The holiday season can be one filled with laughter, family, and holiday cheer, but for others it can be a time of heightened anxiety, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), grief and depression. Gift buying, homework completion, exam preparation, family dynamics, and the hustle and bustle of the season all add to these feelings. Stress and feelings of sadness happen to everyone regardless of season, but for some this time of year yields a much higher intensity of these feelings and moments. Being aware and having open dialog with your teen is important if you are sensing they are struggling with any of these particular emotions. There are also resources available to assist you with managing these feelings and your teen.
During the school year the question of how much sleep is enough and what the impacts of high school students who don't get enough sleep night to night comes up regularly. Not only is it such a necessity with daily functioning, but it impacts learning, behavior, emotional regulation, and overall productivity.
Here are some suggestions that may be helpful if you are tired of always feeling sleepy:
Have a relaxing bedtime routine. Always fall asleep in your bed, and not in front of the television. At bedtime, your room should be cool, dark and quiet.
On weekends, no matter how late you go to bed, try to get up within 2 hours to 4 hours of your usual wake time. This is especially important if you have trouble falling asleep on Sunday nights
Try to be in your bed with the lights out at least 8 hours per day. Many teens need 9 hours or 10 hours to not feel sleepy during the day.
Try to go to bed at about the same time every night.
Open the curtains or turn on the lights as soon as you get up in the morning.
Get exercise every day, but avoid very hard exercise in the evening.
Make sure you are not overscheduled. Have you taken on more than you can do? Do you still have some time for fun and getting enough sleep?
Avoid all products with caffeine (coffee, tea and colas) after mid-afternoon.
Avoid napping during the day. If you do, keep it short (less than 30 min). Definitely do not nap after dinner.
Have a light snack (such as a glass of milk) before bed.
Use your bed for sleeping only. Do not do homework, watch television or spend time talking on the phone while in your bed.
Avoid using any products to help you sleep (including herbal products or over-the-counter sleep aids).
The level of stress that students experience throughout their high school careers and beyond is something many struggle with managing. Skill building in this area is something many adults, educators, and professionals are finding to be extremely helpful in supporting this attempt to manage stress, stay present, and be more productive overall within a school setting. There are a lot of great apps, techniques and general information regarding this topic and how it can assist your student more successfully function day to day.
Mindfulness and meditation have been proven to be effective in developing kindness and compassion.
Meditations that center around compassion lead to changes in area of the the brain associated with empathy and result in an increase in altruistic behavior. (Source: Compassion Can Be Cultivated in the Brain, Study Finds 2013)
Stop, Breathe, and Think: Free web and mobile app for youth, with meditations for mindfulness and compassion
Calm.com: Free website and mobile app with guided meditation and relaxation exercises
Insight Timer: Free mobile app with virtual “bells” to time and support your meditations
MindShift: Free mobile app for teens developed by AnxietyBC, with mindfulness and other coping skills for anxiety
Smiling Mind: Free mobile mindfulness app for young people, from Australia
Headspace: “Meditation made simple.” This app has a free introductory period, after which it requires a paid subscription to continue to use.
Books/Resources
Gina M. Biegel, The Stress Reduction Workbook for Teens: Mindfulness Skills to Help You Deal with Stress (Instant Help Books, 2009)
Joseph V. Ciarrochi, Louise Hayes, and Ann Bailey, Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life for Teens: A Guide to Living an Extraordinary Life (Instant Help, 2012)
Mark C. Purcell and Jason R. Murphy, Mindfulness for Teen Anger: A Workbook to Overcome Anger and Aggression Using MBSR and DBT Skills (Instant Help, 2014)
Christopher Willard, Mindfulness for Teen Anxiety: A Workbook for Overcoming Anxiety at Home, at School, and Everywhere Else (Instant Help, 2014)
Christopher Willard and Mitch Abblett, Growing Mindful: A Deck of Mindfulness Practices for All Ages (Growing Mindful Games, 2015). A deck of cards with short mindfulness practices to “cultivate mindfulness on the go.” Available here and here.
I hope that everyone enjoyed their summer and is excited for the 2017-2018 school year at Silver Lake. I thought I would welcome you back with some upcoming events from the Guidance Department.
