Meetings

DATE	LOCATION	TIME
September 6, 2023	Carmel Clay Public Library, Meeting Room C	1:00 p.m.
November 1, 2023	Carmel Clay Public Library, Meeting Room C	1:00 p.m.
February 7, 2024	Carmel Clay Public Library, Meeting Room C	1:00 p.m.
March 6, 2024	Carmel Clay Public Library, Meeting Room C	1:00 p.m.
May 1, 2024	Carmel Clay Public Library, Meeting Room C	1:00 p.m.

April 2023 Counseling Update

CHS PTO Counseling Update April 11, 2023

· March 1^st was the deadline for students to make changes to their 2023-24 course requests for any reason. Between March 2^nd and May 1^st, counselors can only make changes if there is room in a course. The final deadline to make schedule change requests for the entire 2023-34 school year is May 1^st, 2023. Limited reasons for schedule changes after May 1^st are listed in the Carmel High School Program of Studies.

· CHS Social Workers are working to support students in a number of ways, including:

o Meeting with students and families to provide support

o Connecting students and their families to community resources

o Coordinating with the PTO to provide food on the weekends for students through the Backpack Program.

o Organizing a mentoring program for identified students.

· 2023 Summer School Options: communication was sent home to CHS parents in early March about summer school options for the upcoming summer. A summary of that information follows:

o Students can enroll in a maximum of two summer courses regardless of platform.

o There is no cost associated with any of the summer school options listed below. (Indiana Online-online textbook fees may apply)

o Questions about summer school enrollment should be directed to your child’s counselor.

o CHS options: Online PE I OR PE II via Edmentum, May 30 - July 6

o Indiana Online Eligible Courses: June 5 – July 16

§ Any course the student has earned a grade of C+ or lower to improve their grade or need to recover credit

§ Math courses to get back on sequence, must be approved by counselor

§ IB diploma students who have questions about summer school should reach out to their counselor

§ Online textbook fees may apply

· CHS is collaborating with Zionsville Community HS to host a Skilled Trades Majors & Careers Fair on Tuesday, April 19^th from 6-8 p.m. at Zionsville Community HS in their Eagle Commons. The Skilled Trades Majors & Careers Fair aims to help local high school students discover and learn about a variety of educational and professional opportunities in the Skilled Trades, including construction, manufacturing, automotive/transportation, and military options. The fair will highlight education/training programs related to skilled trades careers as well as professionals and organizations hoping to share more about their career opportunities.

· In mid-March the College & Career Resource Center (CCRC) sent a recorded presentation to current juniors and their parents called Top 10 Things Juniors Can Do Before Senior Year. This presentation focuses on the things the Class of 2024 can be doing to prepare for the college application process and/or prepare for next steps after graduation. Juniors and their parents should continue to keep an eye out for more resources that we will roll out during the spring and summer to help support rising seniors in their post-high school planning.

· Financial Aid Process and Scholarship Resources

o The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) deadline in the State of Indiana is April 15^th. CHS Seniors received FAFSA information in October that included checklists for completing the FAFSA created by our partners at INvestEd Indiana. You can find these checklists and other resources on their website. Families can complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.gov.

o It’s scholarship season, and many local scholarship deadlines are approaching. Seniors can browse scholarship opportunities that they may wish to pursue in the Scholarship List located in their Naviance Student account. Scholarship information is updated frequently from November through April, and seniors are encouraged to check Naviance Student regularly. Seniors are also encouraged to take advantage of free online scholarship search tools. Students should never pay for a scholarship search service or tool.

o CHS Community Scholarship Night is scheduled for Tuesday, May 16^th starting at 6:30 p.m. in the CHS Auditorium. Seniors to be recognized at Community Scholarship Night will receive invitations to attend in early May. Carmel Education Foundation scholarships and many local scholarships are presented during this program, along with Military Academy appointments and ROTC scholarships.

o Scholarship Confirmation Forms: Seniors report your scholarship awards!

If your student has earned a scholarship, please submit a copy of the official confirmation letter, including the amount, to Mrs. Melinda Stephan or Mrs. Leah Owens in the counseling center. Please submit only those confirmed college scholarships for the school the student will be attending. All monetary information will remain confidential. Submission of confirmations will enable your student to be recognized in the graduation program. The last day to submit scholarship confirmations for recognition is Tuesday, May 2, 2023. Due to coordination and printing deadlines, any awards received after this date may not be included for recognition in the graduation program. The scholarship confirmation form will be sent to senior parents in early February and will be available in the Counseling Canvas Course.

· CHS College Advisors, Mrs. Ann Boldt and Mr. Pettibone, are busy meeting with students and families who want assistance with the college search and career exploration process. Collectively, we have helped/met with over 1100 students/parents since the school year started! Students in all grade levels are welcome to make an appointment. College Advisors are in the office on both Blue and Gold days. Students can request an appointment by completing an online request using the QR code below. Students can request that parents join these appointments when completing the request form.

· Don’t forget to use the following resources to learn more about the services and resources offered by the Counseling Department and the College & Career Resource Center (CCRC):

o Visit our website at www.ccs.k12.in.us/chs/counseling and the Counseling Canvas course

o Follow us on Twitter @CHSCollege411

o Follow us on Instagram @chscollegecareer

April 2023 Meeting Minutes

February 2023 Meeting Minutes

February 2023 Counseling Update

CHS PTO Counseling Update February 7, 2023

· February 6-10 is National School Counseling Week. The Counseling Department will be using this opportunity to share what they do at CHS with students, staff, and parents through e-mail communication and social media!

· February 13-17 is Mental Wellness Week at CHS. The theme for the week is “A Flicker of Hope: Shining a Light on Mental Health, and the goal is to promote mental wellness by offering fun theme days and activities to reduce stress and promote positive coping skills. Check out the CHS Counseling Twitter feed @counselingatchs for more details!

· CHS Counselors are currently working with juniors and current 8^th grade students to schedule their classes for 2023-24.

o 10-12 Counselors are meeting with juniors January 16 – February 15^th for individual advising meetings. Juniors received an email message on 1/11/22 from their counselor with instructions for scheduling their advising meeting. Counselors will ultimately schedule a meeting for those who don’t request one.

o Monday, January 9^th was Academic Transition Night for current 8^th grade students. All 8^th grade students were invited to join an 8^th Grade Transition to CHS Canvas Course which provides detailed information about the scheduling process.

Helpful Resources for Students and Parents to Review:

1. CANVAS: The Scheduling module in the Counseling Canvas course will walk students through all the information needed to select their courses and prepare for their advising meeting. All current CHS students have been invited to join the Counseling Canvas course, and parents may view it as observers.

2. Program of Studies: The Carmel High School Program of Studies provides course descriptions for all CHS Departments. This is a great place to start to understand all of the course options available to CHS students. The Program of Studies for the upcoming year is posted in the CHS Counseling Canvas course and on the CHS website under Academics.

3. Videos: Learn about Indiana graduation requirements as well as the wide variety of programs available at CHS by viewing our “Exploring Graduation Pathways and Other Programs at CHS” virtual resource. This is posted in the Counseling Canvas course and includes short informational videos on topics such as Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Career & Technical Education (CTE) options, AVID, and more.

· Enrollment for Private School Students

Enrollment for 8th grade private school students will be on February 8th and 9th, 2023. Private schools will be providing CHS with contact information on students wanting to enroll. The Counseling office will reach out with additional information to private school parents this month.

· CHS Social Workers are working to support students in a number of ways, including:

o Meeting with students and families to provide support

o Connecting students and their families to community resources

o Coordinating with the PTO to provide food on the weekends for students through the Backpack Program.

o Organizing a mentoring program for identified students.

· All CHS Juniors will take the SAT on March 1^st as part of the State of Indiana’s statewide testing accountability law. A message with details for the day and answers to commonly asked questions about the March SAT will be sent to all juniors and their parents in the coming week. Students in grades 9, 10, and 12 will have an E-Learning Day on March 1^st.

· The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opened on October 1^st! The deadline to complete the FAFSA in the State of Indiana is April 15^th, however some colleges require that it be submitted earlier for financial aid and scholarship consideration. Families can get help with the FAFSA at College Goal Sunday on Sunday, February 26, 2023 from 2-4 p.m. This is a statewide FAFSA completion event held at numerous sites throughout the state, where financial aid experts will be present to assist families with completing the FAFSA. Learn more at www.collegegoalsunday.org

· Seniors and Senior parents are invited to attend After the FAFSA: Finalizing College Financial Aid on Thursday, March 9^th at 6:30 p.m. in the CHS Community Room. This presentation by our partners at INvestEd Indiana will review how to understand what comes next after submitting the FAFSA, how to read financial aid notification letters and more!

· Local and private scholarship information are coming into the Counseling Office more frequently. Seniors can browse scholarship opportunities that they may wish to pursue in the Scholarship List located in their Naviance Student account. Scholarship information is updated frequently from November through April, and seniors are encouraged to check Naviance Student regularly. Specifically, the Carmel Education Foundation (CEF) offers over 100 local scholarships to CHS students. The CEF scholarship application is now open. The deadline to submit the CEF application is March 15^th. Don’t forget to “follow” us on Twitter or Instagram for scholarship updates!

