Counselor Connection

We hope this finds you rested, rejuvenated and ready for the new year ahead!!! The School Counselors were busy this past Fall entering 10th and 11th grade classrooms with the focus of college and career exploration. Copies of these presentations can be found in their "Class of" Schoology Page under the Counseling Center folder. We have already started our course selection process with 9th through 11th grade students, which will take us right up until Winter Recess in February.

Our Winter Edition Newsletter will include:

• School Counselor Assignment Chart
• Course Selection Process
• EMCC & New Visions
• Senior Section & College Application Resources
• Financial Aid/Scholarship Resources
• Junior Section & Naviance Resource
• SAT/ACT Information (Including Digital SAT Test Day Resources)
• College and Career Center
• Upcoming Events
• Additional Resources

As always, please don't hesitate to reach out to your student's Counselor with any questions!

The Counseling Team

Counselors have been meeting 1:1 with 9th - 11th grade students starting the week of 12/8. We will continue to do so up until just before Winter Recess in February. Students should be prepared with ideas for classes they plan to take next school year. Counselors will review status toward graduation and requirements, as well as discuss students' future career plans. These thoughtful conversations and student course requests lead to the Master Schedule being created. Changes made after these meetings (specifically after the end of the year) may not be able to be honored due to class sizes and staffing availability.

Students have received a calendar invitation in their Outlook accounts for their meetings.

Please take time to review the Course Catalog below to browse the extensive list of comprehensive offerings available to students!

Attention Sophomores: are you interested in participating in a vocational program during high school? Interested students have already attended the first visit to the Eastern Monroe Career Center (EMCC) on December 12, 2025. The second visit was on February 6, 2026. Please note, you only need to attend one (1) visit.

EMCC offers 2-year programs for Junior and Senior year. Students participating attend IHS for half the school day and are transported to EMCC for their vocational programming. Student schedules are built to complement their specific programming to ensure all graduation requirements are met.

Sign-ups are in the College and Career Center with Ms. Cook. Students will be asked to choose two programs to visit - use the EMCC Program Guide below to view more information!

For students who plan to apply after they have visited, please make sure to complete and submit the application form by Wednesday, February 11th. Applications can be found in the College and Career Center.

Please be advised, there are a limited number of EMCC spots available. It is imperative that applications are turned in on time to go through the review process. NO STUDENT is guaranteed a spot at EMCC and decisions are determined based on the rubric attached to the applications.

Seniors should be wrapping up their college applications and working with their Counselors on any questions during the process. Please monitor individual college deadlines and make sure to allow twelve (12) school days to process transcript and letter of recommendation requests. Materials and resources can be found in the Senior Class of 2026 Newsletter!

On Monday, October 6th during the first hour of Open House, Counselors held their annual College Application Night for Senior students and families. School Counselors presented information regarding the application process. Missed the event? Here is a link to the recording!

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) may help students attend colleges and/or programs with financial assistance. This link will take you to the Federal Student Aid (FSA) website. This website is used to complete the FAFSA as well as create an FSA ID which both student and parent need to electronically sign the FAFSA before submitting.

The SUNY website has useful information to help you complete your FAFSA, including virtual Workshops. Click on the photo below to register!!!

The College Scholarship Service or CSS profile is an online application used by colleges and scholarship programs to award non-federal institutional aid, and is required by some colleges/universities to be completed in addition to the FAFSA. This form is available now through the following link. Please check the individual college requirements to determine if this is something your student needs to complete.

3 Areas of Focus:

• Researching colleges, military options, or school to work opportunities (trades, trainings, etc.)
• Registering for SAT's and/or ACT's (see below for more information)
• Stay on top of academics - this is the final year of grades going in to the overall Grade Point Average (GPA) for college applications

Naviance is our college and career exploration program. Students are exposed to Naviance each year to work on different components of the post-high school planning process. Some features to note:

• Résumé Builder
• Career Exploration
• College Search Options
• "Favoriting" a school (clicking the ❤️) on a school adds it to the "Colleges I'm Thinking About" list which identifies students to notify for college rep visits
• Tracking Colleges/Universities of Interest

*Students also utilize Naviance in Senior year for the application process including requesting letters of recommendations from teachers and keeping their list of schools applying to.

TO ACCESS NAVIANCE:

On student laptop - Launch Google Chrome Browser

Click "Clever" App

Click "Log in with Microsoft"

Click "Naviance" App

Explore!

Below are the upcoming Spring test dates. Please keep in mind that the SAT is now in digital format and there will no longer be physical hard copies of the exams. Students will be expected to bring their device (school or personal) with them on test day. Some Juniors already have experience with this if they took the PSAT in October.

*Please note that late registration deadlines require an additional fee.

We've added some links with helpful test day information and how to prepare for you to review as you register for the exams. This will be important given the shifts to digital - it is mandatory to have the Blue Book app downloaded on your device prior to test day.

Spring dates and registration links/deadlines can be found below!

Click on the graphic below to register!

*Please note we are not a National Test Center for the 25-26 school year. Your student can choose other area schools to test at. Click on the graphic below to register!

Make sure to visit our College and Career Center to work with Mrs. Bucciarelli in all things career planning! She supports students with their career exploration through job shadowing/volunteer experiences and connecting students with local business and organizations. Students can earn credit for working through our popular Work Study programming. Keep your eye out for Future Friday events where businesses from the area come to meet with our students during lunch periods. Learn more through the Career Connections Newsletter!

Are you interested in healthcare but not sure where to begin? Are you a Junior or Senior interested in a paid internship with St. Ann's home next semester? Do you have a good attendance record and at least a 2.5 GPA? See Mrs. Bucciarelli in the Career Center to learn about a new opportunity.

Please see "Additional Resources" below for further information about our Substance Abuse Prevention Counselor.

See something? Say something! Safe School Hotline is an annonymous tip line to report any concerns regarding student well-being and safety in WISCD.

If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, these resources are available 24/7 to provide immediate help!

Call 211

If you need assistance locating long-term mental health resources, talking through a problem, or exploring mental health treatment options, call 211 to speak with a live person who can help.

• 211 conversations are confidential, can be made anonymously, and are available in 180 languages upon request.
• If you prefer to text, use web chat, or search for resources online, click here to find more ways to contact your local 211.

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Dial 988 or 1-800-273-8255 for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. 988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (now known as the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline). When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing Lifeline network. These trained counselors will listen, understand how their problems are affecting them, provide support, and connect them to resources if necessary.

New York State Crisis/Text Line

Text GOT5 to 74171

The Trevor Project (Confidential and free LGBTQ crisis line):

Suicide Hotline - 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678678

TrevorChat

Nicole Corcimiglia, Substance Abuse Prevention Counselor

Below is a referral form for anyone who may be interested in connecting with Mrs. Corcimiglia or referring someone to get some support in working with her:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=2jBOXgFFtk-7qhRfh908zVtnmXf0CoJOpMmJZVQtCb1UQk83REJERVlEUk01T1BPOTY0N1Q3WlkzUi4u

If you're looking to connect with an outside therapist or counseling provider, Psychology Today is an excellent resource to search for local providers that accept your insurance. Click this link below to visit their website and start your search!

Please see attachments below for additional mental health resources in the community.