High School Counseling Newsletter

Jackie Valenzuela
jackiev@isb.ac.th

Dear Parents,

We’re almost to the Songkran Break!  In the meantime we hope you enjoy the long weekend.

Grade 12 – Have you asked your Senior “How many days left?” They are keeping a close count!

Please mark your calendars for Thursday, April 30, 8:30am in the MPB#1 for the Grade 12 Parent Transition Meeting. This will be a good opportunity to start thinking about preparing your son or daughter for the realities of transitioning to university as well as a chance for you to prepare for your own transition and adjustment. We look forward to seeing you! Please RSVP here.

Have you asked your Senior “How many days left?” They are keeping a close count!

Also a note of reminder that Seniors will have a day full of transition activities on Monday, May 25 from 7:20 – 2:05.

Grade 11 – If your son or daughter is thinking about taking the SAT in May the deadline to sign up is Monday, April 6.

Reminder:  For those of you who have a son or daughter who has not signed up for their Junior Conference please ask them to do so as soon as possible.

Grade 10 – Many parents wonder when the best time is to begin preparing for standardized tests like the SAT.  The counselors here at ISB recommend that students wait at least until 11th grade to do “test prep”.  The SAT and ACT tests are based on assessing what skills students have learned at school, and the ISB curriculum is a perfect preparation for these standardized tests.  Doing test prep too early takes students away from their focus on the school curriculum, and time-wise is so far away from the actual test that it is hard for the students to be motivated.  Please encourage your son or daughter to be productive doing their ISB work, and the standardized test preparation can come later and be less painful!

Grade 9 – This week 9th graders were informed of who their counselor will be for Grades 10-12. I thought it would be good that in the newsletter this week I share the email that I sent them:

As previously mentioned you will be assigned to a counselor that will work with you for Grades 10-12. Saddened to say this will not be me:(

However, our counseling team is excellent and I am excited that you will get to connect with one of my colleagues soon. 

Attached is a list of you all and your assigned counselor. I know that some of you may be leaving that are on this list – you have still been assigned anyways – so please do not be concerned by this. 

If you have questions about Grade 10 course selection or anything to do with future planning I would encourage you to meet with your 10-12 counselor. As always, my door is still open too. 

If you do not have questions about courses or future planning it still would be nice for you to pop your head in the door and introduce yourself to your counselor for next year. 

You’re not finished with me yet though!!!!!

As we enter into the final part of the school year please know I am here to support you through the good and hard times. If things become overwhelming, you are overly stressed or anxious, please drop by to see me. Things to celebrate – I love those stories too!!!

Let’s finish the school year strong class of 2018!

Upcoming University Visits

University of California, Irvine – Tuesday, April 7 at 10:20 in Room 203

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