CLASS OF 2015 COUNSELING WEBPAGE - Freshman Counselor: Mrs. Kelly Dutmers
Class of 2015, welcome to the 4th quarter of your freshman year! It's time to get prepared for the end of freshman year as the 4th quarter will end May 29 and 2nd semester exams will occur May 30-June 1. Exams will be here before you know it, complete your homework thoroughly, turn it in on-time and study for exams well in advance. You will finish freshman year strong and on the path for college!
Appointments and Availability
If you need to see me for any reason, please stop in the Counseling Office before or after school or during your free period. If I am unavailable, please leave a note with Mrs. Smith, and I will be in touch with you as soon as I can. If you don’t leave a note, I don’t know you need to see me.
If you are unable to stop by during the day, please send me an e-mail and I will send you a pass to come see me, if possible the following day. My e-mail address is kdutmers@saintviator.com.
I am available in person, by phone, or by e-mail from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday- Friday. If I am unavailable, I will do my best to get back to you as soon as possible. If you need immediate assistance, please contact Mrs. Smith in the Counseling Department at x261.
Communicating with Students- School Policy
If a student needs to e-mail me, from their personal e-mail address, I ask they also copy a parent on the e-mail. When I respond to all student e-mails, I will respond to the student and copy the parent as well. All student-counselor communication, via e-mail, must also include one parent.
If you need to see me about an immediate concern, please stop in the Counseling Office during your free period or before or after school. If I’m not here, please leave a note and I’ll get in touch with you as soon as possible. If you are having difficulties in a class, please make an appointment to see your teacher. Meeting with them outside of class time is often very beneficial. They are your best resource and would love to help you! If you are experiencing the same problem in multiple classes, please see me and we’ll try to figure out what’s going on.
CONSTITUTION TEST REQUIREMENT (CLASS OF 2015)
During the summer between freshman and sophomore year, students will independently complete the Constitution packet as a summer reading project. Packets are due by the first day of the school year. The tests will be given in August on the date designated on the school calendar. Students must pass both Constitution tests by the last day of the second semester of their sophomore year. Students who do not meet this deadline will be ineligible to participate in cocurricular and athletic activities until the tests are passed.
A few strategies to help your child be successful freshman year
AGENDA: students will use their student agenda to keep assignments organized and track when tests will given so that you have enough time to study for them. Give yourself a few days in advance to study for an exam! Effective use of the student agenda is also a portion of your grade in most of your classes!!
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND MAIL: Pay close attention to daily announcements in homeroom and receive homeroom mail. This is when you may receive your Counseling Slip to see me.
STUDY: Develop effective study habits. There are a few great tips to follow in your student agenda.
NEED HELP? Seek out your teacher for help. Your teacher will be your best resource for figuring out what you could be doing better in your class.
ACADEMIC RESOURCES: Familiarize yourself with the academic resources within the school: your teachers, your counselor, the library, the Writing Lab (located in the back of the library), and the Math lab (located on the 2nd floor in the Math wing. Should you need a peer tutor, see me in the Counseling Office.
GRADES: Realize that freshman grades do count! They will be on your high school transcript that you send to college your senior year.
COUNSELING: Meet with me, your counselor to discuss your transition to high school and any concerns you may have.
COMMUNITY SERVICE: Commit to at least 25 hours of Community Service, which is required for your Freshman Year. Campus Ministry will have a booklet which lists the three categories your service hours must incorporate over the next four years.
CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Get involved in co-curricular activities. At the beginning of the school year, you will attend the Club fair on Wednesday, September 7. Freshman year is a great year to get involved in our school community - you will meet new friends, learn new things, and start building your resume for college.
4-YEAR COURSE PLAN: This is something you will complete with me in Counseling this year during the second semester. Think about what courses you may be interested in taking as electives junior and senior years. The curriculum guide is a great place to start looking at course descriptions and prerequisites.
WHO AM I AND WHAT ARE MY INTERESTS? First, get to know yourself. What subjects do you like? What outside activities give you pleasure? This is something to think about since you will be able to start choosing electives your Junior year. Your interests can give you some insight towards what types of careers you may be interested in. Before exploring a career or college Major, I recommend attending a summer enrichment program at a college in the area you would like to explore. Come see me in the Counseling Office for more information.
NAVIANCE - COLLEGE COUNSELING: Explore Naviance / Family Connections, which is our Career and College Counseling program. See me in the Counseling Office to get yourself signed up.
CAREERS: Explore future options. Talk to people about their careers. Talk to older students who are in college. Ask them what they would have done differently in high school. Talk with your teachers about your future. Ask them what college they attended. Ask them why they went into the career they did.
NEED ACADEMIC HELP?
Seek out extra academic assistance with one of our labs. Please see the information below related to our three academic labs:
- MATH LAB: available 7:20 AM, all periods of the day in the math department
- WRITING LAB: available all periods in the library
- MODERN LANGUAGE LAB 7:30 AM on the second floor
NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY
Students are selected to NHS after the first semester of their junior year, while some students may be considered after the second semester of their junior year. Students are selected by demonstrating excellence in four areas: scholarship (93% or higher at the end of their fifth and/or sixth semester), leadership, service, and character. For more information, please look on page 11 of the student handbook. Mrs. Dutmers (kdutmers@saintviator.com) is the moderator for NHS if you have any questions.
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