Senior Parents Breakfast - 9/8/17 @ 7:45am in the LGR Back to School Night - 9/14/17 @ 5:00pm - 7:00pm Sophomore Parents Breakfast - 9/15/17 @ 7:45am in the LGR
Junior Parents Breakfast - 9/22/17 @ 7:45am in the LGR
College Fair - 10/3/17 @ 6:30pm at Silver Lake Regional High School Parent Teacher Conferences - 10/5/17 @ 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Financial Aid Night (Senior Parents) - 10/11/17 @ 6:30pm in the LGR
Stay tuned for further details on each event as we get a bit closer. Also don't forget to check our Guidance website and follow us on Twitter @SL_Guidance.
Wishing you a successful start to the school year!
The summer vacation time is a great time to relax, enjoy being outside, and spend time with friends and family. There are also a lot of other things that you can do over summer vacation. Here are some ideas.
Employment
Description: It’s common for high school students to work over the summer. Having a job is a great way to get work experience that you can include on your resume and college applications.
Need help finding the right summer job? Click HERE
Internship
Description: Working for a company or organization that are possibly more related to your career interests. You may not always get paid to be an intern, especially as a high school student, but many times you can access these opportunities through a family member or someone you know.
Summer Classes or Workshops
Description:Many colleges have summer programs that are content specific or just to gain a better understanding of what it feels like to be at a college. Check out our Summer Programs listing for current information in our area.
Hobbies or Talents
Description: This is a broad category that can include sports, clubs, or other activities that you do either through school, with a local group, or on your own.
Not sure what a club is or need some ideas, click HERE.
Summer Camp
Description:A way to immerse yourself in a specific hobby or interest.
Volunteering/Community Service
Description: Volunteering within the community without getting paid. In order to receive Community Service hours through Silver Lake, this cannot be done for an immediate family member. Not sure what to do for Community Service/Volunteering, click HERE or stop down to Guidance to take a look at our Community Service board. Once you have completed hours, fill out the paperwork so that you can put those hours towards your 40 hour graduation requirement.
Typically when the discussion of post-secondary planning begins, the first question often asked by adults is "What Major is the student interested in?". Though a good topic of conversation, the concept of a major is not nearly as important as the development of certain skills that are more geared to career success at the college level. When looking for schools or post-secondary programs, it is important to find not only a school that fits your students needs, but also one that has a goal of developing skill sets necessary for success in the workplace.
"Employers recognize capacities that cut across majors as critical to a candidate’s potential for career success, and they view these skills as more important than a student’s choice of undergraduate major. Nearly all those surveyed (93 percent) agree that “a candidate’s demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems is more important than their undergraduate major.” More than nine in ten of those surveyed say it is important that those they hire demonstrate ethical judgment and integrity, intercultural skills, and the capacity for continued new learning. More than three in four employers say they want colleges to place more emphasis on helping students develop five key learning outcomes, including critical thinking, complex problem solving, written and oral communication, and applied knowledge in real-world settings." (https://www.aacu.org/publications-research/periodicals/it-takes-more-major-employer-priorities-college-learning-and)
When preparing our students to further their education, it is important to also look at programs and institutions with these thoughts in mind, so that our students can not only graduate with a degree but be successful in a career.
This time of year is difficult for students to stay focused and finish the year strong. The weather is getting nice, the birds are chirping, and suddenly completing daily homework, studying for exams, or not procrastinating becomes increasingly difficult. Here are some tips to keeping your student focused as the school year continues this spring.
1. Talk to your student about the importance of good attendance and finishing strong academically.
2. Continue to check the portal to confirm grades and be proactive with any types of dips in performance (if you need your login information contact me directly)
3. Explain what your students transcript includes. For grades 9-11 the only thing that shows on the transcript is your students final grade (it does not show individual term grades or exam grades) and then for 12th grade students their senior years grades are broken down by term. This means that the 1st term is just as important as the 4th term.
4. Encourage time designated for being outside and reinforce time meant for responsibilities (i.e. Homework and Household Duties).
5. Keep your traditional routine as much as possible to enforce habits already created.
Throughout the year we have a lot of families who have questions, need resources, or are experiencing a situation that requires some additional support. Often times, they are unsure about what resources are surrounding them that specialize in specific interventions and strategies and more often than not, work together with us as a school to provide a more complete model of support. Below are just a few more commonly referred to within out local area. Please feel free to reach out to your students counselor with questions or concerns
The following are private insurances not accepted by the Emergency Services Program: Tufts, Cigna, Aetna, Champus, TriCare, BC/BS Federal. They accept other BC/BS plans, MassHealth, and most private insurances.
