Cypress Falls Counseling Department

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Cypress FallsCounseling Department

• Safety
• Openness
• Academics
• Recognitions

Junior Guidance Lesson 2006-2007
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Your Counselors and Assistant Principals
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How to See Your Counselor

• Equal Access
• Sign-up at Counselors Corner
• Be specific on counselor request form
• Sign-in and out of counselors office
• Come without a pass/leave without a pass

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Counselors Corner

• Check often for new information
• Provide information about
• programs
• opportunities
• scholarship bulletin
• SAT/ACT
• Visit with counselor
• various aspects of high school
• learn about your responsibilities

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Counselors Can Help

• Safety
• No harassment policy
• Tell an adult (teacher, counselor, assistant
  principal) if youre being harassed
• Crisis
• a life threatening situation
• Tell an adult immediately
• Confidentiality danger or threat to you or
  others

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Schedule Changes

• Second Semester
• Schedule changes due to balancing
• Be flexible and expect a change
• Elective changes for second semester - request to
  see counselor now
• Changes only can be made during first 3 weeks of
  semester
• Texas State Law mandates 90 attendance
• Invalid reasons for schedule changes
• Checking out and into classes.

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K-Level Changes

• 3 weeks and 6 weeks
• Require teacher/parent approval/notification
• Ds and Fs in K level - automatic removal
• Again, always check out of previous teachers
  class before checking into new class when changes
  are made

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Graduation Requirements

• Required and Elective Credits
• 22 - Minimum
• 24 - Recommended
• TAKS Tests
• Exit Level - 11th Grade required for graduation
• Junior TAKS
• February 20 - English/Language Arts TAKS
• April 18 - Math TAKS
• April 19 - Science TAKS
• April 20- Social Studies TAKS

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Texas Grant

• State program that gives free money to help with
  college tuition and fees at Texas public colleges
• Requires Recommended or Distinguished High School
  program
• Must demonstrate financial need to receive Texas
  Grant money

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College Entrance Exams

• THEA - Texas Higher Education Assessment (new
  name for TASP)
• Must take prior to any collegiate-level courses
  at public colleges only
• May be exempt from testing if SAT/ACT score
  qualifies (check in the THEA booklet)
• ACT, SAT I II - Measures how well students have
  developed academic skills that are necessary for
  college work

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College Entrance Exams Continued

• Community colleges do not require the SAT/ACT
• Most 4 year universities require the SAT/ACT
• Only highly selective universities require the
  SAT II
• Its your responsibility to find out which tests
  your colleges require
• We recommend taking your first SAT in the Spring
  of your 11th grade year (March)

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PSAT

• Tests skills youll need for college
• This test...
• assesses your skills in verbal reasoning,
  mathematical reasoning, and writing
• gives you practice for the SAT
• is the qualifying test for the National Merit
  Scholarship
• Test Date - October 18th
• Registration at Counselors Corner
• Listen for registration info on announcements!

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Transcripts

• Permanent academic record
• Seen by colleges, employers, the military
• Whats on the transcript?
• Semester grades
• GPA
• Class Rank
• Attendance
• Standardized test scores - TAKS, SAT, ACT
• AP scores added only by student request

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Junior Conferences

• Begin in mid-October and continue throughout the
  year
• Individual conference with your counselor to
  discuss
• Transcripts
• Rank/GPA
• College/post-secondary options
• Check credits

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Grade Point Average (GPA)

• GPA is cumulative by semester
• Each year of high school is important
• First semester GPA can be seen in February prior
  to registering for next years classes
• Class Rank and GPA for this school year can be
  seen in Fall 2006

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Grade Points

• K Level
• A 7
• B 6
• C 5
• D 4
• F 0

• Regular Level
• A 6
• B 5
• C 4
• D 3
• F 0

• Honor Graduates - Three Levels
• Summa Cum Laude - 6.5 GPA or higher
• Magna Cum Laude - 6.25 GPA or higher
• Cum Laude - 6.0 GPA or higher

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Earning Credits

• How is Semester Grade calculated?
• 1st Six Weeks Grade - added twice
• 2nd Six Weeks Grade - added twice
• 3rd Six Weeks Grade - added twice
• Semester Exam - counts as 1/7 of the semester
  grade

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What Happens if I Fail a Semester?

• Year Long Courses
• Failing 1st semester, passing second semester
• First and Second semester must average to a 70 or
  above
• Example 60 80 70 (you get 1 credit)
• Failing 2nd semester, passing first semester
• You only earn 1/2 credit
• Example 80 60 1/2 credit
• You must attend summer school or take credit by
  exam

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Options for Gaining Credit

• Summer School
• Cost 150 per semester, 300 per one credit
• Information available in April 2007
• Night School HCC www.hccs.edu
• Cost the same as summer school
• Correspondence
• Texas Tech or UT Austin
• You pay for tuition and books
• 125 or more per semester
• Can only earn 2 credits by correspondence course

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Options for Gaining CreditContinued

• Zero Hour
• sign-up in February if available
• District Credit By Exam
• 30.00 per test
• take at Windfern High School
• Make-up credit - can test only two times
• Original credit - can test one time

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Counselor Recommendation

• Allow at least 3 weeks (not including holidays
  and weekends)
• Dont wait until the due date to send you
  information - the earlier, the better!!
• Give counselor a stamped, addressed envelope to
  send the recommendation to the organization(schol
  arships, special programs, etc)
• Recommendation packet neededyou can pick up
  packet at counselors corner!!

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College Night

• Wednesday, October 4th...600 - 900 pm
• Berry Center

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In Closing

• Eleventh grade is the year to
• Continuing improve grades and study habits
• Get involved or continue involvement in clubs and
  organizations
• Continue volunteering or begin volunteering in
  the community
• Continue building a portfolio
• Begin/Continue researching colleges and
  universities
• Take SAT/ACT Tests
• Think about teachers who will be willing to write
  recommendation letters