.org/6-tips-for-asking-your-teacher-for-help/
High School is the time to try new things, learn new skills, and develop new passions. It is important to think beyond classes and course work to spark your interests. Participating in extracurricular activities like clubs, sports, or a job can foster new interests and help you discover more about yourself.
Here are a few reasons why getting involved is important for high school students:
Discover new possibilities: involvement in an activity could spur a lifelong passion, introduce career options, and help define identity.
Ease transitions: transitioning from middle school to high school can be a large change in routine, relationships and environment. Continuing or discovering activities can help make the changes go more smoothly.
Improve time management skills: being involved in an activity often means making a commitment outside of school hours. This could mean hours of practice, preparation and sometimes additional travel which provides students with more structure in their schedule.
Building soft-skills: regardless of the postsecondary path any student decides to take after high school, building skills like teamwork, cooperation, creative problem-solving, decision-making, and leadership will always be important. Extracurricular involvement allows students to develop these skills that can translate into an aspect of their lives.
Make connections: participating in activities bring students into contact with other individuals that share like interests. This is important for high school students as they begin to build their own network connections that can result in future opportunities.
Not sure where to start? Check out some of these examples and see what PTHS and the PT Community can offer for you:
School-Sponsored Activities:
- Athletics
- Band/Choir/Orchestra
- Special-interest clubs
- Competitive Academic Clubs
Community Activities
- Community Service
- Local clubs and sports teams
- Community Arts or Music Groups
- Volunteer Work
Independent Activities:
- Participating in enrichment programs to learn new skills or support and continued interest and expand your knowledge.
- Start a small business
- Part-time Job
(Adapted from: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/plan-for-college/college-prep/stand-out/extracurriculars-matter-to-you-and-to-colleges and
https://www.iowastudentloan.org/articles/students/9-reasons-for-getting-involved.aspx)
