Counseling

Counselors:

Seniors – Things to do
TRANSCRIPTS – Seniors must notify Ms. Rowley, the registrar, where they want their final transcript sent to complete their college application process. This is not done automatically! You must notify her. There is no charge for this transcript.

Attention Junior's:
Spring is the time to start considering what you will be doing after graduation. Will you be attending a college or university? Is a junior or community college part of your plan? How about an apprenticeship program – does that strike your fancy? See your counselor if you have any questions. SOME ADDITIONAL IDEAS. Use the summer to research college choices & scholarship possibilities; READ; volunteer for something meaningful to you; explore careers by job shadowing or working; do something different!!! Þ Attend a spring/summer junior visitation day at the colleges or universities that you are interested in.

Junior Happenings
· NCAA CLEARINGHOUSE Those juniors who are considering playing a sport in college at the Division I or II level, please see Ms. Rowley in the registrar's office at once.
· SERVICE ACADEMIES – Juniors who are seeking nominations to any of the military academies or in applying for ROTC scholarships must begin the paperwork now. Students need to see their counselors immediately.
· REMEMBER – You are well on your way to senior year! At this point in time, each junior should be taking the ACT and/or SAT tests and each junior needs to be shopping for those after high school opportunities i.e. colleges, military, internships, etc.

Important information for all students
Please read the following article:
Colorado Opportunity Fund The state of Colorado is offering to all Colorado students the College Opportunity Fund (COF). It is basically a reconfiguration as to how the state funds higher education. The monies that normally went to the institutions are now being given to the schools in the name of the students. To take advantage of the College Opportunity Fund, parents and/or students must register at the following website: www.collegeincolorado.org. It is a very simple registration. Once registered, the college or university will take care of reducing the tuition for the student once the student has been accepted to that particular school. Students may register for the College Opportunity Fund once they have a Colorado driver's license or if they have a
Colorado I.D. We strongly recommend students complete the registration process even if attending a postsecondary institution is in doubt at this time. Warning: if a Colorado student is admitted to a college/university and does not register for the fund, parents/students may be held responsible for the payment of that student’s portion of the COF. Students need only to register once in their lifetime.

Parents Staying in Touch
Double check your student’s grades and attendance via Parent Connection, an online service. A password and a PIN number are necessary to access this information; call 328-3635 for your log on information. Please be prepared to give your student’s “student number”.

Senior Information:

Colorado Opportunity Fund
The state of Colorado is offering to all Colorado students the College Opportunity Fund (COF). It is basically a recon figuration as to how the state funds higher education. The monies that normally went to the institutions are now being given to the schools in the name of the students. To take advantage of the College Opportunity Fund, parents and/or students must register at the following website: www.collegeincolorado.org It is a very simple registration. Once registered, the college or university will take care of reducing the tuition for the student once the student has been accepted to that particular school. All students, grades 9 ­12, may register for the College Opportunity Fund; this only needs to be done once during the student’s school years. We strongly recommend students complete the registration process even if attending a post secondary institution is in doubt at this time. Warning: if a Colorado student is admitted to a college/university and does not register for the fund, parents/students may be held responsible for the payment of that student’s portion of the COF.

General Information for all Students:
As students enter high school, they are assigned a counselor alphabetically by the student’s last name. The counselor works with the student throughout their four years of high school. It is during this time that counselors have the opportunity to become well acquainted with their students and with the parents of the students. A close working relationship with parents is encouraged and is established through special programs and meetings along with individual conferences.

Internships, Apprenticeships, and Jobs
The counseling center has information on several different types of employment both for summer, as well as yearround. Many opportunities are posted outside the counseling center or students may see their counselor for additional information.