Did you know 95% of teens (ages 12-17) are online. (Lenhart A, et al. Teens, kindness and cruelty on social networking sites) We are always hearing information about the internet and safety surrounding the topic of its use in our students daily lives. Internet and social media issues are frequent at both the school as well as within the community, and most often it stems back to appropriate use and the ability to sensor what is displayed and stated online.
From a Guidance perspective we discuss with your students the concept of internet safety both individually when necessary as well as surrounding topics such as post-secondary planning. What they choose to put onto the internet in whatever format follows them as they leave the walls of our high school and enter into adulthood.
“It is always absolutely necessary that students are aware of the content they place online,” says Cindy Boyles Crawford, senior assistant director of admissions at the University of Georgia. Though not all colleges and universities take into account an applicant’s social media profiles, they do have the right to look. After all, it’s information on the Internet, and almost everyone can access it." (http://www.hercampus.com/high-school/how-clean-your-social-media-college-applications)
There are a lot of resources out there that discuss what to be aware of and how to speak with your student in an effort to make sure they are using and not abusing the internet.
With exams coming up in January, this is often times an extremely stressful period of the year for students because the expectation is at an all-time high. Study skills and understanding productive ways to prepare for large assessments is not something most students naturally have as a skill set. They instead need to practice and learns ways to appropriately study that capitalize on their learning style. As a parent, you can assist with this as well by asking questions and providing techniques that may prove to be useful. This set of skills is not only something a student needs to large exams a few times a year, but truly need for the rest of their school years.
So what type of learner is your student?
Learning Style Inventory - have your student answer a few questions to get an idea about how they learn best
As a parent it is often times hard to stay up to speed with the terminology and current trends within your students world. It's important to know what types of things to be aware of and what resources are out there that you can reference. These topics are often difficult to think about, but the more knowledge you have the better you can address any situation.
Substance Abuse Terminology
Dabs
Dabs are a method of vaporizing marijuana extracts. There are many different types of extracts available, but the most common ones are shatter, wax, and butane hash oil (BHO). This method requires some sort of butane torch.
Also called meth, speed, chalk, white cross, fire, and glass.
Antifreeze - Heroine
Also called Big H, brown sugar, dope, golden girls, H, horse, junk, poison, skag, smack, sweet dreams, tar, and train.
Snow - Cocaine
Also called Charlie, crack, coke, dust, flake, freebase, lady, nose candy, powder, rock, rails, snowbirds, toot, white, and yahoo.
X - Ecstasy
Also called Adam, E, bean, clarity, essence, lovers speed, MDMA, roll, stacy, XTC
Molly - Composed of the crystal or powder form of Ecstasy
K2 Spice - A mixture of herbs, spices, plant material typically sprayed
with a synthetic compound similar to THC, the psychoactive
drug found in marijuana
Bath Salts - A synthetic stimulant in the form of a white or brown
crystalline powder that contains one or more chemicals
that are similar to amphetamines and ecstasy.
If you have questions or concerns regarding any of these topics, please take a look at the places that may be able to assist with a wide variety of concerns.
As a Guidance Counselor, we often hear from students and parents that they are concerned with study habits/skills and organization. Learning to study is a skill that is often neglected, but requires work and practice to perfect. There are so many online resources that are now available to assist both you and your student not only identify what type of learner they are, but also what is the best way to study for the variety of tests/subjects expected of them.
How-To-Study.com - Has great articles and free assessment tools that provide a great deal of information regarding studying techniques.
Quizlet - Creating flashcards tends to be the most productive method of studying for all types of learners. This online tool allows students to quiz themselves and save flashcards for more comprehensive exams.
I hope that everyone enjoyed their summer and is excited for the 2016-2017 school year at Silver Lake. I thought I would welcome you back with some upcoming events from the Guidance Department.
Sophomore Parents Breakfast - 9/9/16 @ 7:45am in the LGR
Senior Parents Breakfast - 9/16/16 @ 7:45am in the LGR
Junior Parents Breakfast - 9/23/16 @ 7:45am in the LGR
College Fair - 10/4/16 @ 6:30pm at Whitman-Hanson H.S.
