​BHS Guidance/Counseling Dept – Week of June 10, 2019

​ALL STUDENTS/PARENTS
 
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GRADUATES – CLASS OF 2019!
The BHS guidance counselors and staff are proud of you and wish you well in your next steps after Brookline High. Let us know how you are doing and please come back to visit!
 
Summer Sendoff in the BHS Guidance/Counseling College –Career Center  Room 279– Thurs 6/13. X block. Grab a snack and meet College Counselor Lenny Libenzon and Career Counselor Kate Cordner!
9th graders – be sure you can log into Naviance
10th graders – get advice about the best college testing schedule for you or learn about test-optional colleges
11th graders – get ideas to work on over the summer – application essay? Common App?
Learn about last-minute job opportunities in the Brookline area!
Find out more about the BHS Career Exploration Internship summer school course- see below for more details too!
 
6 more days of classes before finals begin… Check your Quarter 4 Progress Reports (IPRs) from Thurs May 23 to get updates on your student’s progress as we near the end of the school year and final exams. IPRs are found on the parent / student portal.

See the last full day of classes before finals schedule (June 17) attached.

End of year schedule for all students Grades 9-11:
Mon. 6/17 - Last day of classes; all blocks meet
Tue. 6/18 - Social Studies and Math Exams
Wed. 6/19 - English and Science Exams
Thu. 6/20 - Exam Make-up Day
Fri. 6/21 - Last Day of school; noon dismissal
 
Brookline High School's Summer School is a dynamic learning opportunity offering original credit, credit recovery and enrichment courses for students in grades 6-12. Summer School will be held at the Old Lincoln School (194 Boylston St) from July 1st - Aug 2nd. More information can be found in the course catalog. 
http://bhs.brookline.k12.ma.us/summer-school.html
 
The BHS Guidance Dept especially notes the new summer school course:
CAREER ED. PRE-INTERNSHIP & INTERNSHIP         
8:30-11:00               ½ credit
Internship - The Career Education Internship Experience offers students the opportunity to earn credit for successful performance at an unpaid internship.  Internships will be arranged with the support of the career counselor.
Pre-Internship - This introductory experience is for students who wish to develop job-related competencies that will prepare them for placement at an internship.  This career seminar course will students to reflect on their individual strengths, personality attributes, as well as their interests and values, and connect them to potential career paths.
Open to: BHS students (Rising 10-12 graders CAN receive BHS credit for this course)
 
Students in Grades 9-11 – Lunch Lounge will meet for the last time of this school year on Tuesday 6/11 in Room 279 – all 3 lunches – AND Friday June 14 in Room 277 – all 3 lunches.
BRING YOUR OWN LUNCH ON TUESDAYS!
Any student can join for one Tuesday or Friday lunch or become a regular. Pizza or sandwiches will continue at the Friday lunches only with small snacks available on Tuesdays .
 

The Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Relations has scheduled an Exploring Gender Diversity Forum for Town Employees, Brookline Commission and Board Members, as well as any interested members of the public on Wednesday June 19, Town Hall, 2:30-4:30 pm. This presentation and discussion will be led by Speak Out Boston https://www.speakoutboston.org/
 
Does a school culture of comparison add more stress and anxiety to our community? Is there a benefit to this culture? Do we want to change it? How do we support students to celebrate their post high school plans – no matter the college, community college, gap year, job, military next step - without feeling badly about what is the best fit for each individual?
Read this short article about how students in Palo Alto CA decided to take a stand –
https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2019/05/28/palo-alto-high-schools-student-newspaper-opts-not-to-publish-college-map#.XO-opS_wZEs.facebook
 
Thanks again to everyone who reads these updates from BHS Guidance! As mentioned previously, all new information and events coming up in the next week will be highlighted in red for easier reading. As BHS Guidance/Counseling Coordinator, I plan to continue these weekly updates for the 2019-20 school year. f you have any constructive feedback about these updates, please feel free to contact me individually at darby_neff-verre@psbma.org.
 
Graduates!

Looking for your yearbook? The message from the yearbook advisor says – contact either Sabrina McIntosh in the 3rd floor deans suite or Karen Kennedy, Yearbook Advisor, directly to get your ordered yearbook.
 
Note to all graduates heading to college next year…. The green transcript release form you needed to sign now allows us to send your final transcript to the college/university that you plan to attend. If you have not signed a green transcript  release form, please come to the Main Guidance Office Room 161 on Monday to complete this form. We plan to start sending all final transcripts out by Tuesday this week. Thank you for your cooperation as we support you in this next step!
 
JUNIORS
 
It’s time to complete and turn in your Brag Sheet (parents/guardians) and Junior Questionnaire (students). This information was shared with all juniors during seminars in February and March, also included in students’ junior seminar packets. Counselors request that these forms be returned to their offices by June 2019. Your cooperation supports counselors having details to write their counselor recommendation writing for college applications.
Thse documents are located on the BHS Guidance website and will be attached to the weekly guidance update email to each student.

Free/ less expensive ways to prepare for College Admissions Tests:
How to navigate FREE online college admissions Test Prep sites - Brought to you by the BHS Library and School Counseling Department
Attend any one of these introductions to free online test prep sources:
Who: BHS rising Seniors 
What: Students preparing for SAT, ACT, TOEFL, or AP tests
Where: BHS Library
When: June 13th, X Block, rm. 277
             After school June 12th, June 13th
             Wednesdays E Block, June 12th
See attached info on guidance updates for more details on how to access these resources or attend one of the sessions above.
 
BHS Summer School course-
COLLEGE TEST PREPARATION:          8:30-11:00 or 11:00-1:30          enrichment
PSAT/SAT and ACT Test Prep)\This course is designed to familiarize students with the newly revised Scholastic Aptitude Test of the College Entrance Exam Board (CEEB) and the American College Testing (ACT) exams. This class will focus on the SAT, but if many of the students are taking both tests (SAT & ACT) the course can become even more individualized for student’s preferences and needs.  Students will be provided with test taking skills, sample questions, and full-length tests.  Recommended for rising 11 and 12th graders.  With our specific instruction, students have achieved results comparable with those promised by private SAT/ACT prep courses. Session I and II verbal will present the same material. Session I and II math will present the same material. (Tuition includes the cost of the official College Board textbook).
Dates:         

Session I: 7/1 - 7/19          
SU0016-1        8:30-11:00 Verbal                
SU0016-2        11:00-1:30 Mathematics
         SessionII:7/22-8/2
                        SU0016-3         8:30-11:00 Mathematics        
SU0016-4        11:00-1:30 Verbal
 
College Board offers eight official SAT practice tests available for free, both online and on paper - https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/practice/full-length-practice-testsSFMC_cid=EM122966-&rid=46930439
 
Researching colleges? Wondering whether to take the SAT, ACT, or go test-optional? Thinking about when you should take these tests? Make an appointment with your counselor (email or leave a note, if needed) OR see Mr Libenzon, BHS College Counselor, in College-Career Center 279 or office 280