Counseling Services
• Consultants in interpreting individual student needs
• Interpreters of test scores
• Facilitators in conferences
• Coordinators of special services and placement
• Counselors for individual students and groups
• Sources of general information
• Assistance in career and academic decision making and post-secondary planning

* We want to welcome our new counselor, Brad Bogard, to Coronado. He is replacing Vicki Ury, who retired last year. Brad has taught science for many years at Palmer and at Doherty. We are happy to have him on board! Appointments with counselors may be made by calling the counseling office at 328-3609. Students may also make appointments during their study period, before school, after school, or during their lunch period by seeing the secretary in the counseling center. We encourage students and parents to visit our office and learn what valuable information and resources we have to help students. Appointments with counselors may be made by calling the counseling office at 328-3609. Students may also make appointments during their study period, before school, after school, or during their lunch period by seeing the secretary in the counseling center. We encourage students and parents to visit our office and learn what valuable information and resources we have to help students.

College Planning Timeline
It is never too early to start planning for college. Regardless of your goals beyond high school, the decisions you make today will affect what opportunities are available to you later. Through careful selection of high school classes you will be keeping your options open. A broad-based and rigorous education will prepare you for college admission and for life. The following timeline should help you with your plans.


Dropping Classes
Many students and parents are surprised to discover that dropping a class is not as easy as it may seem. In most cases, a drop will be made BUT NO NEW CLASS WILL BE ADDED to the student’s schedule after the first 10 days of the 15-day drop period. If a class is dropped, the student will then be placed in a study hall having no possibility of earning a credit. For these reasons, class drops at Coronado High School are discouraged unless absolutely necessary.

To drop a class a student must get written permission from the teacher and parent. For each drop the following conditions will be considered:

1. In order for the class to NOT show up on the student’s semester report card, the drop must be done in the first 15 days of the semester.
2. In most cases, a drop will be made BUT NO NEW CLASS WILL BE ADDED to the student’s schedule after the first 10 days of the 15-day drop period.
3. The drop must not decrease the student’s class load to less than 5 credits for the semester.
4. The drop should be preceded by a student/counselor conference addressing the reasons for the drop and how the drop will affect total graduation credits.
5. The drop will not result in the shift of other class periods.

If a student chooses to drop a class after the first 15 days of the semester, the student must complete a Request for Class Withdrawal form. The purpose of this form is to determine which grading category will be used for the student’s permanent record and to notify the parent of the grade category. In order to drop a class after the first 15 days of the semester, the student needs to follow the following procedure:

1. Talk with the student’s counselor about the reason for the class withdrawal.
2. Fill out the Request for Class Withdrawal Form
3. Meet with the teacher and have him/her sign the form and determine whether the student will drop with an “H” or an “F”. An “H” drop will result in the class appearing on the semester report card but with no grade or credit attached to the class. An “F” drop will result in the class appearing on the semester report card with an “F” grade for that class and will affect GPA. The teacher should also initial that the textbook for the class has been returned.
4. Have a parent sign the form and state he/she understands which grade will accompany the drop.
5. Return the completed and signed form to the student’s counselor and receive a new schedule that indicates that the drop has been made.

Scholarship Bulletins:
These bulletins are posted in Senior English classes, are available in the counseling center, and are available on the Coronado web page, www.coronadocougars.com. Make certain that your student is checking often for appropriate scholarships. Application forms can be found in the counseling center. Students may also shop for numerous other scholarships on a variety of web sites such as www.fastweb.com. Please see your counselor for a list of web addresses.

Junior Information

CU Gold Program:
Juniors may also select to take classes at Coronado High School for college credit through CU Denver. This is an excellent opportunity to get a jump on basic college classes. See Mr. Kea ting or your counselor for more information.

Future Seniors:
Memorial Hospital, in conjunction with School District 11, offers a program called Learning Link. This program allows students an up close experience in a variety of medical fields within the hospital. Students need to apply through their Coronado counselor for the program. Only a limited number of students are selected to participate in the program each semester. Students work at the hospital two times per week during school hours to receive 1 elective credit towards graduation.

A few things to look for during the registration process :
English Honors Classes always have summer reading assignments.
Some classes at Coronado offer college credit concurrently with high school credit.
Some courses carry a fee.
There are many classes that offer computer credit – a requirement for graduation.
PE 9 is a prerequisite to all other PE classes.
Information on the above items can be found in your student’s course description book.