Financial Aid Night - 10/12/16 @ 6:30pm in the LGR
Stay tuned for further details on each event as we get a bit closer. Also don't forget to check our Guidance website and follow us on Twitter @SL_Guidance.
Wishing you a successful start to the school year!
For many students there is a sense of excitement when it gets close to summer vacation. There is less structure, more time to enjoy with their family and friends, and they don't have to focus on their academics. Though all important, it is important to also encourage students to take advantage of their time off and actively pick things to do that ultimately benefit their future planning.
1. Create a resume - as students go through their high school career it often goes by so fast and becomes such a blur that when they are expected to recall what they have done and any accomplishments they have achieved they aren't able too. Encourage your student to use Naviance's resume builder, or create a working document that can be edited as they expand their experiences.
2. Get a job - though many students do eventually get a part-time job, in an area that will probably remain simply that, it is important for them to learn life skills and also use their experience to better understand their strengths and interests. For a student who has obtained a job, complete the working permit paperwork and bring the completed documentation to the Guidance office, where it will be typed up for your employer.
3. Explore career paths - there is a lot of time during the summer that may not be planned and may include time to just relax. Thanks to the internet, there are also a lot of great career search engines that simply require a student to put in their interests through basic questionnaires. Once completed your student will be linked to different careers, majors, and colleges.
4. Complete an internship or job shadow - even if a student has no idea what they may be interested in, often times that is because they don't have any exposure with different areas of work and study. Typically it is easier for people to figure out what they don't like, and eventually after that list is created, the list of traits/jobs they do like emerge. Take your student to work for a day, or contact a local business to arrange a day for your student to observe a different line of work and gain valuable exposure.
5. Visit colleges - it is never too early to take a college tour, drive through a campus, or view different colleges online. If you happen to be driving by a college, get out, walk around, and take a tour. The more exposure to different locations, campus styles, and environmental differences, will make the process of post-secondary planning easier when the time comes and much less overwhelming.
There are a lot of pressures in school-aged students, some academic, some family related, and others within their own peer groups and in social situations. Being a part of a peer group has a lot of benefits both socially and emotionally, but there are also a great deal of negative impacts of peer pressure both within friend groups as well as within the school community. All age brackets experience peer pressure on various levels, but often times the most difficult time to navigate these pressures is during middle and high school. No longer are pressures just in a classroom, but they now take place before, during and after school as well through the use of social media.
There are several indicators that could put your student more at risk for being susceptible to negative peer pressure
Good news is that there is also positive peer pressure that can be encouraged and supported. "Peer pressure is one of the most effective ways for a teen to practice good behavior and make smart choices in his or her life. Parents and teachers should encourage teens to explore their independence with friends who make good decisions, promoting these kinds of positive peer influences." (http://www.allpsychologycareers.com/topics/peer-pressure.html).
When is the right time to talk about Post-Secondary planning?
We get a lot of parents that ask us what they should be doing with regards to the college process and/or their students post-secondary planning. The answer is it is never too early to start thinking about what your student plans to do and how they plan to get there after they complete high school. Though the application process for a student who plans on attending a 4-year college, 2-year college, or a trade school doesn't typically begin until the Fall/Winter of their senior year, there are important steps that needs to be completed to get to that point.
For many students, the college major is not the most important piece when researching colleges, but if a specific major is known it can absolutely and should be used as part of the search process. Environmental factors (such as location, size, style of campus, academic rigor, distance from home) tend to play a larger role in not only whether or not a student will be successful but also whether or not they will be happy and stay for the length of their program.
We encourage families to visit college campuses either through formal tours (you can sign up on most individual school's website) or just simply by driving or walking through a campus if you happen to be in the area. As a student is exposed to different campuses and gets a feel for what styles of schools exist, it will make researching and decision making much easier, because they will begin to have opinions about what they like and dislike.
As your student begins collecting data, we encourage the use of programs such as Naviance-Family Connection to save lists of schools they like, begin building their resume, complete college/career surveys, complete college searches, and keep a list of things that are "must haves" based on their information gathered. As students continue through high school, discussion about potential careers is important, and if your student has a very specific idea about a major/career, then finding a school that offers that particular programming is also relevant. The majority of students still enter college as "Undecided" and tend to attend a more liberal arts based school (a school that offers a variety of majors in many different areas of study).
