Welcome... Click Here for the Simsbury Department of Continuing Education Summer Brochure The Junior Parent/Student Post Secondary Planning Seminar will be held on Wednesday, September 23rd at 6:30 pm, in the auditorium. All parents and students are welcome to attend. Senior Parent/Student Financial Aid Night will be held on Tuesday, October 6th at 6:00 pm in the auditorium. All parents and students are welcome to attend. Parents are encouraged to call the guidance department with any questions regarding any programs. You are also invited to attend our Mini-College Fair on Wednesday, October 21st at 7:45am - 9:15 am in the high school gymnasium. Junior college planning seminars will be offered to juniors through their English classes in January. ____________ Guidance Services Welcome to Canton High School's Guidance page. The Guidance Department provides a program that is developmental in nature. This program is sequential and designed for all students. Students may meet with their counselor individually, in small groups or in a classroom setting. Counselors provide educational counseling, career planning, post-high school planning and personal counseling. Appointments Students may initiate a conference with their assigned counselor by making an appointment in the counselor's appointment book located in the Guidance Office. Counselors will also initiate conferences with students by sending them an appointment notification. Counselors will meet with all assigned students during the school year. Academic Counseling Academic counseling is available to all students to help them understand their individual strengths, to set goals, and to assist them in planning an appropriate program of studies. Counselors, teachers and parents will work together to support and encourage all students in reaching their full potential. Some of the areas in which a counselor may work with students and parents are: - planning a four-year high school program relevant to student's interests, abilities and post high school plans. - assisting students in selecting appropriate courses each year - checking each student's progress through a review of quarterly report cards and interim progress reports - counseling students experiencing academic difficulty and developing strategies for improvement, including referrals to various academic resources at the high school. - reviewing credit status leading to graduation - being available to meet with students and parents to review standardized test results. Career Advising Career advising is designed to help students begin the process of exploring various career options moving toward the ultimate goal of specific career selection. Recognizing that career development begins with self knowledge , the goal of many activities is to help students learn about themselves and, subsequently, to match this knowledge with information about the world of work. By senior year, students should have gained knowledge and experience to help them develop a general career direction. Counselors assist students in this process through the following activities: 1. orientation to the Career Center for ninth graders 2. individual and small group counseling at all grades 3. conferences scheduled with all juniors to develop post high school plans 4. review of high school program to insure that student's courses provide adequate preparation for potential career choices 5. use of Career Center resources including computer software, reference books and career pamphlets. 6. administration and interpretation of career interest inventories, aptitude assessments, career exploration resources 7. coordination of career development in conjunction with classroom teachers College Counseling College counseling is offered to all students seeking post-high school education. Designed to help students identify and clarify their abilities, interests and goals, college counseling assists students in making appropriate educational decisions. The formal college planning process begins with individual and group sessions in the junior year conducted by the school counselors. These sessions continue through the senior year. In order to assist students fully, the following activities will take place: - students will be encouraged to take interest inventories and complete career search assessments in a timely fashion - students will be encouraged to take appropriate standardized tests - students will be encouraged to utilize the facilities of the College and Career Center, which include computer-based college search programs college catalogs and video tours of college campuses - in the junior and senior year, students will have scheduled, mandatory appointments with their counselors - parents and students are encouraged to attend the mandatory college planning sessions in the junior and senior years. - students and parents will attend college nights, college fairs and financial aid programs, as appropriate - all juniors will receive a Junior Planning Book and regular informational letters regarding college planning - starting in the junior year, students will prepare drafts of their resume and college essay to assist in preparing for the college application process - parents are encouraged to complete and submit personal questionnaires about their child - counselors will write letters of recommendation for students - counselors will direct students to a variety of available resources about colleges - counselors will maintain a current state of knowledge about colleges by attending conferences, visiting colleges and meeting with college representatives. Personal Counseling Personal counseling is available to all students to assist them in managing the normal developmental issues which arise during adolescence . School counselors help students to enhance self-understanding and to learn effective problem solving skills so that they will be better equipped to deal with the variety of concerns that high school students encounter. Individual counseling sessions may be initiated by students, staff or parents. When warranted, referrals will be made to the school psychologist, school social worker or an appropriate community agency. Among the many issues that may be discussed are: Relationships Family situations Peer concerns Physical and sexual abuse Substance abuse Stress Transition Academic pressure Inappropriate behavior Communication issues Pregnancy The Local Scholarship Forms are now available. 1. Please print a copy and attach an activity sheet with a paperclip, not a staple! 2.Once you have completed the form and attached an activity sheet, you can return it to Mrs. Urko in the Guidance Office. 3. The deadline for applying for these scholarships is April 1st. 4. Click here to be taken to the scholarship page __________________________________________