Counseling Department Newsletter

The Neshaminy High School Counseling staff offers a variety of support services. Dedicated counselors work with students, families and staff to assist in the academic planning, college and career development and personal/social growth for each student. Our goal is to provide assistance, encouragement and support for students as they develop and prepare for their future. The resources offered through this site will assist students and their parents in gathering information on topics such as colleges, careers, scholarships, financial aid, and academic assistance.

Counselors will meet with their students throughout the course of the year to review their grades and develop an academic and college/career plan. If at any point you or your child would like to meet with their counselor before such meeting occurs, please encourage your child to make an appointment or call the School Counseling Office to schedule a meeting.

Counseling Office 215-809-6101 Transcript Office 215-809-6159/6161

Ms. Christina Savage (A-Brown) csavage@neshaminy.org

Mrs. Patience Burton (Bru-Dem) pburton@neshaminy.org

Mrs. Jill Ortman (Den-Ga) jortman@neshaminy.org

Mrs. Casey Rodgers (Gb-Jag) crodgers@neshaminy.org

Mr. Jeff McCaughey (Jah-Le) jmccaughey@neshaminy.org

Ms. Traci Hindle (Lf-Me) thindle@neshaminy.org

Mrs. Jennifer Coe (Mf-Pen) jcoe@neshaminy.org

Mr. Erik Styer (Peo-Sa) estyer@neshaminy.org

Ms. Catherine Bond (Sb-Ta) cbond@neshaminy.org

Mrs. Heather Krajcer (Tb-Z) hkrajcer@neshaminy.org

January 28, 2022- Last day of Marking Period 2

February 1, 2022- Families Connect Virtual Session on Resiliency

February 10, 2022- Parent & Student Course Selection Night

February 15, 2022- 11th Grade Course Selection

February 16, 2022- 10th Grade Course Selection

February 17, 2022- 9th Grade Course Selection

February 17, 2022- PHEAA Virtual Presentation

March 10, 2022- Financial Aid Tips & Tools for Juniors Presentation

Before School help is offered Monday-Thursday from 6:45am-7:10am located in the Media Center.

After School help is offered Monday-Thursday from 2:30pm-4:00pm located in the Media Center.

Come with a question and a teacher will help you!

If you haven’t paid for your AP Exams, please do so ASAP!

**If you are planning to opt out of your exam, you will be charged a $40 opt out fee for doing so after November 15th**

PLEASE GO TO https://user.totalregistration.net/AP/392145 TO PAY FOR YOUR EXAMS

A STEP BY STEP VIDEO IS AVAILABLE ON THE AP UPDATES CANVAS PAGE AND HERE https://neshaminy.instructuremedia.com/embed/91de5bdc-e84e-4c48-84f9-e13626887117

PLEASE CONTACT MRS. RODGERS WITH QUESTIONS crodgers@neshaminy.org 215-809-6101

It's that time of year! Course Selection allows students to plan their individual program of study. Planning an appropriate program of study involves close collaboration between students, parents, teachers, and school counselors. Please click the links below to learn more about Neshaminy High School's 2022-2023 Course Selection:

• Course Selection Timeline
• NHS Parent & Student Orientation Night
• Course Selection Handbook
• 9th Grade Course Selection Sheet
• 10th Grade Course Selection Sheet
• 11th Grade Course Selection Sheet
• 12th Grade Course Selection Sheet

Current Juniors who are interested in the Dual Enrollment program at Bucks County Community College must meet the following criteria:

-Cumulative GPA of 2.5
-Up to date with all graduation requirements (3 credits of English, 3 credits of Social Studies, 3 credits of math, 3 credits of Science, 1 credit of PE and .5 credit of Health)
-All students (regardless of GPA) must take the BCCC placement test

(If you are unsure about your eligibility, please reach out to your School Counselor)

Applications & more information for the program will be forth coming during Course Selection.