We recommend a student keep a rigorous schedule that is appropriate for their individual level and ability and also encourage families to set up meetings or phone calls to discuss any specific questions or concerns about the process with their counselor. We offer a lot of resources on the Guidance website, under the "College Planning" tab as well for you to reference. Though considered to be an extremely overwhelming and stressful process, when it is broken down into smaller steps it is very manageable and exciting. If your student needs his/her password for their Naviance account or if you have any specific questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.
A very common question heard throughout the school year involves our 5.3 weighted grading scale. There has been a lot of confusion as well as misunderstanding surrounding how it is calculated as well as how it is interpreted at the college level during the application process. High schools nationwide have various scales that they use to compute the grade point averages of their students. Silver Lake's weighted 5.3 scale takes into account the grade a student earns in each class as well as the level of each class (Advanced Placement, Honors, College Preparatory 1 & 2). The scale itself and a brief explanation is in our Student Handbook (page 14) for your reference. I put together a brief Q & A section to address a few specific questions.
Q. What is a Term GPA versus a Cumulative GPA?
A. The Term GPA, which is reported on your Progress/Report Cards as well as through your Portal is the GPA you are earning in that specific period of time (for example Term 1). Cumulative GPA refers to each term since the start of 9th grade calculated together (for example as a Term 1 Senior, the Cumulative GPA would include each term for 9th, 10th, 11th and Term 1 of Senior year).
Q. What do colleges see on a transcript?
A. When students apply to college, they send in their application anywhere from early fall to early spring (depends upon the individual school as well as what application type you are choosing). As part of the application process, colleges receive a transcript which includes final grades for each class taken from 9th - 11th grade. Senior year is broken down into individual term grades and transcripts are sent initially, at the Mid-Year point, and at the end of the school year, so that colleges are able to see how the student is progressing throughout the entire senior year. The transcript also includes each academic years GPA as well as a Cumulative GPA. Each academic year is just as important as the others and colleges hope to see a student improve and maintain their academic rigor each year.
Q. How do I compare the Cumulative GPA to information reported by a college when doing college searches?
A. You really can't compare our GPA scale to the information that is reported on an individual college's website, because that information is a "re-calculated" average typically of the previous years incoming class. That is why the Naviance - Family Connection program is the easiest way to college search and compare yourself to the other Silver Lake students who have been accepted, denied, or waitlisted. Though we don't have data on every college, we have compiled this information over the last 10 years. As a result, statistics are provided and give you an accurate understanding about how your GPA compares to past Silver Lake applicants. Your test scores (PSAT or SAT/ACT - depending upon which test you have taken) are also included in features such as the Scattergram, to give you an accurate understanding of how you compare with regards to admissions history at a particular school.
** Please note that 9th and 10th grade students do not currently have their GPA listed in Naviance, but if you are currently a junior your Cumulative GPA can be found in the "About Me" section under "Profile" (the GPA reported includes 9th and 10th grade and will be updated at the end of the 11th grade to include your junior year GPA as well).
If you do not have your login information for Naviance, or need assistance accessing information, please feel free to contact me directly.
Naviance - Family Connection is a one-stop shop to post-secondary planning, career exploration, and personal investigation. It has a ton of features that can be accessed throughout your students high school career to provide you and your student with a wealth of information. There are aspects appropriate to each grade, and we encourage students to explore and utilize Naviance - Family Connection as a tool to make planning for their future fun and exciting.
Here is a brief summary of the different sections
About Me Tab -
Complete inventories that link to careers, majors, and colleges
Build a resume
Access your GPA, test scores (PSAT, SAT, ACT, AP), and decile (available to some grade levels)
My Planner Tab -
Create future goals and to-do lists with regards to academic success and post-secondary planning.
Career Tab -
Explore career options
Complete Personality Type and Career Inventories that link to various majors, careers, and colleges.
Explore Road Trip Nation
Based on general searches or your specific interests, link to different leaders who provide short interviews about their career choice.
College Tab -
Search Colleges
Store searches, lists of schools of interest, and those that you may eventually apply to in the future.
Look at statistics relevant to Silver Lake, including
Acceptance History - shows what schools Silver Lake students have been accepted to over the last 8-10 years.
Scattergrams - compares your statistics (GPA and SAT Scores if appropriate based on grade) to other Silver Lake students who have applied to a particular school
Search Enrichment Programs and access College Resources
Please contact me if you need your Registration Code or your password reset.
