Welcome to the new column of the Counseling Corner known as College Talk. College Talk has been created to help relay information to the D’Evelyn community about college admission trends, college application assistance, how to best support your student, and what the counseling department can do to support you and your student through this process. We will focus on multiple topics throughout the year, almost all of which will derive from professional organizations, research articles, and college admission representatives. Our goal as a counseling department is to help inform the community of current trends in the world of college admissions. College acceptance is becoming more selective because colleges are experiencing an increase in applications every year, and our goal is to share what we are learning with the community. We work very closely with our college representatives and with the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) to be sure our students are prepared to attend the college that is the best fit for them. At the bottom of each column we will have upcoming dates for college visits and fairs in the area. The counseling department has constructed a mission and vision statement to help clarify and inform the community on our goals when working with students. We have worked with the administration to develop a program that fits the needs of D’Evelyn students and our community members. Counseling Post-Secondary VISION: High school counselors will work with interested students on their post-secondary options including working and supporting students to find their BEST FIT College. Counseling Post-Secondary MISSION: High school counselors will work with ALL students:
High school counselors will work with interested students:
Upcoming College Fairs and School Visits:
The beginning of another academic year is here again - at D’Evelyn and across the country. This time of year can be so exciting, fun, full of activity, and at times also stressful. We may meet a new academic year with a variety of emotions, but it is my sincere hope for each of you that one of them is excitement. We will have many opportunities this year for learning, growth, and community building. Whether our primary role is as a student, parent, or staff member, we will be spending time together this year advancing our learning and creating space for the learning of others. It is exciting to think about regardless of your primary institution of learning, and particularly so as a member of the D’Evelyn community. D’Evelyn Junior Senior High School provides a rigorous liberal arts education to all students, and prepares students for post-secondary options and full community engagement. The D’Evelyn philosophy is “based on the belief that all students, not just an elite group, should be held to rigorous academic and behavioral standards, and that all students can achieve in a challenging program” (FD, p.4). It is truly a joy to be a part of a community engaged in this work, regardless of specific role. Being a student, parent, or staff member at a great school does not, however, make the beginning or any other part of the school year stress free. The truth of the matter is that stress is a part of life, and an essential one. However, there are times when stress can feel overwhelming, can contribute to anxiety, and can impact daily life. We do hear about high levels of stress experienced by students here with relative frequency, so will be providing some information about stress and anxiety, as well as things we can all do to increase resiliency, in the weeks to come, so please stay tuned. And please stop by the counseling office if you need any support at any time! Welcome Back!
Welcome back to school D’Evelyn families! We are excited for the beginning of the school year and to witness all of the amazing work our students will accomplish. We hope you all had a wonderful summer, and we want to share some information with you about the year to come. We will be meeting with each class either as a whole group, smaller groups, and/or individually as the year progresses. The calendar committee has put the dates we are meeting with each class in the planner to eliminate the element of surprise. All students will be required to attend the appropriate class session for their grade. We view this time to help students plan for their future, and prepare for their post-secondary options. We truly value our time with students and recognize time is precious. Our goal is to encourage students to look at the big picture of their future and provide them with new suggestions, advice, and encouragement as they explore their new goals. Our goal is to help students recognize there is more to the college process than grades. Even though grades are very important, we want students to discover their strengths, their interests, and their passion to help them be successful when high school ends. We have the privilege to collaborate with some of the best staff, parents, and community members in the state to help our students reach their maximum potential. We are very excited for this new school year, and to watch students grow as they continue their journey through D’Evelyn. Counseling Calendar
Schedule Changes for 2019-2020 Counselors will be taking schedule changes for the school year through the first day of school. We will be in our offices at the end of the day to assist students with schedule changes. Remember there are exceptions to schedule changes, and we are not always able to accommodate all requests. We will not change schedules for teacher preferences. If you have any questions about this process please contact your counselor. Military Opt Out If you would like to opt-out your child’s information from being given to the military you need to do so by the end of September. You can do so by logging into your Jeffco Connect account and click opt-out. If you have any questions about this process please contact Kathy Hays in the counseling office. We Are Looking For Candy Donations! As a counseling department we try to make our activities fun and relaxing for students at the end of the day. One of the ways we do this is by engaging them in activities and conversation with prizes to be given away. The most common and fan favorite of prizes is candy. Unfortunately, with the counseling budget candy and other treats are hard to come by. We are looking for candy bag donations for this upcoming school year. After a long day of working in the classroom we want to provide the students with a treat before they leave for the day. We would greatly appreciate any type of candy bag donation. If you are able to help support our program please drop any candy you have to donate off in the counseling office with Sue Brown, or any counselor available. We want to thank every single one of you for your support! College Day D’Evelyn will be hosting a College Day on September 11th! This event is for students in all grades, and we