On Thursday, February 17th at 7:00 pm, PHEAA is doing a webinar: (a link will be sent to students via Canvas)

Borrowing for Education with Neshaminy High School

This one hour session will review costs associated with higher education, how to keep those costs low and the borrowing options available for balances. We’ll also include tips for making affordable choices and how borrowing relates to credit scores to create positive results. Presented by PHEAA’s (PA Higher Education Assistance Agency) experienced representatives, Linda Pacewicz, Dan Wray and Fran McKeown.

On Thursday, March 10th at 7:00 pm, Donna Wilkoski from BCCC will do an in-person presentation in the Neshaminy High School Auditorium.

Financial Aid: Tips and Tools for Juniors

This in-person session will review information about: completing the FAFSA, searching for scholarships and using financial aid/scholarship tools on the web. Presented by Donna Wilkoski, Director of Financial Aid at Bucks County Community College

Naviance Family Connections is a valuable tool for post-secondary planning. It allows students to explore their learning style, personality type, career interests and potential college plans. The college application process will also be mainstreamed through Naviance, allowing us to forward transcripts and letters of recommendation to colleges via eDocs. We encourage parents to become familiar with Naviance Family Connections and use it with their children. You can access your Naviance Family Connections page by going to: https://student.naviance.com/neshaminyhs

The SAT is a college admissions exam administered by the College Board to help aid colleges in the admissions decision process. The purpose of the SAT is to measure a high school student's college readiness, and provide colleges with one common data point that can be used to compare all applicants.

The ACT is a college admissions exam administered by ACT, Inc. to help aid colleges in the admissions decision process. The purpose of the ACT is to measure a high school student's college readiness, and provide colleges with one common data point that can be used to compare all applicants.

Branches of the military offer more than 1,600 different occupations. If you are considering the military as an option after high school, speak to representatives in each branch of the service to gain more insight of the demands and benefits each branch has to offer.

Reminder to all seniors to check the scholarship page on Naviance often for new scholarship opportunities. There are no limits to the amount of scholarships you can apply for. Don’t let “free money” pass you by!

• Make sure to pay attention to deadlines and specific instructions for each scholarship as they do vary. Scholarships are updated on a weekly basis, so make sure you are checking to see what has been added.
• To find scholarships, log into your Naviance account, click on the Colleges tab at the top of the screen, scroll over to the “Scholarships and Money” section and then click on “Scholarship Search.”
  

Attention Seniors: Click on the button below only if the college you applied to requests a mid-year report. **You will need to submit a separate mid-year request form for each college that requests a mid year report.**

This past December, Neshaminy had the privilege of hosting Dr. Michael J. Bradley for a dynamic discussion on the topic of “Supporting Today’s Overwhelmed Teens with Love, Laughter and the Science of Resilience”. He covered an array of topics including advice on how to connect with teen children and the 10 Tactics for Resilient Parenting. A link to handouts shared that evening as well as the taped recording of Dr. Bradley’s presentation, can be found using this link: neshaminy.org/familiesconnect

Next Event: Neshaminy’s next Family Connect event will be February 1st from 7-8:30pm via Zoom. Dr. Robert Brooks will be joining us for a live, free virtual session to continue our discussion of resiliency. He will be covering topics including:

• realistic expectations for ourselves and how to practice self-compassion
• the importance of empathy in understanding and responding to our children
• a sense of “personal control” that involves strengthening problem-solving and decision-making skills in ourselves and our children.
• To attend this event, you must register using this link: https://neshaminy.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_TL1Q9ohaT8iJt-mbybmMIg

Not sure how to have a conversation with a friend that may be in distress? Seize the Awkward is an organization that provides ways to navigate difficult conversations about anxiety, depression, grief and loss, etc. Learn more by clicking the link below:

https://seizetheawkward.org/conversation/starting-the-conversation

The Virtual Calming Room is a safe place for students and families to find strategies for managing emotions and feelings. Access our Virtual Calming Room by clicking the link below:

https://neshaminy.instructure.com/courses/31039/pages/virtual-calming-room