· Carmel Education Foundation Scholarships

The Carmel Education Foundation (CEF) provides financial scholarships to at least 80 CHS seniors each year, ranging in value from $500- $6,000. CEF scholarships can be used for expenses related to college, certification, or trade school.

CHS Seniors are invited to review the CEF scholarship materials available at https://www.ccs.k12.in.us/foundation/scholarships/application-process. Here, they will find a directory outlining all scholarships and their criteria, application instructions, and the application link, which is now open. Applicants will be asked to create a profile and respond to a series of questions in a common application format to determine which scholarships they are eligible for. Once their general application is submitted, they will be directed to a list of scholarships for which they will be considered and asked to provide any additional required information. Approximately half of the scholarships require a short essay, and the prompts are listed in the directory found on the CEF website.

The CEF application deadline is Wednesday, March 15^th, at 5:00 p.m. All applicants will be contacted to verify their application content before they are notified of their application status on May 4, 2023. Scholarships will be presented at the CHS Community Scholarship Night on Tuesday, May 16, 2023. It is important to note that because CEF awards no more than one scholarship to a single student, they are truly spreading the wealth!

Questions about scholarship resources can be directed to your CHS Counselor or to Mrs. Stephan, College & Career Programming and Resources Coordinator at mstephan@ccs.k12.in.us

· Scholarship Confirmation Forms: Seniors report your scholarship awards!

If your student has earned a scholarship, please submit a copy of the official confirmation letter, including the amount, to Mrs. Melinda Stephan or Mrs. Leah Owens in the counseling center. Please submit only those confirmed college scholarships for the school the student will be attending. All monetary information will remain confidential. Submission of confirmations will enable your student to be recognized in the graduation program. The last day to submit scholarship confirmations for recognition is Tuesday, May 2, 2023. Due to coordination and printing deadlines, any awards received after this date may not be included for recognition in the graduation program. The scholarship confirmation form will be sent to senior parents in early February and will be available in the Counseling Canvas Course.

· Save the Date!

o Freshman/Sophomore College & Career Planning Night, February 16^th, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Starts in the CHS Auditorium

o After the FAFSA: Finalizing Financial Aid (for Seniors/Families), March 9^th, 6:30 p.m., CHS Community Room

o STEM Majors & Careers Fair, March 21^st, 6:00-8:00 p.m., CHS Freshman Cafeteria

· CHS College Advisors, Mrs. Ann Boldt and Mr. Pettibone, are busy meeting with students and families who want assistance with the college search and career exploration process. Collectively, we have meet with over 950 students/parents since the school year started! Students in all grade levels are welcome to make an appointment. Students can request an appointment by completing an online request using the QR code below. Students can request that parents join these appointments when completing the request form.

· Reminder: Be sure to join the Counseling Department Canvas course! All CHS students have been invited to join the Counseling Department Canvas course, and once students accept the invitation, parents can join as observers. The Canvas course includes resources and information aimed at supporting our students’ academic, social-emotional, and career development needs.

· Don’t forget to use the following resources to learn more about the services and resources offered by the Counseling Department and the College & Career Resource Center (CCRC):

o Visit the Counseling Department Canvas Course to access a variety of resources

o Follow the CHS Counseling Department on Twitter @counselingatchs

o Follow the CCRC on Twitter @CHSCollege411 or Follow the CCRC on Instagram @chscollegecareer

January 2023 Meeting Minutes

January 2023 Counseling Update

December 2022 Meeting Minutes

December 6th, 9:30am PTO Meeting Minutes

1. Senior Celebration- Patrice Dawson reported on the 3 weeks of special days & events
for the seniors in May. She informed on Senior Sunrise, Prizes & Spirit days. Seniors
will be celebrated over the month of May instead of one night like Gradfest. The
committee is beginning to look for sponsors. Feedback is needed from students &
parents to create events the students would enjoy. Senior Celebration is looking for
support from the CCS District and local businesses. (Suggested at meeting) reach out to
elementary & middle school pto for fundraising requests/ideas.

2. K. Nicole Harter-Bale on the PTO Coordinating Council district meeting. She discussed
DEI ideas to include all types of students in meetings and activities. When planning
making sure to take students different needs into account.

3. Vinayak gave a treasurer's report and discussed how the PTO currently buy spiritwear
and how finances have been handled within the spiritwear purchases. Changes need to
be made to vendor spiritwear process beginning January 1, 2023 due to new tax rules.
Pto Ex board will meet with the CCS CPA. Pto Ex Board will also meet to decide
changes to vendor ordering. The Business Entity Report was filed with the state for
2022. It is due every other year.

4. Jennifer Cassidy Backpack Report. Backpack program collected gift cards at Holiday
Spectacular. Holiday bags were sent home with students over Thanksgiving & Winter
Break.

5. Counseling Report was sent out via email this month.

December 2022 Counseling Update

November 2022 Meeting Minutes

November 2022 Counseling Update

CHS PTO Counseling Update November 1, 2022

· Scheduling Information for 2023-24

In November, counselors will begin individual advising meetings with students to schedule courses for the 2023-24 academic year. The Scheduling Information Module in the CHS Counseling Canvas course will provide students the general resources and information needed to select their 2023-2024 courses. We encourage parents and students to review the curricular opportunities available at CHS in order to maximize the student advising time with CHS counselors.

Advising Meetings

9th Graders:

Freshmen will meet individually with a Freshman Counselor in their English class during the month of November. Students are not required to schedule these appointment times.

10th Graders:

Sophomores will need to schedule their individual advising meeting with their counselor. Counselors have sent email to your child through their Naviance account with a link to set up this meeting through Google Calendar. Please encourage your student to complete this step in the scheduling process no later than November 6th.

11th Graders:

Juniors will not schedule with counselors until after Winter Break. Counselors will email Google Calendar links to students after we return to school in January.

Helpful Resources for Students and Parents to Review:

1. CANVAS: The Scheduling module in the Counseling Canvas course will walk students through all the information needed to select their courses and prepare for their advising meeting. All CHS students have been invited to join the Counseling Canvas course, and parents may view it as observers.

2. Program of Studies: The Carmel High School Program of Studies provides course descriptions for all CHS Departments. This is a great place to start to understand all of the course options available to CHS students. The Program of Studies for the upcoming year is posted in the CHS Counseling Canvas course and on the CHS website under Academics.

3. Videos: Learn about Indiana graduation requirements as well as the wide variety of programs available at CHS by viewing our “Exploring Graduation Pathways and Other Programs at CHS” virtual resource. This is posted in the Counseling Canvas course and includes short informational videos on topics such as Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Career & Technical Education (CTE) options, AVID, and more.

· Enrollment for Private School Students

Enrollment for 8th grade private school students will be on February 8th and 9th, 2023. Private schools will be providing CHS with contact information on students wanting to enroll. The Counseling office will reach out with additional information to private school parents in January 2023.

· CHS Social Workers are working to support students in a number of ways, including:

o Meeting with students and families to provide support

o Connecting students and their families to community resources

o Coordinating with the PTO to provide food on the weekends for students through the Backpack Program.

o Organizing a mentoring program for identified students.

· TESTING ACCOMMODATIONS

In March 2023, all JUNIORS will take the SAT during the school day. If your student has a 504 Plan or an IEP with testing accommodations, accommodations have been requested through the College Board. You should have received a letter indicating the approval or denial of accommodations along with an assigned SSD#. Any accommodations your student is approved for MUST be administered on the March 1 School-Day SAT. These accommodations will also be in place for any future SAT or AP tests. If any additions or deletions need to be made, the deadline for additional requests is January 10, 2023.

If your student has an IEP or 504 Plan with testing accommodations and will need testing accommodations for an ACT test, please indicate the need for accommodations during the ACT registration process. I will receive an email to make the accommodations request and you will be notified once that is approved or denied.

If your current freshman or sophomore has an IEP or 504 Plan with testing accommodations who will need testing accommodations for any AP exams in the spring, please complete this google form before the January 18^th deadline. (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSftcL9rgdpaWIAP1jqWsqdHqERlc0BC5hC89tM3vEWfIXwmng/viewform?usp=sf_link)

If your current FRESHMAN has an IEP or 504 Plan with testing accommodations who will need testing accommodations for the sophomore PSAT, please complete this google form by the end of the school year so the request can be submitted before the deadline of August 22, 2023. (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSftcL9rgdpaWIAP1jqWsqdHqERlc0BC5hC89tM3vEWfIXwmng/viewform?usp=sf_link)

If you have any questions about current or future testing accommodations, please contact Stephanie Payne at spayne@ccs.k12.in.us.