would love to see you all there. During the school day we will be having our in-state/out-of-state college fair for students to attend during their lunch period. We will have around 15-20 Colorado schools and 10-15 out-of-state schools represented during our college fair. We encourage all students to attend the fair, and there will be prizes for students who attend. In the evening we will be hosting an event for all family members to attend. The evening of the 11th, we will have 5 guest presentations for families to choose from. We have set it up so you are able to attend 2 of the 5 sessions. The breakout sessions will range from financial aid to how to write a strong college essay. We will have the final list in the weeks to come. We look forward to seeing everyone there! SENIORS Welcome back to your last year of high school! We are excited to help you navigate through this final year. We will be holding multiple workshops and activities throughout the year during 7th hour to help make the college process easier. Please keep an eye and ear out for our common application workshops, college essay workshops, scholarship workshops, and senior class meetings. We will be addressing all of your questions and concerns during this time, as well as meeting with you all individually to solidify your plan. We will be meeting with you all as a class on August 19th , 20th , and 21st to go over the application process (you only have to attend one day based on your last name), and the steps you need to take to make sure everything is sent properly. This can be a very overwhelming time of the year, and we are here to help make the process go smoother. Do not hesitate to reach out to your counselor for questions. You will most likely need letters of recommendation for your college applications. Be sure to ask your teachers as soon as possible, and give them at least two weeks to complete the letter. You will need to provide them with the rec questionnaire, which can be found on the Naviance homepage at the bottom. You will also need to request a letter from them through Naviance. We will go over this process when we meet with you all on August 19th. If you have any questions about this process please contact your counselor. JUNIORS Welcome to your junior year! This will be a year full of ups and downs, with the most exciting up being you are almost to your senior year. During your junior year one of the most important pieces to focus on is your academics and the SAT. On August 21st and 23rd (you will only attend one day based on your last name), we will be meeting with you to help you get acclimated with Khan Academy (free SAT practice), and talk about the year. Our goal is to make sure you have all of the resources you need to be successful on the SAT and how to improve your scores. We will also be talking about steps you should start taking to prepare for the college process. Even though junior year is known as the most difficult we want to make sure you have time to enjoy the activities you participate in, and prepare for the next level. If you have any questions about college, the process, the SAT, or just how to navigate through junior year please feel free to stop by and see your counselor. For most schools you will apply to they need a letter of recommendation from your counselor. We enjoy getting to know you all so our letters can be as amazing as you are. We hope you enjoyed your summer and we look forward to working with you! SOPHOMORES Welcome to your sophomore year! You are no longer freshmen, and you are reaching the back half of your time here at D’Evelyn. This is an important year to start discovering your interests, and what excites you about life outside of school. Hopefully you are starting to gain a stronger understanding of what you’re interested in, and that will help you as you move along in the college/career process. We will be meeting with you all multiple times throughout the year, and we will mostly focus on the exploration of careers, your strengths, and how we can combine those to help you discover what you want to do after high school. As counselors, we are always here to help you with any issues that arise throughout your time at school, and if you have any concerns outside of school. Please do not hesitate to come see your counselor if you need any assistance. FRESHMEN Welcome to your freshman year! This is the year that grades really begin to count towards your college transcript. We highly encourage you all to get off to a strong start, and work hard in all of your classes. We will be meeting with you all multiple times throughout the year to talk about goal setting, how to plan for success, the importance of freshman year, and how to prepare your next 4 years to have a strong college application. Our goal is to help you all be successful in and out of school. This is a great time to start learning more about your likes and dislikes. We encourage you to begin exploring career options and what your interests are. If you ever need any assistance please do not hesitate to reach out to your counselor. 8th GRADERS Welcome to your second year at D’Evelyn! I truly hope you have a happy, successful and productive year. I will be available to help you in any way I can, and you are always welcome to come talk with me about any concerns or problems you may be having. You can even come in and share good news with me! We will be meeting once each semester to work on your Individual Career and Academic Plans. One thing to remember is that it is important for you to continue to develop good work habits and study skills as you prepare for high school. If you would like to talk about this further, please come see me. Also, keep in mind that it is important to enjoy yourself, and the best way to do that is to get involved in a sport or extracurricular activity that you enjoy! I consider it a privilege to be your counselor. Mr. Northway 7th GRADERS Welcome seventh graders! This is the beginning of your six year adventure at D’Evelyn! Every year will be new and different and each year will have many opportunities for you to learn and enjoy what this school has to offer. Not only “school,” but there are many clubs, sports, and extracurricular activities for you to become involved with. D’Evelyn requires a lot from its students, but when you talk to the upper classmen they will tell you that it’s worth it. Please keep in mind that I am available to help you with anything that may come up. If you have difficulty in one of your classes, with friends, lockers, or anything please come see me and we can work on solutions together. You can come in and see me before school, after school, at lunch, or during a passing period. You will not be counted tardy anytime you need to see me during part of a period. I consider it a privilege to be your counselor. Mr. Northway |
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April 2022
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