VHS Counseling October Newsletter

• PSAT for 10th & 11th Grades // October 17

• Test Preparation Opportunities

• Senior Summit // October 17

• ASVAB Career Exploration Program // Registration Open!

• AP course and exam registration through College Board is happening now!

• Austin Community College Dual Credit Registration - Spring 2025

• Senior Workdays during PIT

• FAFSA is a Graduation Requirement!

• TSI Assessment // October 3

• Seniors - Stay Connected!

• Junior Counselor Connection Meetings // October 30 & 31

10th Grade

• Sophomore Counselor Connection Meetings - Healthy Relationships/Dating Violence Prevention // October 3 & 4

9th Grade:

• Freshman Counselor Connection Meetings - Adolescent Depression Awareness Program (ADAP) // October 9 & 10

Mental Health Minutes

• October Topics

Need to Get in Touch?

• Contact Info for Campus Counselors/Administration

IMPORTANT DATES IN ORDER:

Oct 3 & 4 // Sophomore Counselor Connection Visits - Healthy Relationships/Dating Violence Prevention

Oct 9 & 10 // Freshman Counselor Connection Visits - Adolescent Depression Awareness Program

Oct 17 // PSAT & Senior Summit

Oct 3O & 31 - Junior Counselor Connection Visits - Topic TBD

All 10th and 11th Grade students will take the PSAT exam in person on October 17th. There is no registration necessary for this exam. The PSAT will begin at 8:15 AM and end at approximately 11:30 AM. There is no make-up date, so please be sure to avoid scheduling conflicts!

All 10th and 11th grade students are strongly encouraged to take the PSAT as it prepares them for the SAT. The PSAT can also be used as a qualifier for ACC Dual Credit courses and allows juniors to compete for the National Merit Scholarship program. Read more about the advantages and importance of taking the PSAT here.

One-day PSAT Boot Camp

North Austin- MTAT Office

Saturday, October 12, 2024

9:00-3:30 PM

https://www.morethanateacher.com/boot-camp/north-austin/

Benefits to attending a PSAT Boot Camp:

• Practice with real PSAT questions

• Learn proven strategies for every section of the test

• Learn to manage their time during the test

• Boost confidence and maximize potential for better college admission opportunities and scholarships

SAT Class on Campus at VHS

Wed, 10/9 - Thu, 10/31

4:30p-6:30p

$649 for VHS students (regularly $749)

Click here to view schedule and register: https://www.morethanateacher.com/sat/vandegrift-november-sat-prep/

Khan Academy SAT Test Prep

Free SAT preparation tool through Khan Academy. Take advantage of this excellent tool as they prepare for the SAT!

Also, here are the links for the remaining practice tests for the year.

More Than a Teacher Practice Tests

Freshmen will be attending their regularly scheduled B day classes the morning of October 17. Teachers will notify students of any adjustments to their meeting location for 5th, PIT, and 6th periods.

Seniors will participate in Senior Summit in building 2 the morning of October 17.

For 5th period + PIT, seniors will be in the cafeteria for study hall- to catch up on school work, college apps, career exploration, etc. During 6th period, seniors will work through 2 graduation requirements- CPR and Police Officer Interaction Trainings in the gym and PAC. Student assignments & locations will be posted October 14 in the Class of 2025 Google Classroom.

After 6th period, when the PSAT releases, students will attend the rest of their regular B day schedule. It’s important that students come prepared with their laptops fully charged on this day.

The ASVAB Career Exploration Program is a FREE test available to interested 10th-12th grade students. The ASVAB program facilitates career planning and exploration, combining a multiple-aptitude test with an interest self-assessment and a wide range of career exploration tools. The test is open to any student who simply is wanting more career guidance, but is a requirement for students interested in pursuing military options. NOTE: LISD does not release scores to the military; students pursuing the military are responsible for sharing their scores.

The test will take place on Thursday, November 21 - REGISTER HERE.

AP Course Enrollment & Registration. Avoid a $40 late fee per course by completing AP Enrollment and Exam Registration before October 23, 2023. Students can log into their College Board account to make sure each AP Class on their schedule is listed in MyAP.

Spring semester ACC dual credit registration opens October 18. Students should have completed the ACC Spring Plans form posted in the Dual Credit Google Classroom. These plans are sent to ACC so that holds can be removed in time for registration. If there are questions, please schedule a time to visit with Ms. Kendall using this link. Full details about the Dual Credit opportunities through Austin Community College can be found on our VHS College & Career Center website.