· Seniors should pay close attention to college application deadlines, especially those that must be met for full scholarship consideration from the schools to which they are applying. The next major deadlines are December 1^st and January 1^st. Seniors must use their Naviance Student account to request their transcripts and update their application submission status. Counselors ask for at least two weeks to process application materials requests and meet all deadlines. Requests for transcripts and other college application materials for deadlines that occur during the Winter Break, must be submitted no later than December 2^nd.

· The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opened on October 1^st! The deadline to complete the FAFSA in the State of Indiana is April 15^th, however some colleges require that it be submitted earlier for financial aid and scholarship consideration. CHS Seniors and parents wil receive an email message this week with FAFSA information and details about upcoming events to help with the process.

· Families can also get help with the FAFSA at College Goal Sunday on Sunday, November 6^th from 2-4 p.m. This is a statewide FAFSA completion event held at numerous sites throughout the state, where financial aid experts will be present to assist families with completing the FAFSA. Learn more at www.collegegoalsunday.org

· CHS will offer a FAFSA completion event on Thursday, November 17th from 4:30-7:00 p.m. in the CHS Media Center. CHS seniors and their parents can get help completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)…no matter where they are in the process. Our partners from INvestEd www.investedindiana.org will be available to help families navigate the FAFSA process. This is a first-come-first-served event, and families can come when it is most convenient for their schedules.

· Local and private scholarship information will begin to come into the Counseling Office more frequently. Seniors can browse scholarship opportunities that they may wish to pursue in the Scholarship List located in their Naviance Student account. Scholarship information is updated frequently from November through April, and seniors are encouraged to check Naviance Student regularly. Specifically, the Carmel Education Foundation (CEF) offers over 100 local scholarships to CHS students. The CEF scholarship application is now open. The deadline to submit the CEF application is March 15^th. Don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook or “follow” us on Twitter or Instagram for scholarship updates!

· CHS will host a Business Majors & Careers Fair, November 29^th, 6-8 p.m. in the Freshman Center Cafeteria. Students and families will have an opportunity to learn about business education and training programs as well as learn about business-related careers from professionals and employers. The event will be a fair format with the option to attend breakout sessions.

· Save the Date!

o Military Academy /ROTC Panel, January 31^st, 11:15-12:15 (SSRT) in the CHS Community Room

· CHS College Advisors, Mrs. Ann Boldt and Mr. Pettibone, are busy meeting with students and families who want assistance with the college search and career exploration process. Collectively, we have meet with over 700 students/parents since the school year started! Priority is currently given to seniors requesting appointments, but students in all grade levels are welcome to make an appointment. Students can request an appointment by completing an online request using the QR code below. Students can request that parents join these appointments when completing the request form.

· Reminder: Be sure to join the Counseling Department Canvas course! All CHS students have been invited to join the Counseling Department Canvas course, and once students accept the invitation, parents can join as observers. The Canvas course includes resources and information aimed at supporting our students’ academic, social-emotional, and career development needs.

· Don’t forget to use the following resources to learn more about the services and resources offered by the Counseling Department and the College & Career Resource Center (CCRC):

o Visit the Counseling Department Canvas Course to access a variety of resources

o Follow the CHS Counseling Department on Twitter @counselingatchs

Follow the CCRC on Twitter @CHSCollege411 or Follow the CCRC on Instagram @chscollegecareer

October 2022 Counseling Update

CHS PTO Counseling Update October 4, 2022

· 10-12 Counselors continue to meet individually with seniors to review diploma progress and to answer any questions seniors may have about their post-high school plans, including using their Naviance Student account to search for colleges and request college application materials such as transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc. 10-12 counselors will work throughout the fall semester to process requests for transcripts and other college application materials for CHS seniors. Please be reminded that there are many resources in the Counseling Canvas Course to help seniors navigate this process including a tutorial video highlighting how Naviance Student is utilized in these processes.

· Please welcome our newest CHS Social Worker, Kristy Tweedy! Kristy will be working with students assigned to the following counselors: Mr. McDonough, Ms. Harbor, Ms. Payne, and Ms. Stuelpe.

· CHS Social Workers are working to support students in a number of ways, including:

o Meeting with students and families to provide support

o Connecting students and their families to community resources

o Coordinating with the PTO to provide food on the weekends for students through the Backpack Program.

o Organizing a mentoring program for identified students.

· The Counseling Department is preparing for the administration of the PSAT/NMSQT for sophomores and juniors and the PSAT 8/9 for freshmen. The tests will be given on October 25^th during the morning hours. A message about options for seniors on PSAT day will be sent to parents soon.

· Please keep an eye out for information about the course scheduling process for the 2023-24 academic year in late-October and early-November. Current 9^th and 10^th grade students will be selecting their courses and meeting with their counselor in November/December. Current 8^th and 11^th grade students will be selecting their courses and meeting with counselors in January/February.

· Seniors should pay close attention to college application deadlines, especially those that must be met for full scholarship consideration from the schools to which they are applying. November 1^st, December 1^st, and January 1^st are popular deadlines, but some may occur as early as October 15^th. Seniors must use their Naviance Student account to request their transcripts and update their application submission status. Counselors ask for at least two weeks to process application materials requests. All deadlines will be met by counselors. Requests for transcripts and other college application materials for deadlines that occur during the Winter Break, must be submitted no later than December 2^nd.

· The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opened on October 1^st! The deadline to complete the FAFSA in the State of Indiana is April 15^th, however some colleges require that it be submitted earlier for financial aid and scholarship consideration. CHS Seniors and parents wil receive an email message this week with FAFSA information and details about upcoming events to help with the process.

· CHS will offer Financial Aid Night on Wednesday, October 26^th at 6:30 p.m. Our partners at INvestEd Indiana (www.investedindiana.org) will be sharing information about the financial aid process and completing the FAFSA. This program is open to all grades, but is most relevant for juniors and seniors. The program will take place in the Freshman Center Cafeteria.

· CHS will offer a FAFSA completion event on Thursday, November 17th from 4:30-7:00 p.m. in the CHS Media Center. CHS seniors and their parents can get help completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)…no matter where they are in the process. Our partners from INvestEd www.investedindiana.org will be available to help families navigate the FAFSA process. This is a first-come-first-served event, and families can come when it is most convenient for their schedules.

· Each year, over 100 college and university admissions representatives visit Carmel High School during the fall semester to share information about their campuses with our students. Participation in these visits is a convenient way for students to research colleges and make direct connections with admissions professionals. The visits occur during SSRT, and students in all grades are welcome and encouraged to sign-up. Students interested in participating in a college rep visit must sign-up through their Naviance account at least 24 hours in advance. A schedule of upcoming admission rep visits can be viewed from your student’s Naviance Student account.

· Save the Date!

o Business Majors & Careers Fair, November 29^th, 6-8 p.m. in the Freshman Center Cafeteria

o Military Academy /ROTC Panel, January 31^st, 11:15-12:15 (SSRT) in the CHS Community Room

· CHS College Advisors, Mrs. Ann Boldt and Mr. Pettibone, are busy meeting with students and families who want assistance with the college search and career exploration process. Collectively, we have meet with over 350 students/parents since the school year started! Priority is currently given to seniors requesting appointments, but students in all grade levels are welcome to make an appointment. Students can request an appointment by completing an online request using the QR code below. Students can request that parents join these appointments when completing the request form.

· Reminder: Be sure to join the Counseling Department Canvas course! All CHS students have been invited to join the Counseling Department Canvas course, and once students accept the invitation, parents can join as observers. The Canvas course includes resources and information aimed at supporting our students’ academic, social-emotional, and career development needs.

· Don’t forget to use the following resources to learn more about the services and resources offered by the Counseling Department and the College & Career Resource Center (CCRC):

o Visit the Counseling Department Canvas Course to access a variety of resources

o Follow the CHS Counseling Department on Twitter @counselingatchs

o Follow the CCRC on Twitter @CHSCollege411 or Follow the CCRC on Instagram @chscollegecareer

October 2022 Meeting Minutes

October PTO Meeting – October 4, 2022

Call to Order at 9:32 A.M.

Minutes from last meeting; need to transcribe September Meeting Notes for approval at next meeting where we will approve both the September and October Minutes.

Update from Karen McDaniels: Homecoming went great this year. Was a good week for students and families. Late September is a great time for holding this event. Next week is Mid-Term. No grades actually issued, but grades should be updated for Athletic eligibility by October 20.

Fall Break is end of next week. Ghost and Goblins Event is a 5K event on 10/27 which assists Carmel Education Fund.

PSAT is on October 25. Will be a Gold Day. Seniors do not have to come to school that day or can come in for half a day.

Treasurer update: PTO Membership Revenue is about $12K. Budget is $16K so we’re getting there. $24K in Ticket sales and will have a sizable profit. Have some hospitality expenses as well.

Backpack program update: Did two fundraisers: Marching Band and Soccer Event. Received lots of donations and gift cards. Room is in great shape. 64 kids on the list. Furnished Homecoming outfits for students in need.

Membership update: Added 10 more members. Still working on increasing numbers.

