Join us in welcoming two new members to our department!

• Ms. Michelle Hoover is our new assistant and the friendly voice and face who will greet you when you call or visit the Counseling Center.
• Ms. Teri Calcagno is serving as full-time college advisor and has taken over college advising duties for one-third of the class of 2020 and soon, one-third of the class of 2021.

The College Board has made some significant changes to the AP exam registration process. An email was recently sent home to every parent/guardian of an AP student about how to register for AP exams administered at Jesuit in May 2020.

 

Families must submit payment for their student's AP exam(s) via the online payment form before 4:00 pm on November 7, 2019.

• $100 per AP exam
• $40 fee for late registration

 

If you have special circumstances, questions, or concerns, please contact Ken Potter.

We are excited to host a screening of the new documentary Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER: Uncovering Skills for Stress Resilience on December 4 at Jesuit High School.

 

Screenagers explores the science behind teens' emotional challenges, the impacts of social media, and what we can do about it.

 

Though this event is listed as a Freshman Parent Workshop on the calendar, the screening is open to ALL Jesuit families. Look for more information about this event as the date gets closer.

The Counseling Department routinely posts about interesting articles, college scholarship opportunities, reminders for upcoming college presentations, job/internship opportunities, summer enrichment experiences, and other helpful news on our Jesuit Counseling Twitter account. Visit our webpage to view our posts, or click here to follow us!

We were thrilled to see so many freshman parents at our first Freshman Parent Workshop of the year! The September 2019 workshop was centered around the book 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don't Do, written by Amy Morin. 

 

At each Freshman Parent Workshop, counselors typically provide parents with a book recommendation. At our September gathering we recommended the following books: The Teenage Brain by Frances E. Jensen and iGen by Jean M. Twenge.

After shepherding their own children through Jesuit, we asked some of our faculty for advice they would give to incoming parents. Here are some of their tips and tricks:

 

• Note the effort of your student, not the grade. If he or she is putting forth maximum effort, that will allow for growth.
• Help your student communicate with the teacher on his or her own. It is a lifelong skill.
• Read the daily announcements yourself.
• Turn electronics off at 10:00 pm every school night.
• If your student gets cut from one sport, encourage him or her to try another one. Many students end up excelling in a different sport than their middle school sport.
• Take the scenic route! Slow down and savor this time with your student.
• Avoid getting sucked into the friend drama. The kids can learn to work it out.
• Encourage your student to try new things and be supportive when they do.  
• Be aware of the all-school Mass days and make sure your growing young person has dress clothes and shoes that currently fit. Those dress-up days sneak up on you!
• Trust the process. The Jesuits have been educating young people for almost 500 years.

What's the best strategy for helping students finish their homework? Start it right! Students who begin a homework session with 5-10 minutes of "game-planning" are more likely to complete their homework with less stress and in a timely manner. Game-planning is a simple way to activate several important executive functions (brain processes that take projects from beginning to end, like organization, planning, time estimation, etc.).

 

To create a game-plan strategy, sit down with a piece of paper, iPad, or planner, and write out a plan for the day:

• What do I need to accomplish?
• How long do I estimate each task will take?

Once the list is complete, break each task into 25-minute "chunks" with a 5-minute break in between – that's your game plan! You can use this form or create your own.

 

Want more homework tips? Check out this article! And remember: phones should be in another room during active homework sessions.

Upcoming College Planning Events

November 13 – PIP: College Admissions Testing Presentation

January 23 – College Planning Night for Juniors and Parents

 

Upcoming Test Dates

December 7 – SAT & SAT Subject Tests

December 14 – ACT

 

SAT English Prep

Need additional help preparing for the upcoming SAT? An SAT English Prep Class will be offered at Jesuit High School in advance of the December 7th SAT. Click HERE for additional information and registration.

 

Accessing Practice Test Scores

PSAT Score Reports are accessible through a student's College Board account (click HERE for instructions on setting up an account). Students who provided an email address on their PSAT answer sheet receive instructions from The College Board on how to access their score reports. Test booklets are returned to students in class in December of sophomore year and junior year. The Counseling Center can provide a copy of a student's PSAT scores upon request.

 

PreACT Score Reports are mailed to Jesuit and returned to students in class in May of sophomore year. Students also received their test booklet at this time. Click HERE for a video explaining how to understand PreACT scores. The Counseling Center can provide a copy of a student's PreACT scores upon request.

Did You Know? Registered nurses make up the largest health care occupation with 2.5 million jobs. They outnumber physicians by more than four to one and are involved in just about every type of health care service.

 

The four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) prepares students to work in a wide range of health care settings. Registered nurses can design, manage and coordinate care. Admission to a BSN program may vary from Pre-Nursing to Direct Entry which allows students to apply as a senior in high school. Direct Entry can be very competitive. Colleges are often looking for students to demonstrate an understanding of nursing in addition to strong math and science skills. Students who are interested in nursing should consider volunteering in a health care setting while in high school.