Senior Workdays are an opportunity to be productive and get assistance on anything needed for post-VHS plans (college applications, essays, resumes, financial aid, workforce planning, interview prep, etc.) in the College & Career Center (room 1306) during PIT (9:45a - 10:20a) on most Tuesdays/Wednesdays/Thursdays. Students must sign up in the PIT Portal.

In accordance with Texas Education Code (TEC), §28.0256, each student must do one of the following in order to graduate:

• Complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
  
• Complete and submit a Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA) (for Texas residents who are not eligible to apply for federal financial aid - usually includes students who are non-citizens or non-permanent residents of the United States)
  
• Submit a signed opt-out form ENGLISH, SPANISH

*Reminder: this is only one graduation requirement component. Counselors and Administrators will continue working with Seniors on ensuring graduation requirements are met.

ACTION REQUIRED
Seniors: To complete this graduation requirement, submit your documentation to this linked form.

The FAFSA is expected to open by December 1st for this year's graduating seniors.

Counselors will be reviewing college readiness status (known as TSI, Texas Success Initiative) individually with seniors during their upcoming conferences. Students who are not yet TSI complete in Reading & Writing and/or Math are encouraged to take proactive steps to prepare and take the TSI Assessment in an effort to ensure a seamless transition to college level coursework.

The TSI Assessment is offered at Vandegrift regularly for free. The next testing opportunity is Thursday, October 3rd. Students can register HERE.

Make sure to keep up to date on all things Class of 2025 with the Senior Information Page!

We will be holding Counselor Connection sessions for juniors October 30 & 31 during English 3 classes. More information on the session topic will be sent to juniors as the date approaches.

Students taking English 3 through ACC should keep an eye on your Google Classroom for more information on when you will be scheduled.

We will be holding Counselor Connection sessions for sophomores October 3 & 4 during English 2 classes. These sessions will focus on healthy relationships and dating violence prevention. As you will soon be moving on to your next steps in life, we feel it is crucial to have conversations on this topic. Student feedback from previous years has indicated students find these conversations to have value and importance.

The Adolescent Depression Awareness Program (ADAP) is a series of lessons created by Dr. Karen Swartz of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine with the goal of teaching students the symptoms of depression and mood disorders in children and adolescents.

During the 2024-2025 school year, Vandegrift HS counselors will again teach the ADAP lessons to our 9th grade students as one of our Counselor Connection classroom lessons October 9 & 10.

ADAP lessons have been taught in more than 200 schools in 21 states, including Texas. The lessons provide information about depression and bipolar disorder, which are treatable medical illnesses. Students gain knowledge about symptoms of depression and the importance of seeking help from a trusted adult. ADAP lessons do not screen for depression or other mood disorders.

The national average between the onset of depression and an individual receiving treatment is eight years. Through ADAP lessons, students may be able to recognize the symptoms of depression in themselves or a friend with the hope of accessing treatment earlier.

Should you choose, you may exempt your child from ADAP lessons. To do so, please complete the ADAP Lesson Opt-Out Form no later than October 1st at 4pm. Should you have any questions about ADAP or the lessons, please contact your student’s school counselor.

**The opt-out form should only be completed if your student WILL NOT be participating in the ADAP lessons.**

To promote mental health awareness and reduce the stigma of seeking help for mental health concerns, the Leander ISD Counseling Services team is excited to continue the Mental Health Minute video series.

October Mental Health Minutes:

How to Respond to Meanness

What is Therapy?

Managing Conflict

Peer Pressure

Counselors and Asst. Principals are assigned alphabetically by STUDENT last name:

VHS Counselors

Kandice Detlefsen, Lead Counselor - A - Bo

DeAngelo Freeman - Br - Ep

Becca Ramirez - Er - H

Charity Escott - I - Mar

Tracy Noble - Mas - Pi

Shawna Powell - Pl - St

Melissa Wells - Su - Z

VHS Assistant Principals

Amanda Toon, Associate Principal - A - B

Becky Azard-Jackson - C - G

Parrish McEwen - H - Ma

Collin Fletcher - Mc - Sa

Delis Golden - Sc - Z

Additional Staff Contact Information

Katie Kendall - College and Career Transition Coordinator

Heidi Kalla - Dean of Instruction

Emily Rullan - Special Education Team Lead

Lori Tanner - 504 Coordinator

Alexandra Magness- IB Coordinator