Homecoming update: Signage needs to be better regarding the dance. Working on a sponsor for drinks next year for small bottles of water and small cans of soda. DJ was very expensive so working on switching. Will raise ticket prices $5 to help cover costs. Had 1500-1800 students. Activities center made $500.

Top Scholars: April 17 at 7 PM in the new Auditorium.

Gradfest & Afterprom: Still discussing what these events will look like and still in the planning stages. Need volunteers for both events. Will have an update at the next Meeting.

New safety rules regarding volunteers will require parents to get a background check and to have a child in CHS. However, attendance at PTO meetings will not require a background check. There will be links to obtain background checks (subsidized by PTO if cost is a barrier) and a link to see if you previously had a background that is still valid so that you don’t have to generate a new one.

Hospitality: English Teachers and Police will be honored this coming month.

Counseling Update: Senior counselors are finishing up meetings with students. Making sure they are on track for graduation and post-high school plans. We have a new social worker, Christy Tweetie. College App and Essay Help Session is given the morning of the day the PSAT is going on.

Seniors should request from counselors all transcripts and recommendations two weeks prior to Winter Break so that there is time for that.

FAFSA opened on October 1, 2022. Finish it by Winter Break.

November 29 is a Business Majors and Careers Fair at CHS.

Next Meeting on November 8 at 6:30 P.M. in the Community Meeting. Use Door #7.

Meeting Adjourned at 10:24 A.M.

September 2022 Counseling Update

CHS PTO Counseling Update September 6, 2022

• Counselor Class Introductions: Students in all grades viewed a brief video specific to their grade at the start of SSRT on August 19th. The videos review steps for a successful year and ways that the CHS Counseling Department supports students. The links to those videos were sent home in a parent messenger and are posted in the Resources section of the Counseling Department Canvas course.

• Senior Meetings: Counselors will begin meeting individually with their seniors this week through early October. These meetings will include a final check on diploma requirements and a review of each student’s post-high school plans. Seniors were sent an email message from their counselor asking them to select an appointment time. In this message they were also reminded of key college application resources previously highlighted.

• CHS has identified Junior and Senior students who will benefit from taking the ASVAB in order to satisfy the post-secondary readiness requirement for graduation. Those students are scheduled to take the ASVAB on Thursday, Sept. 8th for purposes of using the score to satisfy graduation requirements. The ASVAB has proven to be a great opportunity for some students, as it provides an alternative to meeting the benchmarks on the SAT and ACT (which may also be used for graduation purposes.)

• The CHS Social Workers will continue to have one social worker dedicated to our 9th grade students and three social workers working with 10th-12th grade students. The social work team works to support the social and emotional needs of our students and works with families to provide information about community resources. Be sure to check out the CCS Virtual Mindfulness Room for the High School Community. This is a great resource for students and families looking for ways to develop coping skills and stress relief strategies.

• CHS Students can request an appointment with their counselor, a social worker, or the College and Career Resource Center online! They can use the QR code below to fill out a brief form indicating who they wish to see and a reason for the request. Submission of the request form generates an email message to the appropriate person, who will then follow-up with the student.

• Be sure to join the Counseling Department Canvas course! All CHS students have been invited to join the Counseling Department Canvas course, and once students accept the invitation, parents can join as observers. The Canvas course includes resources and information aimed at supporting our students’ academic, social-emotional, and career development needs.

September 2022 Meeting Minutes

April 2022 Meeting Minutes

K. Nicole Harter asks for discussion of minutes from March PTO. Kristin Bodey moves to approves, Regan Summers seconds – minutes approved

Updates from school – Karen McDaniel
1. ACE schedule
a. Listened to PTO, teachers, students - Finals week structure is different to allow for studying, changed due to PTO feedback- ½ day re-instituted – attendance required throught the 25th
b. No “finals” with weights more than 20%
2. Buses will still run as normal and study halls will be set up; lunch will run as usual
Updates from counseling – Melinda Stephan
1. Students can request updates for next year
2. Summer school signup – PE through CHS
3. Indiana Online – C+ or worse
4. SAT has occurred – makeup 13 April only for those who missed original test; only 21 of 1300 missed original- prioritized test and it worked
5. Virtual boot camp canvas course, worked great and will continue for rising juniors and seniors
6. Healthcare majors and career fair occurred
7. Skilled trade career fair coming up; topic prompts and questions included
8. FAFSA deadline is 18 April
9. Emails on counseling updates go to Naviance email – check with your student to ensure they are receiving them
Update from Vice President – K. Nicole Harter
10. Newsletter format changing next year to be more timely, at least 8 times annually
11. PTO outreach went well- thank you Kristin Bodey!
12. If there are any PTO members upcoming from other schools who might be interested in leadership, let us know
Update from Finance – Lin Wu
13. Ledger shows positive balance
Update from membership
14. Membership – 62% are opening the communications
Update from Backpack program – Jennifer Cassidy
15. Prom closet Monday – please donate new or very gently used accessories and clothing (no shoes)
16. Spring Break had backpack and family bag, including gift cards for shopping
17. Committee is in great shape for next year
Update from Hospitality – Regan Summers
18. Lots of positive feedback on the treats and support, including the pitch-in main didishes for the staff
19. Thank you for treats help for special ed staff
20. Custodians, maintenance, print shop for April
21. Committee in great shape for next year
22. Teacher Appreciation Week in May
Homecoming
23. Jennifer Goodspeed will help but need a new chair
Afterprom
24. Afterprom – everything is good to go
25. Prom tickets get students into both prom and afterprom
Senior Celebration - Gradfest
26. Email approved
27. Working on prizes
28. Fundraising coordinated with afterprom

Update from President - Wendy Harlow
32. Slate including bios; can vote via form or online; must be a PTO member to vote
33. Bylaws draft will be on the PTO site and voting will be via a google form
34. PTO outreach flyer will be on the website posted
35. May PTO meeting – thank you and recognition for outgoing board members
36. PTO coffee kickoff – meet teachers and administration in September

April 2022 Counseling Update

CHS PTO Counseling Update April 12, 2022

• March 1st is the deadline for students to make changes to their 2022-23 course requests for any reason. Between March 2nd and May 1st, counselors can only make changes if there is room in a course. The final deadline to make schedule change requests for the entire 2022-32 school year is May 1st, 2022. Limited reasons for schedule changes after May 1st are listed in the Carmel High School Program of Studies.

•   2022 Summer School Options: communication was sent home to CHS parents in early March about summer school options for the upcoming summer. A summary of that information follows:
o   Students can enroll in a maximum of two summer courses regardless of platform.
o   There is no cost associated with any of the summer school options listed below.
o   Questions about summer school enrollment should be directed to your child’s counselor.
o   CHS options: Online PE I OR PE II via Edmentum, May 31 - July 7
o   Indiana Online Eligible Courses: June 6 – July 17
   Any course the student has earned a grade of C+ or lower to improve their grade or need to recover credit
   Math courses to get back on sequence, must be approved by counselor
   IB diploma students who have questions about summer school should reach out to their counselor.

• CHS Social Workers are working to support students and families! The period after a break and leading up to the end of the school year can be a stressful and difficult time for students and families for a variety of reasons. Please remember that CHS Social Workers are here to help by collaborating with PTO to implement the backpack program; meeting individually with students to provide support for mental health, social-emotional needs, family crisis, and more; providing community resource information for families; and guiding students through organizational and academic concerns.

• All CHS Juniors took the SAT on March 2nd as part of the State of Indiana’s new statewide testing accountability law. Juniors who were absent on March 2nd are scheduled to complete a make-up SAT during the April re-testing window. A message with answers to commonly asked questions about the March SAT was sent to all juniors and their parents via email in late January. That document can be viewed at commonly asked questions document.

• Prior to spring break, the College & Career Resource Center (CCRC) sent a recorded presentation to current juniors and their parents called Top 10 Things Juniors Can Do Before Senior Year. This presentation focuses on the things the Class of 2023 can be doing to prepare for the college application process and/or prepare for next steps after graduation. Juniors and their parents should continue to keep an eye out for more resources that we will roll out during the spring and summer to help support rising seniors in their post-high school planning.

• The CHS College & Career Resource Center has created a Class of 2023 Virtual College Application Boot Camp Course in Canvas that covers every aspect of the college search and application process. All current CHS juniors will be invited to join the College Application Boot Camp Course after spring break. With this virtual format, you can work through the information, videos, and exercises on YOUR schedule as quickly or as slowly as you’d like! Summer would be an ideal time to work through this boot camp course in preparation for the Fall semester, when many students will be completing college applications. NOTE: there are no “assignments” or grades associated with the boot camp course, just a lot of useful information to help take the mystery out of the process.

• CHS will host a Skilled Trades Majors & Careers Fair on Tuesday, April 26th from 6-8 p.m. in the Freshman Center Cafeteria. On the evening of Tuesday, April 26th, CHS will host a Skilled Majors & Careers Fair to help students discover and learn about a variety of educational and professional opportunities in the Skilled Trades. This event is part of our popular Majors & Careers Fair program at CHS, and counselors in the College & Career Resource Center (CCRC) are excited to be able to offer this in-person program again. The fair will highlight education/training programs related to skilled trades careers as well as professionals and organizations hoping to share more about their career areas. Many of the opportunities represented at this fair do not require a 4-year degree in order to pursue them. A variety of breakout sessions on topics related to Skilled Trades careers will also be offered.

