• This Month's Topic: Bullying Prevention Month
• College & Career Corner
• Senior Year Checklist & XELLO instructions
• Class of 2025 Application Support
• A Day in the Life of a ...Mental Health Professional
• Post-Secondary Planning
• SAT, ACT, and PSAT Testing Info
• Scholarship Resources
• Financial Aid
• Trendy Trades - Paramedic/EMT
• Military: The Five Types of Military Service Academies
• Mental Health Resources
• Helpful Resources for Parents & Students
• School Counseling Department Directory

• UNITE: It is important to amplify the unified message that no one deserves to be bullied and all students deserve to feel safe and supported and to inspire everyone to act with kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.
• RAISE AWARENESS: Talking about bullying prevention helps build understanding. All schools, organizations, and communities are encouraged to widely share and post information about how to prevent bullying in their communities. Partners will be listed on PACER’s bullying prevention website and will have access to resources to get involved at their schools or in their community.
• LEARN: It’s empowering to know what to do when you see or experience bullying. Everyone can access the free web-based resources that can be used by schools, parents, and students to better understand opportunities to prevent bullying. Educational opportunities include interactive websites, classroom toolkits, and contests.
• TAKE ACTION: Actions have impact. Educators can access and share the free toolkits for student-led activities and downloadable posters and other visual displays, as well as bookmarks and other promotional items. Parents can visit PACER’s bullying prevention websites with their children. Communities can participate in Unity Day or Run, Walk, Roll Against Bullying events.

In early September, Seniors attending a presentation given by the High School Counselors in regards to the 12th grade college-bound checklist and instructions for students using XELLO and/or Common App for requesting transcripts and letters of recommendation.

Seniors have been invited to schedule a Senior Meeting with their counselor to discuss their post-secondary plans, the college application process, applying to trade schools, joining the military, and more!

Posted below are some of the materials shared with students during the initial meeting that can serve as references as they navigate through the college application process.

Students who need to obtain transcripts for college applications or scholarships must use the following form to give permission to the counselors to share the transcript and to waive the FERPA rights. The form needs to be submitted one time by a parent/guardian or the student, if over the age of 18:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfQjMYYK6GY98M0ZJMZ2psG114EZG-OeW0Mbd9naSF8Vk7qgQ/viewform

Senior students may request both transcripts from counselors and letters of recommendation from counselors and/or teachers. Xello integrates with the Common Application. Underclassmen were assigned lessons in Xello to complete either in Freshman Seminar or Social Studies classes. Click here to learn more about Xello. Students are reminded to ask teachers and others for recommendations before assigning them in Xello.

Click here for how to link your Common App and Xello accounts and begin requesting documents. Students will be asked to select their counselor from the drop down menu - this prompts a request for the secondary school report, which includes the transcript and the high school schedule, as well as a counselor recommendation. Teacher evaluation requests should not be sent to a counselor or a principal.

Once a student has begun to track a college application in Xello, they have the option to request a referrer write a recommendation letter to be sent to the institution if it's required for the application.Students are reminded to provide a resume to the referrer, as well as to ask them to write a letter before requesting in Xello. Click here to read more.Source www.help.xello.world

Students are encouraged to develop resumes. A resume template is available on students' XELLO dashboard . Your counselor and teacher(s) will need a copy of your resume in order to write letters of recommendation as needed this school year. To learn more recommendations and their importance in the admissions process, click here.

• Sca!olded and age-appropriate for learners of all abilities.
• Learning about fields of study, industries, and specific occupations.
• Creating short and long term goals to achieve post-graduation success.
• The reflection and development of one’s own interests, strengths, skills, values, and preferences.
• Recognizing that everyone’s pathway may be different, and determining what fit is best.
• Understanding the connection between school courses and the working world.

XELLO is the platform that students use during grades 9-11 to create mandatory Career Exploration artifacts as part of Freshman Seminar (grade 9) and Social Studies class (grades 10-11). Seniors then use XELLO as the online platform when applying to colleges & universities. Students may automcatically access XELLO by logging in through the HS website and their school Google account.

Occupation Profile for Mental Health Counselor

https://www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Careers/Occupations/occupation-profile.aspx?keyword=Mental%20Health%20Counselors&location=US&onetcode=21-1014.00

Become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in PA

https://www.pa.gov/en/agencies/dos/department-and-offices/bpoa/boards-commissions/social-workers-marriage-family-therapists-professional-counselors/professional-counselor-licensure-snapshot.html

Occupational Outlook Handbook

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/substance-abuse-behavioral-disorder-and-mental-health-counselors.htm

US News & World Report

https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/mental-health-counselor

Education Planner

Use the link to explore careers, search for the perfect school, learn about student aid, find grants and scholarships, identify your learning style, or plan a campus visit. A lot of valuable information for parents and students!

http://www.educationplanner.org/

Finding colleges and careers that are right for you doesn’t have to be stressful. Sign in to your dashboard for help planning for life after high school. https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/

Scholarships are added to the Scholarships folder in the School Counseling Resources group regularly throughout the year. Students are encouraged to peruse the folder....

Below, please use the links provided to learn more about scholarship opportunities for HS seniors.

