Organized to reflect the National Standards for Guidance and Counseling.
The National Standards for Guidance and Counseling address the domains of academic, personal/social and career counseling. The Counseling Office is currently staffed with an assistant principal, three counselors, a counseling secretary and a registrar. The office provides a wide range of services throughout the year (registration, academic advisement, maintenance of records, testing, etc.). The Guidance Program is structured so that each counselor provides guidance information and counseling services to the four grade levels of a student body of about 1,300. Students may wish to meet with their assigned counselor to discuss:
- academic progress and school adjustment
- high school four-year plan
- post-graduation options
- academic and / or vocational opportunities
- school policies and procedures
- alternative educational options
- test interpretation
- letters of recommendation
- personal counseling
- community agency referrals
In addition to counselor / student / parent / faculty-initiated conferences, the counselor meets on a regular basis with students each year either individually (i.e. senior checks, 8th grade registration, new enrollees) or in small groups (i.e. fall semester planning, spring semester advisement with each grade level and sophomore 4-year planning).
There are a variety of advisement activities at SHS throughout the school year to which parents are encouraged to attend. Among these informative parent meetings are:
- How to Pay for College.
- Grade Level Information Night, September/October.
- Plan Your Future (college/career), early November, hosted by Cabrillo College.
- Financial Aid Parent Meeting, early February.
- Open House/New Student, February.
- Sophomore 4-year Planning Night, March/April.
Guidance Curriculum: The SHS Student Handbook contains pertinent information essential to meaningful high school planning (general information, requirements, programs, course descriptions, etc.). A wide variety of supplemental printed materials are also available to students and parents (i.e. specifics handouts regarding high school and college prep requirements, college prep time lines, calendars, educational alternatives, etc. as well as testing booklets, college applications, scholarships and financial aid information, and other reference material). A brief overview of the guidance curriculum time line follows
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8th Grade: Introduction to high school includes a review of the SHS Student Handbook, high school graduation requirements, higher education possibilities (i.e. UC, CSU, community college, vocational, etc.), college prep requirements and the freshmen course selections.
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9th Grade: Clarification of graduation requirements, transcripts and high school curriculum emphasizes the topics mentioned above as well as ROP (tech prep), Honors, Advanced Placement, concurrent enrollment and other opportunities.
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10th Grade: Development of the four-year plan during sophomore group conference focuses on meeting the necessary requirements given the particular post graduation goal. Specific information and additional reference resources relevant to these plans are made available, including a career interest survey. This information is shared with parents at an evening meeting.
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11th Grade: Research and preliminary decisions regarding post graduation plans are critical to the junior year. Students are encouraged to refine their personal time line in preparation for college entrance, the work force, military, etc.
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12th Grade: Finalization of the four-year plan includes the application process, campus visitations, college / job interviews, testing requirements, etc. and, of course, June graduation! A Senior Conference is held with each student to complete the senior contract.
Additional Student Support Services: In addition to meeting with your counselor for academic, vocational and personal advisement, there are a variety of other activities throughout the school year, which help students become aware of educational opportunities that enable them to make realistic post-graduation plans. For example, each fall the assistant principal offers four evening parent meetings for each grade level to discuss grade-appropriate items as well as school-wide topics. Evening meetings are also scheduled on campus for assistance in completing college applications and financial aid forms.
Cabrillo College hosts College / Career Night in November each year for high school students to collect information and meet representatives from more than 70 CSU, UC, private and out-of-state colleges, art and music schools, technical and trade schools, military, etc. Financial aid information is also made available in two evening presentations.
We are fortunate to have resources such as concurrent enrollment opportunities through Adult Education, Cabrillo College and the University of California, Santa Cruz, as well as numerous community mental health agencies (Youth Services, Family Services, Barrios Unidos, etc.) with which we closely work. Referrals to area community agencies, counselors, therapists, etc. are available in the Counseling Office.
Additional support services are provided through a variety of other personnel:
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School Psychologist (special education testing/placement)
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Student Study Team (via Assistant Principal)
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504 Accommodation Plan (via Assistant Principal)
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Home & Hospital Teaching (contact District Office)
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On campus community mental health personnel
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