• Financial Aid Process and Scholarship Resources
o The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) deadline in the State of Indiana is now April 18th. CHS Seniors received FAFSA information in October that included checklists for completing the FAFSA created by our partners at INvestEd Indiana. You can find these checklists and other resources on their website. Families can complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.gov.

o It’s scholarship season, and many local scholarship deadlines are approaching. Seniors can browse scholarship opportunities that they may wish to pursue in the Scholarship List located in their Naviance Student account. Scholarship information is updated frequently from November through April, and seniors are encouraged to check Naviance Student regularly. Don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook or “follow” us on Instagram and Twitter for scholarship updates!

o Scholarship Confirmation Forms: Seniors report your scholarship awards! If your student has earned a scholarship, please submit a copy of the official confirmation letter, including the amount, to Mrs. Melinda Stephan or Mrs. Julie VanBuren in the counseling center. Please submit only those confirmed college scholarships for the school the student will be attending. All monetary information will remain confidential. Submission of confirmations will enable your student to be recognized in the graduation program. The last day to submit scholarship confirmations for recognition is Monday, May 2, 2022. Due to coordination and printing deadlines, any awards received after this date may not be included for recognition in the graduation program. The scholarship confirmation form is available in the Counseling Canvas Course.

•   Upcoming Spring Programing offered by the CCRC:
Please keep an eye out for information about the following upcoming programs offered by the CCRC during the spring semester. If you have any questions, please contact Melinda Stephan, College & Career Programming and Resources Coordinator at 317-571-5922 ext. 7482 or email at mstephan@ccs.k12.in.us
o   Juniors: Building Your College List Workshops during SSRT, April 12, 14, 18, 20.
o   Skilled Trades Majors & Career Fair, April 26th 6:00-8:00 p.m.

• CHS College Advisors, Mrs. Ann Boldt and Mr. Pettibone, are busy meeting with students and families who want assistance with the college search and career exploration process. Collectively, we have met with over 850 students/parents since the school year started! Students in all grade levels are welcome to make an appointment. College Advisors are in the office on both Blue and Gold days. Students can request an appointment by completing an online request using the QR code below. Students can request that parents join these appointments when completing the request form.

QRCodeforCollegeAdvisors.png

•   Don’t forget to use the following resources to learn more about the services and resources offered by the Counseling Department and the College & Career Resource Center (CCRC):
o   Visit our website at www.ccs.k12.in.us/chs/counseling and the Counseling Canvas course
o   Like us on Facebook at “Carmel High School College Counseling”
o   Follow us on Twitter @CHSCollege411
o   Follow us on Instagram @chscollegecareer

March 2022 Meeting Minutes

March 1, 2022 CHS PTO Board Meeting

Call to order and Welcome: 6:34 p.m.

ANNOUNCEMENT: GRADUATION is on May 26 at 7 PM at the Pepsi Coliseum.

President: (Wendy Harlow): Good turnout for evening meeting. Will also meet in the evening in May. In April, we’ll meet in the morning as usual.

Secretary (Camille Nicodemus): Minutes from February meeting Approved by motion from Nicole Harter-Bale and seconded by Leslie Simich.

Associate Principal Karen McDaniel: Tomorrow is SAT day. 9, 10 and 12^th graders will be home and only 11^th graders will be in the school. Students can leave campus after the Test or stay and go to Study Hall. The Principal is retiring and they are looking at number of qualified candidates. School has moved to mask optional; some students and teachers are wearing masks. Message is that it is each person’s individual’s choice. Raised $510K at the Marathon over the weekend. Science Bowl and Science Olympiad won their competitions. World Quest academic group placed in Top 6 for the first time and one team is going to Washington D.C.

Counseling Update: By Melinda Stephan. Last day to make any changes to schedules for next year. Social workers continue to support students in the school. A flyer went out about the SAT and what it means for post-secondary education. Local College Fair coming up w/ over 100 colleges and universities in attendance. Includes Indiana colleges and Midwest colleges. Next Wednesday March 9 at Grant Park Event Center, 6 to 8 PM. March 24 for Health Care Careers. Lots of resources for scholarships including the Carmel Education Foundation application which has a March 15 deadline. If your student receives a scholarship from a college, please let CHS know so that they can recognize those (without details) at graduation. Thursday March 3 for Senior parents from 6:30 to 8:00 in the Community Room called After the FAFSA which helps with financing for college and how to understand the communications you get from colleges. If you need help with academic or social/emotional support of college/career go to the Counseling Office.

Treasurer Report: By Lin Wu. Not present. Given by Wendy Harlow. Will post it up on the website.

Vice President (Nicole Harter-Bale): One more newsletter this year; April 13 is the deadline for articles. Different model for publishing the Newsletter next year with the goal being to retain sponsorships to generate revenue. If you have any articles for the Newsletter, contact her at CHSPTONewslettergmail.com.

Membership Chair (Kristin Bodey): No news. Same 435 Members.

Gradfest Update (Kimberli Boston-Smith): 8 new members for a total of 14 people on the Team. Working to get the Team going with the new people and determining who will do what next year.

Backpack Program Update (Jennifer Cassidy): Have scheduled the Prom Closet for April. A call is going out for girls’ accessories. Shoulder wraps, jewelry and purses. Door 19 during school hours. Boys supply also needs stocking for Homecoming in the Fall. Shoes, shirts, pants.

Social Media (Lisa Pelligrino): Has met with the After Prom Team to work on a theme which is Hollywood Nights and they will promote and following the Homecoming model for activities in the Fieldhouse and food, etc. Prom is 8 to 11; After Prom is 11 to 2.

Hospitality (Regan Summers): Teacher Treats needs a few volunteers on March 24 to put together treat bags. In March, the Staff has a party and they will sponsor their main course for that event. Discussion of having an earlier to access Donation button on the PTO Website and have donations go to a particular program.

Scholastic Banquet (Karen Tullai): Given by Wendy Harlow. Top Scholars have been announced by email to parents and students. Needs volunteers to help deliver signs and plaques. Contact her through the PTO website and let her know your Zip Code. KTullai@gmail.com.

President (Wendy Harlow): Will be voting on a new slate for the leadership positions. Will post a draft of the By-Laws by March 14 and approve at the April PTO Meeting. Drafted the By-Laws by reviewing PTO By-Laws from Carmel Middle Schools and North Central and Zionsville High Schools and looked at some large schools from around the country. Biggest change is the process for how we elect the Officers and some term limits. Also have not had continuity. So in some positions we had a revolving door and in others people stayed in for a number of years. We are eliminating the Past-President Position and add a President-Elect position. The purpose of the Past President position was to assist the new President. Used to be that the VP was the President the next year. The President-Elect will move up to President the next year. In order to get momentum and continuity each position is 1 year with renewal for 1 year. Social Media Chair will also do the Newsletter and the Website, rather than have those spread out. The Social Media Chair will be the Communications Chair going forward. Succession plan for Chairs should include a Co-Chair so that person can become the Chair the following year. The succession plan should begin early enough to hand over the wheel. One additional position to be added is the Events/Fundraising Chair will coordinate the signature events, working with the Homecoming Chair, After Prom Chair and GradFest Chair and Top Scholar Chair to assure that resources are smooth, timing coordination etc. works for all of the events. Other changes to the ByLaws are that the dues will continue to be optional. Schedule and Budget will be set by the Leadership Team before the end of the previous schoolyear.

Open Positions are: Events/Fundraising Chair. Communications Chair.

Question: Exec Committee is having Term Limits but what about Committee Chairs?

Wendy Harlow answered: Committee Chairs can continue as long as they want. The Term Limits are not necessarily forced, but will allow for succession planning.

Concluded at 7:30 p.m.

March 2022 Counseling Update

CHS PTO Counseling Update March 1, 2022

· March 1^st is the deadline for students to make changes to their 2022-23 course requests for any reason. Between March 2^nd and May 1^st, counselors can only make changes if there is room in a course. The final deadline to make schedule change requests for the entire 2022-32 school year is May 1^st, 2022. Limited reasons for schedule changes after May 1^st are listed in the Carmel High School Program of Studies.

· CHS Social Workers are working to support students and families! The winter months can be a stressful and difficult time for students and families. Please remember that CHS Social Workers are here to help by collaborating with PTO to implement the backpack program; meeting individually with students to provide support for mental health, emotional needs, family crisis, and more; providing community resource information; guiding students through organizational and academic concerns.

· All CHS Juniors will take the SAT on March 2^nd as part of the State of Indiana’s new statewide testing accountability law. Only juniors will be in attendance on March 2^nd. All other students will be participating in an e-learning day. A message with answers to commonly asked questions about the March SAT was sent to all juniors and their parents via email in late January. That document can be viewed at commonly asked questions document.