Life after high school can be pricey and there is money out there to help ease the financial burden. Visit the school counseling office for a copy of the scholarship bulletin, or visit on-line on the high school website. Once the college applications have been submitted, students and parents should immediately turn their attention to researching scholarships. There is a great deal of scholarship money available for students, but it does require research! There are many free scholarship websites to find the money you need for college, some of which are:

Fastweb.com: https://www.fastweb.com/

Scholarship.com:https://www.scholarships.com/

The College Board: https://opportunity.collegeboard.org/?navId=aru-cbos

FinAid.Org: https://finaid.org/scholarships/

CSS Profile is requested by many private colleges. Click on the link for the list of universities who need this completed: https://profile.collegeboard.org/ profile/ppi/participatingInstitutions.aspx

Pay close attention to what each school requires from you once your application is submitted! It is important to be knowledgeable of the different scholarship programs available to high school students. If you have any questions, please feel free to request a meeting with your school counselor or contact the admissions counselor from your prospective college/university.

If you have a student in grades 9-11, consider signing up for RaiseMe. It is a micro-scholarship program. Completing a RaiseMe portfolio and following colleges could earn you scholarships for your achievements. If you attend a college that has committed to rewarding you, you will get that sum when you attend that college. Click here for more information.

CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW TO LEARN MORE!

Occupational Outlook Handbook

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/emts-and-paramedics.htm

US News & World Report

https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/emergency-medical-technician-and-paramedic

Community Colleges and Technical Schools offering EMT Training in PA

CCAC - https://www.ccac.edu/workforce-and-community/public-safety-institute/emergency-medical-services.php

WCC - https://westmoreland.edu/about/locations/public-safety-training-center/emt-course.html

PCT - https://www.pct.edu/business/workforce-development/healthcare-safety

ETA - https://www.emergencytraining.pro/

• U.S. Military Academy (Army), West Point, New York
• U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland
• U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado
• U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, New York
• U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, Connecticut

The Pennsylvania Student Assistance Program (SAP) is a systematic team process used to mobilize school resources to remove barriers to learning. SAP is designed to assist in identifying issues including alcohol, tobacco, other drugs, and mental health issues which pose a barrier to a student’s success. The primary goal of the Student Assistance Program is to help students overcome these barriers so that they may achieve, advance, and remain in school. This program is voluntary and confidential; if you are interested in your student being referred to SAP, please contact your school counselor.

If your teenage child is dealing with anxiety, depression or any other mental health concern right now, you're not alone. More than a year after the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) joined with other organizations to declare a national emergency in youth mental health, many teens are still struggling. Click here to learn more. source: healthychildren.org

Adults are often shaken and confused to learn that some young people choose to injure themselves. Parents may wonder if they have missed signs of self-harming behaviors or why their child chose to self-harm. Click here to read more. source: upmc.comhttps://share.upmc.com/2018/09/symptoms-of-self-harm/

Any time a student changes residences, an Inter-district transfer form accompanied by two pieces of evidence (driver's licence, lease/mortage agreement, utility bill, etc.) must be submitted to the Counseling Department. For more information or to facilitate this process, please contact Ms. Wrubleski, Counseling Secretary, at wrubleskim@cmsd.k12.pa.us. If you are moving out of District, contacting your new school right away to enroll your student ensures that there is no delay with records being obtained.

Every high school student is encouraged to join the School Counseling Resources group in Schoology! Resources including academic development, career development, employment, community service opportunities, scholarships and more can be found there! Students can join the group by using the following access code: DB7QW-K4WWP

Selective Service registration is required by law as the first part of a fair and equitable system that, if authorized by the President and Congress, would rapidly provide personnel to the Department of Defense while at the same time providing for an Alternative Service Program for conscientious objectors. By registering, a young man remains eligible for jobs, Federal student aid, State-based student aid in 31 states, Federally-funded job training, and U.S. citizenship for immigrant men. Registration begins at age 18. Click here to learn more and register.

Bullying Facts

Bullying Statistics

Cyberbullying

Teens Against Bullying

https://www.nacacnet.org/news--publications/newsroom/press-releases/nacac-update-coronavirus/#factors

https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register/test-center-closings

PA 529 Accounts

Keystone Scholars Program

CFPB Paying for College Tools

Student Aid Guide
Scholarship Tips

FAFSA Tipsheet

FSA ID Bookmark

https://www.nasfaa.org/covid19

https://www.pheaa.org/tools-resources/financial-aid-toolkit.shtml

https://www.pheaa.org/tools-resources/fafsa-toolkit.shtml

https://www.gwcfb.org/food-pantry-locations

https://foodcommunitybenefit.noharm.org/resources/implementation-strategy/connecting-food-insecure-individuals-resources

https://www.nutrition.gov/topics/food-assistance-programs

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html

https://www.sphs.org/

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/child-and-adolescent-mental-health/index.shtml

https://ymhproject.org/resources/

How parents can talk to their kids about suicide

Risk-of-Suicide

Risk and Protective Factors

Preventing Suicide Fact Sheet

Washington County Crisis Resources

Ms. Michelle Wrubleski wrubleskim@cmsd.k12.pa.us

(724) 745-1400 X 5019

Fax (724) 873-5173

A-F Mrs. Kara Buncic buncick@cmsd.k12.pa.us X 5022

G-L Mrs. Shadia DelVitto delvittos@cmsd.k12.pa.us X 5027

M-R Mrs. Julie Hughes hughesj@cmsd.k12.pa.us X 5020

S-Z Ms. Emma Harvey harveye@cmsd.k12.pa.us X 5021

Special Education & CTC Ms. Susan Humbertson humbertsons@cmsd.k12.pa.us X 5023

(724) 745-1400 - Phone Number (724) 873-5173 - Fax Number

Want to request a meeting with your school counselor? Please use the corresponding QR code to schedule a meeting with your counselor: