Dates to Remember:

February 6

Shadow Day Meeting 2:30pm, Art Gallery

February 14

CHS Registration Deadline for 3/14 SAT

February 3-7

National School Counseling Week

February 17-21

Winter Break School Closed

Plan ahead:

March 5 ASVAB Exam Periods 1-5

March 14

SAT Exam @ CHS

March 17 College Day 2 Periods 2 & 3

March 25

College and Career Fair CHS, 7:00pm

Click here for February

Scholarship Bulletin

Commack High School

Counseling Center Newsletter

February 2020

Course Requests and Scheduling Updates & Reminders Through March, counselors will meet individually with all

students to plan for their 2020-21 schedule.

Students will receive a pass to see their counselor from their

homeroom teacher. It is important that students have already

given thought to the courses they wish to take next year.

Parents are encouraged to play an active role in discussing

appropriate course selection with their children based on many

factors such as: workload, rigor and expectations, self-motivation,

time management/constraints, stress and anxiety, & outside

school commitments. Strive to find a healthy balance for social,

emotional, and academic success.

Be reminded of our internships for students, a non-paid, on-site

career exploration experience. This program allows the student to

observe and/or work with a mentor and gain insight into the

profession. Interested students must be interviewed and selected

for the program. These internships are available to sophomores,

juniors and seniors. Click here for Mrs. Nelson’s Internship page.

Parent Portals: The Pros and Cons of Instant Access Excerpts from the Poughkeepsie journal Click here for full article

How often should they check on grades, and what’s the best way to handle the real-time academic updates?

“My suggestion is for parents to not make themselves crazy checking every day,” said Nancy Hill, a developmental psychologist and education professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

“Too much information can make a parent overbearing rather than

facilitating their student’s sense of autonomy” and planning, she added. “It’s how parents use the information that becomes essential.”

Prepare for Junior Planning Conferences!

Your 4 year transcript is the most important piece of the college application

Begin to research colleges online, virtual tours and visit when you can

CHS offers preparatory courses for SAT and ACT at a discounted cost

Method Test Prep and Khan Academy offer free test prep

Continue to work on your Resume (aka Activity Resume) in Naviance

Begin to think about which teachers will write your letter of recommendation

Upcoming College Fairs

Commack High School College & Career Fair Wednesday, March 25

Commack High School Gymnasium 7:00 - 9:00 PM

Western Suffolk Counselors Association Sunday, April 26

Radisson Hotel, Hauppauge, NY 12:00 - 3:00 PM

East End Counselors Association Monday, April 27

Westhampton Beach High School TBD

Nassau Counselors Association Wednesday, April 22

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 5:30 - 8:30 PM

Mini College Day 2

March 17th, during periods 2 & 3

Students must register on their Naviance account

How to Wrap Advice as a Gift a Teenager Might Open

Click here for the NYTimes article

What Straight A students get Wrong

Click here for the NYTimes article

Expert Advice: 5 Tips for Parents Helping Teens with the College Search

Click here for article

Sophomores: 10th Grade Shadow Day— Thursday, April 23rd Meeting on Thursday, February 6th at 2:30pm in the Art Gallery

Shadow day provides 10th grade students with an opportunity to learn about a chosen career field and

the work world. During this experience, students will spend time with a local business person. This

mentor will share with the students the various responsibilities of their job and offer insight into skills,

education, and career pathways needed to secure gainful employment. Students should attend the

meeting on February 6th, 2:30pm in the Art Gallery to learn more about the event.

Questions? Contact Mrs. Nelson in the Counseling Center: dnelson@commack.k12.ny.us

Juniors: Juniors and their parents should have scheduled their individual

Junior Planning Conference with their counselor for this spring.

Learn about the college application process and important processing procedures.

Become reacquainted with Naviance, the program to help with college and career exploration.

Discuss standardized testing, the importance of your four year record (transcript), letters of

recommendation, your resume and more!

Learn about upcoming programs to assist with college applications and exploration, such as:

common application workshops, essay workshops, college search workshops.

Student Reminders

Seniors: Midyear Grades and Admissions Decisions

Is your college requesting mid-year grades? Are you awaiting an admission decision and would like to

highlight your continuous diligence to academics?

Print this Mid-year grade request form and bring it to Mrs. DeCicco in the Counseling Center.