· Upcoming Local College Fair! On Wednesday, March 9^th CHS students have an opportunity to take advantage of the Greater Indianapolis Northside College Fair to be held at the Grand Park Events Center from 6:00-8:00 p.m. The event is sponsored by a group of high schools on Indy’s Northside as a way to provide access to college information for local students. Over 100 colleges/universities will be represented at the fair! The event is FREE, and students in all grade levels are welcome to attend. College fairs are an effective way to get information about many colleges in one place and in a relatively short period of time. No matter where you are in your post-high school planning process, we encourage you to take advantage of this chance to gather information, ask questions, and make connections with college representatives. Of course, parents are encouraged to attend too! Students are encouraged to register for the fair in advance at StriveFair.com. Registered students will receive a barcode that they can bring with them to the college fair in order to share their information electronically with admission reps.

· In mid-March the College & Career Resource Center (CCRC) will be sending a recorded presentation to current juniors and their parents called Top 10 Things Juniors Can Do Before Senior Year. This presentation will focus on the things the Class of 2023 can be doing to prepare for the college application process and/or prepare for next steps after graduation. Juniors and their parents should continue to keep an eye out for more resources that we will roll out during the spring and summer to help support rising seniors in their post-high school planning.

· CHS will host a Healthcare Majors & Careers Fair on Thursday, March 24^th from 6-8 p.m. in the Freshman Center Cafeteria. On the evening of Thursday, March 24^th, CHS will host a Healthcare Majors & Careers Fair to help students discover and learn about a variety of educational and professional opportunities in the Healthcare field. This event is part of our popular Majors & Careers Fair program at CHS, and counselors in the College & Career Resource Center (CCRC) are excited to be able to offer this in-person program again. The fair will highlight college/university academic programs related to healthcare in Indiana and surrounding states. A variety of breakout sessions on topics related to healthcare professions will also be offered.

· Financial Aid Process and Scholarship Resources

o The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) deadline in the State of Indiana is April 15^th. CHS Seniors received FAFSA information in October that included checklists for completing the FAFSA created by our partners at INvestEd Indiana. You can find these checklists and other resources on their website. Families can complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.gov.

o Seniors and Senior parents are invited to attend After the FAFSA: Finalizing College Financial Aid on Thursday, March 3^rd at 6:30 p.m. in the CHS Community Room. This presentation by our partners at INvestEd Indiana will review how to understand what comes next after submitting the FAFSA, how to read financial aid notification letters and more!

o The Carmel Education Foundation (CEF) offers over 100 local scholarships to CHS seniors. The scholarship application opened on December 18^th. The deadline to submit the CEF application is March 15^th. Information can be found at: http://www1.ccs.k12.in.us/foundation/Scholarships

o It’s scholarship season, and new local scholarship information continues to come into the Counseling Office. Seniors can browse scholarship opportunities that they may wish to pursue in the Scholarship List located in their Naviance Student account. Scholarship information is updated frequently from November through April, and seniors are encouraged to check Naviance Student regularly. Don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook or “follow” us on Instagram and Twitter for scholarship updates!

o Scholarship Confirmation Forms: Seniors report your scholarship awards! If your student has earned a scholarship, please submit a copy of the official confirmation letter, including the amount, to Mrs. Melinda Stephan or Mrs. Julie VanBuren in the counseling center. Please submit only those confirmed college scholarships for the school the student will be attending. All monetary information will remain confidential. Submission of confirmations will enable your student to be recognized in the graduation program. The last day to submit scholarship confirmations for recognition is Monday, May 2, 2022. Due to coordination and printing deadlines, any awards received after this date may not be included for recognition in the graduation program. The scholarship confirmation form is available in the Counseling Canvas Course.

· Upcoming Spring Programing offered by the CCRC:

Please keep an eye out for information about the following upcoming programs offered by the CCRC during the spring semester. If you have any questions, please contact Melinda Stephan, College & Career Programming and Resources Coordinator at 317-571-5922 ext. 7482 or email at mstephan@ccs.k12.in.us

o Career Exploration: Self Discovery Workshops during SSRT, February 24, March 7, 11, and 15.

o After the FAFSA: Finalizing Financial Aid, March 3^rd 6:30-8:00 p.m.

o Healthcare Majors & Careers Fair, March 24^th 6:00-8:00 p.m.

o Juniors: Building Your College List Workshops during SSRT, April 12, 14, 18, 20.

o Skilled Trades Majors & Career Fair, April 26^th 6:00-8:00 p.m.

· CHS College Advisors, Mrs. Ann Boldt and Mr. Pettibone, are busy meeting with students and families who want assistance with the college search and career exploration process. Collectively, we have met with over 750 students/parents since the school year started! Students in all grade levels are welcome to make an appointment. College Advisors are in the office on both Blue and Gold days. Students can request an appointment by completing an online request using the QR code below. Students can request that parents join these appointments when completing the request form.

· Don’t forget to use the following resources to learn more about the services and resources offered by the Counseling Department and the College & Career Resource Center (CCRC):

o Visit our website at www.ccs.k12.in.us/chs/counseling and the Counseling Canvas course

o Like us on Facebook at “Carmel High School College Counseling”

o Follow us on Twitter @CHSCollege411

o Follow us on Instagram @chscollegecareer

February 2022 Meeting Minutes

February 1, 2022 CHS PTO Board Meeting

Call to order and Welcome: 9:35 a.m.

President Update: If you are interested in the VP position or any other Board Position or Committee Chair, please contact the Nominating Committee at CHS.PTO.VicePresident@gmail.com. Draft Bylaws will be available at the March Meeting for discussion. Working from the Bylaws of several other schools in Carmel. We’ve talked about the timing of this meeting and whether it’s convenient to have evening meetings and alternate between morning and evening meetings. Some people think evening meetings would be better. Others think that evenings are too busy. Wi-Fi is a problem and we cannot Zoom b/c the School doesn’t really have the capacity to do that. We post the PTO Meetings at the start of the year so we could give people notice if we are going to alternate Meeting times. Next Meeting is March 1^st and we’ll try to do it in the evening at 6:30 or 7:00. Check https://www.ccs.k12.in.us/pto-chs/meetings.

Treasurer Report: By Lin Wu. Not present. No Update.

Membership Chair (Kristin Bodey): 430 Members currently. Going to continue to not have dues be required b/c it allows for greater membership and others who have joined have generously covered the cost of dues for those who can’t pay. Membership Chair and VP plan to go to the 8^th Grade end of year PTO Meetings at Carmel-Clay Middle Schools to solicit members of the CHS PTO. Wendy goes to leadership meetings as well which is a good opportunity to get people involved in the PTO. Considering a flyer to share with those PTOs from the Middle Schools.

Gradfest Update (Kimberli Boston-Smith): Had a meeting where they were able to do some planning and has a list of people for the Team and will report back. We are going to do a Gradfest and an AfterProm as well.

President (Wendy Harlow): Events Discussion. We need to be really coordinated with events. Homecoming does not present a conflict but with Gradfest and AfterProm we’re going to have those 2 chairs work together with those events being only a couple of weeks apart. We’ve discussed having an Events and Fundraising Chair who can help be proactive with fundraising and a birds’ eye view of all the events so that it’s done in a more coordinated and effective way.

Backpack Program Update (Jennifer Cassidy): Feedback from the staff is that the clothing closet doesn’t need much, but the most popular things are Carmel gear and girls’ black leggings. Those things go the fastest, so if you can donate either of those, please do.

President (Wendy Harlow): Annual Breakfast Discussion. Annual breakfast for the Staff/Volunteers and Administrators has historically been done, but it was suggested that it occur earlier in the year b/c in the past it occurred later in the year (May) when people are starting to be checked out. Discussed moving it to September next year. Also discussed doing two events: one earlier in the year for meeting the Administrators and Staff and one later in the year to thank Volunteers.

For current committee Chairs:

Please let Wendy know who is on your Committee for the upcoming year and let her know your needs. Do you need a co-Chair or addition Sub-Committee Chairs so that PTO Leadership can recruit for those as well.

Scholastic Banquet (Karen Tullai): Date will be April 19. The Tuesday after Spring Break. Last year’s event was just the Seniors and their Mentors and it was more intimate than in past year. Juniors and Sophomores were recognized but not at that event and it worked out well. The event was less expensive than in years past, but was actually better and the students appreciated it because it was right before AP Exams and it didn’t take nearly as long as before so it was shorter and less of a financial drain on the PTO.

Associate Principal Karen McDaniel (not present – update given by Wendy Harlow): Roundabout Update: The roundabout will begin May and conclude in August. The School will be working with the City regarding access to and from through nearby streets. SAT Update: All Juniors will be on campus on March 2 to take the test, minus the essay portion. More details will be shared in the next two weeks. All other students will be on a virtual day. Test will conclude at 1 PM or so, but not sure if they will do lunch and then send students home on busses, but updates will be given as soon as they know. The March 2 SAT is being mandated by the State of Indiana, not CHS. They are expected to give a makeup Test if a student is not there on that day. It does not matter what you get on the SAT for graduation purposes. You can satisfy the Graduation Pathways requirements with the SAT, but the State has not established the cut scores for the accountability score for the State. Not sure if those will be the same.

Counseling Update: By Melinda Stephan. This week is Mental Wellness Week. They have a Theme Day every day this week. Today is Destination Day. Will have Therapy Dogs in the school later this week. National School Counseling Week will be an opportunity to meet Counselors in the school and discuss things. Continue to schedule students. Financial Aid and Scholarships are front and center right now. They are on Naviance and Social Media. Carmel Education Foundation is the best source of local scholarships for CHS Students. March 15 is the Deadline for that. New scholarship with State Bank of Indiana. It’s an entrepreneurship scholarship. Pitch a business idea and winner will get a $2,000 scholarship. An email will go to Senior parents regarding what kind of scholarships they have received. They will not list individual amounts but will announce the total scholarship funds received by CHS Students. Lots of upcoming programming in the Spring. Finalizing financial aid for Seniors. There will be information about what to do after FAFSA: check email and portals because that’s how schools will communicate regarding scholarships.

President (Wendy Harlow): Taste of Carmel event: They are looking for 10 photos of things going on around CHS. Please send to Wendy by February 10 and she will collect them for the event.

Question: There was a typo in the Graduation Program last year regarding a Technical Honors degree and a parent wanted to know if students are required to proofread that or have a chance to do that. Melinda Stephan answered: that document is not provided to the students but they do ask them to check the spelling of their name and also to provide pronunciation for Graduation.

Concluded at 10:14 a.m.

January and February 2022 Minutes are posted on the Website and will be presented for approval at the March meeting.

February 2022 Counseling Update

CHS PTO Counseling Update February 1st, 2022

· January 31-February 4 is Mental Wellness Week at CHS. The theme for the week is “Just Keep Swimming” and the goal is to promote mental wellness by offering fun theme days and activities to reduce stress and promote positive coping skills. Check out the CHS Counseling Twitter feed @counselingatchs for more details!

· February 7-11 is National School Counseling Week. The Counseling Department will be using this opportunity to share what they do at CHS with students, staff, and parents through e-mail communication and social media!

· CHS Counselors are currently working with juniors and current 8^th grade students to schedule their classes for 2022-23.

o 10-12 Counselors will meet with juniors January 18 – February 15^th for individual advising meetings. Juniors received an email message on 1/11/22 from their counselor with instructions for scheduling their advising meeting. Counselors will ultimately schedule a meeting for those who don’t request one.

o Monday, January 10^th was Academic Transition Night for current 8^th grade students. All 8^th grade students were invited to join an 8^th Grade Transition to CHS Canvas Course which provides detailed information about the scheduling process.

Helpful Scheduling Resources for Students and Parents to Review:

· CANVAS: A Scheduling Information Module in the CHS Counseling Canvas Course walks students through all the information needed to select their courses and prepare for their advising meeting. All CHS students have been invited to join the Counseling Canvas course, and parents may view it as observers.

· Program of Studies: The Carmel High School Program of Studies provides course descriptions for all CHS Departments.

· Virtual Event Recording: Learn about Indiana graduation requirements as well as the wide variety of programs available at CHS by viewing our “Exploring Graduation Pathways and Other Programs at CHS” virtual resource. This is available in the Counseling Canvas course and includes short informational videos on topics such as Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Career & Technical Education (CTE) options, AVID, and more.

· Important Scheduling Deadlines:

Feb. 1st Applications are due for all courses that require an application or special approval. (A list of courses requiring applications is available in the Scheduling Information Module in Canvas.)

March 1st Deadline to request a course change for next year before waitlists are

created.

· CHS Social Workers are working to support students and families! The winter months can be a stressful and difficult time for students and families, especially during a Global Pandemic. Please remember that CHS Social Workers are here to help by collaborating with PTO to implement the backpack program; meeting individually with students, in person and virtually, to provide support for mental health, emotional needs, family crisis, and more; providing community resource information; and guiding students through organizational and academic concerns.

· AP exam registration for spring-only courses (Government, Comparative Government, and Economics) will begin in early February. AP teachers in these courses are taking students through the process of signing up for AP Classroom on the College Board website prior to exam registration. Students in these courses (and their parents) will receive information via email about exam registration in the coming weeks.

· All CHS Juniors will take the SAT on March 2^nd as part of the State of Indiana’s new statewide testing accountability law. A message with answers to commonly asked questions about the March SAT was sent to all juniors and their parents via email on January 25^th. That document can be viewed at commonly asked questions document.

· The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opened on October 1^st! CHS Seniors received FAFSA information in October that included checklists for completing the FAFSA created by our partners at INvestEd Indiana. You can find these checklists and other resources on their website. Families can complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.gov.

· Get help completing the FAFSA at the upcoming College Goal Sunday in the State of Indiana –Sunday, February 27^th at 2:00 p.m. College Goal Sunday provides Indiana college-bound seniors and their families an opportunity to receive assistance with completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Volunteers (many of whom are from college financial aid offices) will walk you through the process of completing the FAFSA and answer your questions. For further information about College Goal Sunday visit the website at www.collegegoalsunday.org.

· Seniors and Senior parents are invited to attend After the FAFSA: Finalizing College Financial Aid on Thursday, March 3^rd at 6:30 p.m. in the CHS Community Room. This presentation by our partners at INvestEd Indiana will review how to understand what comes next after submitting the FAFSA, how to read financial aid notification letters and more!

· It’s scholarship season, and local scholarship information is beginning to come into the Counseling Office more frequently. Seniors can browse scholarship opportunities that they may wish to pursue in the Scholarship List located in their Naviance Student account. Scholarship information is updated frequently from November through April, and seniors are encouraged to check Naviance Student regularly. Specifically, the Carmel Education Foundation (CEF) offers over 100 local scholarships to CHS students. The CEF scholarship application opened on December 17^th. The deadline to submit the CEF application is March 15^th. Don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook or “follow” us on Twitter or Instagram for scholarship updates!

· Scholarship Confirmation Forms: Seniors report your scholarship awards! If your student has earned a scholarship, please submit a copy of the official confirmation letter, including the amount, to Mrs. Melinda Stephan or Mrs. Julie VanBuren in the counseling center. Please submit only those confirmed college scholarships for the school the student will be attending. All monetary information will remain confidential. Submission of confirmations will enable your student to be recognized in the graduation program. The last day to submit scholarship confirmations for recognition is Monday, May 2, 2022. Due to coordination and printing deadlines, any awards received after this date may not be included for recognition in the graduation program. The scholarship confirmation form is available in the Counseling Canvas Course.

· Upcoming Spring Programing offered by the CCRC:

Please keep an eye out for information about the following upcoming programs offered by the CCRC during the spring semester. If you have any questions, please contact Melinda Stephan, College & Career Programming and Resources Coordinator at 317-571-5922 ext. 7482 or email at mstephan@ccs.k12.in.us

o Freshman/Sophomore College & Career Planning Night, February 17^th 6:30-8:30 p.m.

o Career Exploration: Self Discovery Workshops during SSRT, February 24, March 7, 11, and 15.

o After the FAFSA: Finalizing Financial Aid, March 3^rd 6:30-8:00 p.m.

o Healthcare Majors & Careers Fair, March 24^th 6:00-8:00 p.m.

o Juniors: Building Your College List Workshops during SSRT, April 12, 14, 18, 20.

o Skilled Trades Majors & Career Fair, April 26^th 6:00-8:00 p.m.

· CHS College Advisors, Mrs. Ann Boldt and Mr. Pettibone, are busy meeting with students and families who want assistance with the college search and career exploration process. Collectively, we have met with over 600 students/parents since the school year started! Students in all grade levels are welcome to make an appointment. College Advisors are in the office on both Blue and Gold days. Students can request an appointment by completing an online request using the QR code below. Students can request that parents join these appointments when completing the request form.

· Don’t forget to use the following resources to learn more about the services and resources offered by the Counseling Department and the College & Career Resource Center (CCRC):

o Visit the Counseling Canvas Course to see a variety of resources

o Make use of the CHS Virtual Mindfulness Room

o Like us on Facebook at “Carmel High School College Counseling”

o Follow us on Twitter @CHSCollege411 and @counselingatchs

o Follow us on Instagram @chscollegecareer

January 2022 Meeting Minutes

January 4, 2022 CHS PTO Meeting

Previous meetings minutes were approved

1st Nicole Harter-Bale
2nd Patrice Dawson

Noted that participation was down quite a bit this month. Possibly due to COVID and time of year. Because of this, we may delay the January meeting next year by a week and may also change the start time of PTO meetings to 10AM. It was also discussed that we try to possibly include an evening meet time and utilize Zoom meetings again. We are working on the technology aspect of this proposal.