AN IMPORTANT FINAL WORD ON REGISTRATION: Starting with the graduating class of 2010, four year colleges in Colorado will now be requiring four years of college prep math and at least two years of a foreign language while in high school. Parents, please discuss this very important issue with your student when discussing their course selections for next year. Subject Area Semester Credits Subject Area Semester Credits
English (3 ­ 4, 5 ­ 6 required) 8 Economics 1
Mathematics 6 Health 1
Social Studies 6 Humanities 2
American History (2) (English, excluding 3 ­ 4, 5 ­ 6;
American Government (1) Social Studies, excluding American History,
Social Studies electives (3) World History; Music; Art; and/or Foreign Language)
(World History recommended) Computer Education 1
Science 6 Practical Arts 1
Physical Education 3 (Business Education, Applied Technology/ Vocational
Education, Family and Consumer Science)
Required Subjects: (4 semesters of science) 35
Electives: 11
Minimum Total For Graduation: 46
MINIMUM GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS FOR COLORADO SPRINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT #11
The minimum number of semester credits is 46. The subjects, for which credits must be
earned, grades nine through twelve, are outlined below:

For All Males who are 17 or 18 years old: Selective Service Announcement
Federal law requires that all males register with Selective service within 30 days of their 18 th birthday. Students can submit their registration information on the Internet www.sss.gov or by filling out a form that is available at any post office. Selective Service registration is required to be eligible for a federal student loan, job training, most federal jobs, and U.S. Citizenship.

Community Service – An Opportunity for All Students:
As students begin applying for the National Honor Society in high school, admission to colleges, or special college programs, and compete for scholarships, they find that a history of volunteering or assisting others plays a significant role. Many applications ask what a student has done over the four year period of high school. Has the student committed to the service of others? Has the student demonstrated leadership within these activities? There are many opportunities in our community to help others. Students early on in high school should consider giving time to programs such as the downtown soup kitchen, Silver Key for Seniors, the Children’s Literacy Program, the summer Park and Recreation programs and other organizations.

Frequently Asked Attendance Questions
Sometimes when I call to excuse my student, I see an “E” for excused, and sometimes it’s a “B”.
What does a “B” code mean? Why is it called “Excused with reservation?” Good question! School Board policy allows parents to excuse students on occasion for reasons OTHER than illness. (Examples may include college visits, court appearances, car trouble, etc.) An “E” is used for illness, while the “B” code is used for those other situations. If “excused with reservation” absences become excessive in any individual class, that instructor MAY choose to not allow full makeup credit. Feel free to call Sharon Tausan or Patti Margrave in Attendance (328-3613) with your questions.

Financial Aid
Once your student has been admitted to a college, it is important that you make an appointment with the financial aid office at that institution. Most financial aid offices will be able to help you with additional scholarships to help pay for college. Thousands of dollars are lost every year because students and parents are not working directly with the college to find financial aid.

Scholarship Bulletins
Scholarships are still coming into the counseling center. Students may check our catalog for any new opportunities. Bulletins are also available in senior English classes or on the Coronado website www.coronadocougars.com under the academics link. Students, have you checked for scholarships at the workplace of your parents or with your youth group?

Senior Misbehavior and Graduation
School District Eleven Policy IKFB refers to Level III and IV infractions incurred by graduating seniors during the last month of their last semester. Policy IKFB, stated in part: Graduation ceremonies and exercises are school-sponsored activities and benefit all students, their families, friends and the faculty and shall be considered a part of the school year. Any senior, otherwise qualified for graduation, who, during the last month of the final semester of school for seniors, including that period of time between the last day of classes for seniors and the graduation ceremony for his/her school, and who damages, destroys, or vandalizes District property, injures fellow students, faculty members or administrators, or commits any Level III or IV disciplinary infraction, shall be excluded from participation in graduation ceremonies and exercises. In addition to exclusion from participation in graduation ceremonies and exercises and possible suspension or expulsion, students and their parents shall be held liable for damages, destruction, or bodily injury caused by the student as set forth in state law. Any student who is excluded from graduation ceremonies and exercises but has met all requirements for graduation shall receive his/her diploma by mail.