September Counseling Newsletter

We hope everyone had a fun and restful summer break! We are excited to begin the 2025-2026 school year! The counseling department is here to support students with academic, college/career and personal/social concerns. Please be sure to reach out when needed and take a moment to review this newsletter which will be shared in Mr. Covert's BULLetin and updated monthly. Looking forward to a great year ahead!

Counselor Caseloads:

Ms. Slezak- Last names A-E

Ms. Zegers-Last names F-Le

Ms. Sanacore- Last names Li-R

Ms. Jahries- Last names S-Z

Ms. Kovack- College and Career

***Counselor Update

Exciting news! Ms. Sanacore will be on maternity leave this fall. If she is your counselor, your assignment will be temporarily adjusted as follows:

• Ms. Slezak: Students with last names A–E and N–O
• Ms. Zegers: F–L and P–Q
• Ms. Kovack: M
• Ms. Jahries: R–Z

Student Records: Cathy Schene cschene@bcps.org

Office Secretary: Janie Bennett jbennett4@bcps.org

1. Make an appointment through Microsoft Bookings (can be found in counselors email signature or by scanning QR code below).

2. Come to the counseling office and schedule an appointment with your counselor through the counseling secretary, Ms. Bennett

3. Send your counselor a Schoology message to request an appointment.

Many of our seniors are beginning to complete their college applications. There is a lot of excitement and also some stress that comes with this time. We are here to support you every step of the way. The first thing all students applying to college MUST do is complete the Required Senior Planning Information. This includes:

• Resume
• Parent Reflection
• Transcript Release Form (also known as the “green paper”)
• Recommendation Letter Brag Sheet (submitted through your caseload counselor’s link)

We strongly recommend getting started on these ASAP if haven't already begun.
All materials should be submitted no later than September 19th.

📌 Please Note: You will not be able to meet with your school counselor until all of this information is received.

Once complete, students should turn them into the counseling office and then they will be able to make their senior planning appointment with their counselor.

Information about letters of recommendation!

Students who have contacted teachers can add/send requests for their (2) teacher recommendations. Note this is in addition to selecting the school counselor. Ms. Sanacore's seniors should select the counselor assigned to them for senior planning.

Questions about Xello? Please refer to the Xello folder under "Resources" in the class Schoology group. This folder will be updated regularly!

1. One on one meetings with counselor in the fall

2. College Bootcamp sessions everyday during enrichment

3. Classroom lessons through English classes in September

Senior College Information Night: Took place on Thursday, September 11th at 6pm. See attachments below for a copy of the presentation and resources shared.

Financial Aid Information Night: BCPS will be hosting multiple in person and online sessions in lieu of each high school having their own night. Date TBA

FAFSA Help Sessions:

We will offer a couple times for parents to come into the school and have support with completing the FAFSA. These dates are TBD. Stay tuned! Keep in mind, the FAFSA will open on October 1, 2025

The School Counseling Department would like to remind parents/guardians to be sure to access to our career and college planning tool called Xello (zell-o). Xello resources will be integrated into school counseling lessons in grades 9-12 and is an essential tool for the college application process. Students already have access to Xello through the apps portal in BCPS.

Be on the lookout for an email shortly with an invitation and directions from Xello to link to your child's Xello account if you haven't linked already. It's not spam or junk mail. Once linked, you will be able to view your child's activities like survey results and/or career and college related information. The invitation expires 7 days after it's sent so, please link your account as quickly as possible. See attached for more information. If you have any questions, feel free to contact your child's school counselor. Thank you!

The Counseling Department will store important information in each class Schoology group under the "Resources" tab on the left. Simply click on the purple School Counseling folder to access relevant resources for each grade level (i.e. appointment information, senior packet, etc...)

Hereford High School will again be hosting a College and Career Fair. Be sure to save the date of Wednesday, November 12th during periods 1, 2 and enrichment. Last year, we hosted approximately 50 different college, career and military representatives to speak with our students. We are excited to host this awesome event again!

If your student would like to attend, they must see Mrs. Kovack for a permission form and registration details.

Join us for the CCBC Open House at the Essex Campus on Saturday, October 11, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Click on the link below for more information and to register.

On behalf of the West Point Directorate of Admissions, you are invited to an admissions briefing in your local area!

What: Pennsylvania Service Academy info session discussing West Point and other service opportunities.

When: 6 PM – 9 PM (Doors open at 5:30pm) on Thursday, October 30th, 2025

Where: Robert Morris University
UPMC Events Center
6001 University Blvd
Moon Twp, PA 15108

Who: Students with an open admissions file, students interested in applying to West Point and ROTC in the future, School Counselors, and ROTC/JROTC Staff.4

RSVP here!

This event will be hosted by the Pennsylvania Admissions Representatives of West Point, USNA, USAFA, USCGA, and USMMA. Representatives from each organization will be present at the event to answer any questions.

Counselors will be visiting the classrooms in the month of September.

9th grade: Counselor introductions and information about how the counselors support students

12th grade: Post-high school planning and the college application process.

9th/10th Grade Post High School Planning Parent Night - October 9th @6pm

12th grade Senior College and Career Information Night- September 11th @6pm

Raising a child is a shared journey and knowing how to access local resources can empower families to thrive. This session explores how community programs, support services, and partnerships can provide essential help and connection for young families as well as how early education settings can build community. Participants will learn how to build support networks with other families, teachers, and parents and access resources that promote school readiness and family stability.

Presented by Dr. Keisha Wizzart, the Center for Family Success

Registration required.

When?

Friday, Sep 5, 2025, 12:30 PM

Where?

Virtual

Workshop description coming soon.

Presented by MiVida Parham, Coordinator, College, Career, and Technical Education

Attendees will learn about Career and Technology Education pathways in BCPS, including the benefits, application, and admission processes.

Registration required.

When?

Wednesday, Sep 10, 2025, 12:30 PM

Where?

Virtual

Parents and students will have a better understanding of social media, online communities, issues of security and the pitfalls of what can be encountered online. A Baltimore County Police detective will share new and old trends involving computer and cell phone applications and will present examples from cases where the detective has been involved.

Presented by Joe Dugan, Internet Safety Specialist, Maryland State Police, ICAC Task Force

Registration required.

When?

Thursday, Sep 25, 2025, 06:30 PM

Where?

Virtual

When-Sept 17th @ 5:30pm (virtual)

Meet with Admissions and learn how to earn college credit while in high school, as well as how to make college affordable through our Early College Access Programs (ECAP). This virtual info session is great for high school students who want to jumpstart their college career. Parents are welcome too!

We will be meeting online through Microsoft Teams. Link and directions will be included in your confirmation email.

Alateen Meeting: For teens who are affected by another's drinking

First and Third Wednesday Nights

7pm

Grace Fellowship Campus

74 E. Forrest Ave. Shrewsbury PA

Room 861

contact: shrewsburyalateen@gmail.com

AlAnon: For adults affected by someone else's drinking.

Meet in the cafe at the same time