Notes from Karen McDaniel:

Obviously, a COVID surge is occurring, but will stay status quo as far as CDC recommendations.

Roundabout at 4th and Main will commence THIS summer after school ends in May with a completion expected prior to the 2022-23 school year begins. The City is working with CCS and the CCPL to make this as safe as possible for the high amount of pedestrians utilizing the area.

The library is expected to open in October!

SAT and juniors.....is it mandatory that ALL juniors take the SAT on March 2. Freshman, sophomores and seniors will have an e-Learning day instead of in person.

There is a Winter Formal planned by Student Government on January 21.

Committee Reports:

PTO President Wendy Harlow urged anyone interested in Board or Chair positions to please contact her or any other member. We are working on filling positions for next school year. The PTO is also in the process of creating by-laws with one being that the new leadership team is named by March of each year Donations are wonderful and appreciated, but we can't do it without people.

It was brought up by Karen McDaniel to possibly have the PTO President position be a 2 year commitment or one year with the option of a second year. This would help continuity of the Board and ongoing projects.

Please feel free to offer advice on any of these topics. The PTO is listening to you.

Vice President:

VP Nicole Harter-Bale stated that the cafeterias at CHS are greatly understaffed and need more employees to safely and quickly get the students lunch. If you or anyone you know is looking for a part time job, please consider CHS.

Treasury Report:

Membership: no updates

Hospitality: Sincere thanks to those who donate to the Teacher Appreciation groups each month. We get great feedback from the teachers receiving them! It's Foreign Language and the Nursing Dept. this month. The nurses have been working exceptionally hard with our students! Not an easy time to be a nurse. Thank you, Nurses!!

Backpack Program: doing great and donations are greatly appreciated.

Scholastic: no updates

After Prom: Lisa Pelligrino is working on this and more details, etc to follow.

GradFest: Kimberli Boston is looking for a replacement. Please consider working on this wonderful celebration for our seniors. She is willing to mentor and train those interested.

Counseling: Counselors are continuing to work with students on registering for next year's classes. The Canvas Scheduling Module is extremely useful. Please utilize this to find out information on numerous activities happening in the counseling department. Make sure to check the deadlines for AP Test registrations. FAFSA applications need to be completed soon. It's scholarship season and the CEF alone has over 100 scholarships available. Speaking of the CEF, their biggest fundraiser of the year is "Taste of Carmel" on March 3rd. Please consider attending this delicious fundraiser! Please go to TasteofCarmelIndiana.com for all the information on this wonderful event! College and Career groups are coming back to the campus, including Military Day, Healthcare and Skilled trades. Please check the counseling website for more information.

January 2022 Counseling Update

CHS PTO Counseling Update January 11, 2022

· CHS Counselors are currently working with juniors and current 8^th grade students to schedule their classes for 2022-23.

o 10-12 Counselors will meet with juniors January 18 – February 15^th for individual advising meetings. Juniors received an email message on 1/11/22 from their counselor with instructions for scheduling their advising meeting. Counselors will ultimately schedule a meeting for those who don’t request one.

o Monday, January 10^th was Academic Transition Night for current 8^th grade students. All 8^th grade students were invited to join an 8^th Grade Transition to CHS Canvas Course which provides detailed information about the scheduling process.

Helpful Scheduling Resources for Students and Parents to Review:

· CANVAS: A Scheduling Information Module in the CHS Counseling Canvas Course walks students through all the information needed to select their courses and prepare for their advising meeting. All CHS students have been invited to join the Counseling Canvas course, and parents may view it as observers.

· Program of Studies: The Carmel High School Program of Studies provides course descriptions for all CHS Departments. This is a great place to start to understand all of the course options available to CHS students.

· Virtual Event Recording: Learn about Indiana graduation requirements as well as the wide variety of programs available at CHS by viewing our “Exploring Graduation Pathways and Other Programs at CHS” virtual resource. This is available in the Counseling Canvas course and includes short informational videos on topics such as Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Career & Technical Education (CTE) options, AVID, and more.

· Important Scheduling Deadlines:

Feb. 1st Applications are due for all courses that require an application or special approval. (A list of courses requiring applications is available in the Scheduling Information Module in Canvas.)

March 1st Deadline to request a course change for next year before waitlists are created.

· CHS Social Workers are working to support students and families! The winter months can be a stressful and difficult time for students and families, especially during a Global Pandemic. Please remember that CHS Social Workers are here to help by collaborating with PTO to implement the backpack program; meeting individually with students, in person and virtually, to provide support for mental health, emotional needs, family crisis, and more; providing community resource information; and guiding students through organizational and academic concerns.

· AP exam registration for spring-only courses (Government, Comparative Government, and Economics) will begin in early February. AP teachers in these courses are taking students through the process of signing up for AP Classroom on the College Board website prior to exam registration. Students in these courses (and their parents) will receive information via email about exam registration in the coming weeks.

· The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opened on October 1^st! CHS Seniors received FAFSA information in October that included checklists for completing the FAFSA created by our partners at INvestEd Indiana. You can find these checklists and other resources on their website. Families can complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.gov.

· Get help completing the FAFSA at the upcoming College Goal Sunday in the State of Indiana –Sunday, February 27^th at 2:00 p.m. College Goal Sunday provides Indiana college-bound seniors and their families an opportunity to receive assistance with completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Volunteers (many of whom are from college financial aid offices) will walk you through the process of completing the FAFSA and answer your questions. For further information about College Goal Sunday visit the website at www.collegegoalsunday.org.

· It’s scholarship season, and local scholarship information is beginning to come into the Counseling Office more frequently. Seniors can browse scholarship opportunities that they may wish to pursue in the Scholarship List located in their Naviance Student account. Scholarship information is updated frequently from November through April, and seniors are encouraged to check Naviance Student regularly. Specifically, the Carmel Education Foundation (CEF) offers over 100 local scholarships to CHS students. The CEF scholarship application opened on December 17^th. The deadline to submit the CEF application is March 15^th. Don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook or “follow” us on Twitter or Instagram for scholarship updates!

· Scholarship Confirmation Forms: Seniors report your scholarship awards! If your student has earned a scholarship, please submit a copy of the official confirmation letter, including the amount, to Mrs. Melinda Stephan or Mrs. Julie VanBuren in the counseling center. Please submit only those confirmed college scholarships for the school the student will be attending. All monetary information will remain confidential. Submission of confirmations will enable your student to be recognized in the graduation program. The last day to submit scholarship confirmations for recognition is Monday, May 2, 2022. Due to coordination and printing deadlines, any awards received after this date may not be included for recognition in the graduation program. The scholarship confirmation form is available in the Counseling Canvas Course.

· Upcoming Spring Programing offered by the CCRC:

Please keep an eye out for information about the following upcoming programs offered by the CCRC during the spring semester. If you have any questions, please contact Melinda Stephan, College & Career Programming and Resources Coordinator at 317-571-5922 ext. 7482 or email at mstephan@ccs.k12.in.us

o Military Academy Day, January 28^th during SSRT.
o Freshman/Sophomore College & Career Planning Night, February 17^th 6:30-8:30 p.m.
o Career Exploration: Self Discovery Workshops during SSRT, February 24, 28, March 7, 15.
o After the FAFSA: Finalizing Financial Aid, March 3^rd 6:30-8:00 p.m.
o Healthcare Majors & Careers Fair, March 24^th 6:00-8:00 p.m.
o Juniors: Building Your College List Workshops during SSRT, April 12, 14, 18, 20.
o Skilled Trades Majors & Career Fair, April 26^th 6:00-8:00 p.m.

· CHS College Advisors, Mrs. Ann Boldt and Mr. Pettibone, are busy meeting with students and families who want assistance with the college search and career exploration process. Collectively, we have met with over 600 students/parents since the school year started! Students in all grade levels are welcome to make an appointment. College Advisors are in the office on both Blue and Gold days. Students can request an appointment by completing an online request using the QR code below. Students can request that parents join these appointments when completing the request form.

· Don’t forget to use the following resources to learn more about the services and resources offered by the Counseling Department and the College & Career Resource Center (CCRC):

In This Section

Meeting Details

November 2023

September 2023

April 2023 Counseling Update

April 2023 Meeting Minutes

February 2023 Meeting Minutes

February 2023 Counseling Update

January 2023 Meeting Minutes

January 2023 Counseling Update

December 2022 Meeting Minutes

December 2022 Counseling Update

November 2022 Meeting Minutes

November 2022 Counseling Update

October 2022 Counseling Update

October 2022 Meeting Minutes

September 2022 Counseling Update

September 2022 Meeting Minutes

April 2022 Meeting Minutes

April 2022 Counseling Update

March 2022 Meeting Minutes

March 2022 Counseling Update

February 2022 Meeting Minutes

February 1, 2022 CHS PTO Board Meeting

Call to order and Welcome: 9:35 a.m.

February 2022 Counseling Update

January 2022 Meeting Minutes

January 4, 2022 CHS PTO Meeting

January 2022 Counseling Update

CHS PTO Counseling Update January 11, 2022