Counselor’s Corner

Hello Everyone!

It has been an outstanding start to this inaugural school year at ECHS and I can honestly say that we have a great freshmen class, full of students who are intelligent, motivated, energetic and spirited. It is a joy to work with each and every one of them.

As we come to the end of our very first quarter, I want to let you all know some important information:

Firstly, Congratulations to those students who made the A/B Honor roll for quarter one!!!! This was a challenging time of adjustment for most, but these students overcame many challenges and persevered, and we are very proud of their achievements! In celebration of their outstanding efforts, we will be rewarding them (in the very near future) with either an ice-cream social or a pizza party (based on their popular vote), along with some well deserved recreational time. It is sure to be a great time of celebration and fellowship with other, high achieving students!

Secondly, all students must keep in mind that his/her 1st quarter grade represents 40% of their semester Grade Point Average (GPA), so if a student has had a difficult 1st quarter, he/she really needs to increase his/her efforts in this next quarter, so as to maximize the average for his/her overall semester grade. I have been conducting interim deficiency meetings with those students who have been identified as having difficulties/poor grades (at interim time). These students have been counseled regarding ways to improve their study habits, time management and course grades and we have conducted many parent/teacher conferences to assist these students as well. The first quarter ends on October 12th and official report cards will be mailed out the week of October 26th, in accordance with Charlotte County Public Schools. Students will be bringing home an unofficial grade report, on October 21st, so be sure to preview that. You also have the option of previewing grades at gradebookwizard.com. Keep in mind that teachers will continue to update their grades after October 21st, but the report you receive on October 21st represent the grades you will see on your student’s official report card. After receiving the unofficial grade report, if you feel that a parent/teacher conference is indicated, please do not hesitate to contact me and a meeting will be arranged. Our standard days/times for parent conferences are Monday – Friday at 2:00 or 2:20pm.

Thirdly, if a student feels that they are putting forth 100% effort and are still struggling, we have numerous opportunities for tutoring (in addition to our advising time on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays), and each student should be proactive in seeking out such help. An informational letter was sent out to those students who were identified as possibly being in need of tutoring. Our tutor, Mr. Howland, is conducting study skills groups with specified students and I lead an organizational skills improvement group. Parents, if you are interested in either of these groups, or if you would like more information about other tutoring opportunities, please feel free to e-mail or call me.

Fourthly, as part of the semester average, there will be a semester exam, which is cumulative (representing all information learned since the beginning of school). These exams will occur prior to the holiday break. Shortly, students should begin thinking about their plan for studying for each of these exams and map out that strategy, using their planner. There is no question that there will be an immense amount of information that they will be required to recall on these exams and simply trying to study the night before a semester exam, will not yield the best exam grade. The semester exams will account for 20% of a student’s overall semester grade (this is the grade that is recorded on official transcripts) so the exam could be a, “make or break,” event. Proper planning and preparation is critical, in order to have a strong semester finish.

Dual Enrollment Update: We are working with Edison State College to possibly launch our very first dual enrollment course, in the second semester. Plans are tentative, but it is important to note that, in order to be eligible to participate in a dual enrollment course, a student MUST have a GPA of 3.0 or higher, at the end of semester one. There are other determining factors involved, but without the GPA requirement met, the student will be ineligible to participate, so students need to continue to do their absolute best, every day.

In closing, I’d like to remind students and parents that I have an open-door policy and I am available for assistance (academic and otherwise), whenever the need arises. Please feel free to e-mail me or call me, should you have any questions/concerns or need assistance of any kind.

Looking forward to continued success in the second quarter,

Mrs. Foster – Guidance Counselor – ECHS

Email: afostervasile@edison.edu

Phone: 941-637-3556

** This page will be updated quarterly, so be sure and check back for important updates/information at the appropriate time.**

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