YOUR COUNSELORS

Penn High School has nine guidance counselors. Two counselors are assigned to the Freshman Academy, one handles Byrkit/Pennway/Night School, and the other six are assigned alphabetically to the upper three classes. All of the counselors at Penn High School meet the standards and licensing requirements for “School Counselor” by the State of Indiana, hold Master’s degrees in Guidance and Counseling and keep their licenses current.

We are proud to be a Gold Star Guidance School, a testament to the quaility of service we provide to our students and their families.

HOW TO USE GUIDANCE SERVICES

SERVICES WE PROVIDE

GUIDANCE ACTIVITIES

Guidance activities help students make educational, career and academic decisions.

•Career Exploration

•College Searches

•Classroom Presentations

•Letters of Recommendation

•Counselor portion of college applications

•Transfers to our alternative schools: Byrkit and Pennway and Night School

•Scholarship Searches

•Post High School planning for the college bound and non-college bound

•Course Selection

•Schedule corrections

COUNSELING ACTIVITIES

Counseloring activities are those, which help students overcome or deal with social, personal or family problems.

•Individual Counseling*

•Crisis Counseling*

•Consultation

•Referrals

* The high school setting does not allow us to do on-going counseling with individuals.  Instead, students who are in need of on-going counseling should seek counseling agences and counseling practices in the community.

ADVOCACY

Advocacy activities are those that deal with school environment issues or adjustment of the school environment for a particular student.

•Coordinate scholarship nominations

•Work on issues involving needy students

•Coordinate of issues with 504 plans

•Coordinate General Education Intervention plans

•Coordinate Girl’s State and Boy’s State nominations

•Schedule “ Healthy Babies” group for pregnant students

•Plan and present Financial Aid Night for Parents in January

•Initiate ISTEP/GQE waiver procedure for seniors who have not passed all attempts at the ISTEP/GQE

•Consult with teachers

•Consult with private counselors and community counseling agencies

•Initiate Special Accommodations for the PSAT, SAT, ACT and AP tests

MANAGEMENT

Management activites are those that support the guidance department.  Register new students and assist in their acclimation to Penn High School.

•Analyze Transcripts

•Check Diploma track for each student

•Attend Grade Eight Open House

•Attend Penn High School Open House

•Plan Freshman Academy Activities

•Select and Train Freshman Mentors

•Compile Tutor List

•Organize tutoring opportunities in Freshman Connection

•Review and update Program of Studies

•Review and update guidance webpage

•Check and respond to e-mail voice mail and other communications in a timely fashion*

*During our busiest times (the first two weeks of school, the beginning of second semester and the last two weeks of the school year we do our best to keep up with return phone calls and e-mail.  Please be patient.

Other Duties

•Proctor the PSAT, ISTEP, and AP tests

•Lunch duty in the cafeteria

•Organize Senior Recognition Night