Please let us know about all of your college admission decisions! Stop in to the Counseling

Center to bring copies of decisions or send your counselor an email with the information.

Freshmen: Community Service and Involvement Program

Be sure that you are continuing to work on your CSIP hours! 15 hours must be completed by the end of

9th grade. Click here for more information, forms and opportunities.

Within the next few weeks, 9th grade students will be sent passes to visit the Counseling Center and

plan for next year’s courses. Be prepared for these meetings by having conversations with your teachers

and looking for electives in the Curriculum Guide.

Information for Juniors and Seniors!

Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test (ASVAB) will be offered on March 5th.

The ASVAB test is a tool for assisting students in clarifying their abilities or interests and then matching these abilities or interests with possible career choices.

While this test is useful to students considering a military career, this information can also be used to help all students make informed career choices.

Click here to read the letter sent to all parents and students. See Ms. Sciacca in the Counseling Center to register for the exam.

Commack High School is Introducing a New Pathway for Students

CISCO: Introduction to Networking and Computer Repair Academy These courses present networking education to equip students with knowledge and skills that can be applied

toward entry-level information and communications (ICT) careers. Students who complete these courses will

be able to take the Cisco Certified Technician (CCT) certification or the CompTIA+ Certification, which

allows students to enter the workforce as a computer technician.

Click here to learn more about the certifications and pathways!

Interested in a Summer Externship with CISCO?

Click here to learn more and to view the application. Due date: 2/29/20

Past experiences include: Intro to Networking, Intro to Programming, Cybersecurity, History of Cisco, Personal

Branding, Professional Etiquette, Customer Visits and Persuasive Presentations

Commack High School College and Career Fair

Wednesday, March 25

7:00 – 9:00 pm

Representatives from over 100 colleges and universities will be available to give insight into pro-grams offered at their schools, and to provide guidance to parents and students.

Military personnel will be on hand to explore careers in the armed forces. Business leaders and professionals from the Commack area will also be available to answer

questions and offer advice about career paths. Representatives from various colleges’ Departments of Special Services and a variety of agencies

and organizations will provide students with education, employment, and recreational opportunities.

What are your Summer Plans?

There are a variety of options for high school students to keep busy during the summer months! Camps

and programs will help students to come together with like-minded peers who share the same passions

and interests, while broadening their horizons academically, personally and socially.

While there are many college programs to choose from, students can gain a fruitful experience by

volunteering or working in their own community. Summer programs and volunteerism are great

resume builders and demonstrate knowledge and skill when applying to college!

Benefits of summer programs or work experience:

1. Learn skills or academic content from positive role models

2. Development of self-reliance and independence

3. Activities, jobs or classes for all types of learners

4. Make new friends and connect with those with similar interests (and some with different ones!)

5. A time of exploration and growth

6. Experience life on a college campus (if academic program)

Free or Low Cost Summer Programs are out there! Click here to learn more.

Click here for the most up-to-date offerings that Commack High School

has put together for students in all grade levels.

“Summer is an opportune time to engage in activity

that will look appealing to a college admission

committee. While this will largely depend on your per-

sonality, some activities would include college summer

programs, volunteering, summer

employment, and more. The key here is to use your sum-

mer productively!”

~ Jessica Kowaleski

Associate Director of Admissions, Ithaca College

“The University of Tampa looks for students to be ac-tive and involved throughout the year and especially during the summer. The summer is a great time to get a job, be involved in community service, or take advantage of a great internship that can be used to help your career in the future.”

~ Anthony Pinto Assistant Director of Enrollment Management University of Tampa

“There are many opportunities other than academics

during the summer months that will enhance your college

applications as well as provide you with life-long learning.

Colleges today are placing great emphasis on how students

give back to their communities. Not only does this

demonstrate commitment to helping others, but it also

implies that students will continue to be active participants

in their new college campus communities. “

~Robert Pertusati, Director of Undergraduate Recruitment,

Stony Brook University Click here for full article

“Summer months are a critical time for high school students. It is a great time to shadow or volunteer in areas you may be interested in studying when going to college. Summer programs are also a great opportunity to gain depth into a major field that could become a future area of interest.”

~ Sunil Samuel Associate Vice President of Admission, Hofstra University