Quarter 1 Newsletter

Bishop Watterson Families,

We hope this finds you well and that your son or daughter has gotten settled into the new school year and had an enjoyable first quarter. The counseling department will be putting together a newsletter following each quarter to share insight into services your students are receiving. As the semester moves along, please know that we are here to support the students and work in partnership with families. Please use the following links to contact our counselors. We look forward to connecting with you.

Sincerely,

BWHS Counselors

School Counselors: click here

Wellness Counselors: click here

9th and 10th Grade Families

The counselors have been connecting individually and in classrooms with our freshman and sophomore students this quarter. In our beginning-of-the-year meetings with students we are learning about the students as individuals and focusing on the following items.

• Rapport building
• Building connections at school and school involvement
• Academic schedule and progress checks
• Study skills and stress management
• Goal setting and review
• Further identifying what additional individual support is needed

Following is a glimpse into the programming our freshman and sophomore students have received.

FRESHMEN (CLASS OF 2027)

Academic & SEL Focused Classroom Lessons: Counselors have interacted with the freshman class through several classroom lessons during the first quarter. These lessons, created through SOAR Learning, have both an academic component and a social-emotional learning (SEL) component that introduce students to concepts and tools that will help them find success in the classroom as well as socially and personally. The aim of these lessons is to guide our freshmen through the many adjustments that come with starting high school and to help them navigate those adjustments comfortably.

SOPHOMORES (CLASS OF 2026)

YouScience: Our sophomores are the first class to become introduced to the program YouScience. YouScience is a program to further students’ understanding of themselves and help them build their future plans. The sophomores took the 90-minute assessment which measures aptitudes critical for success along with an interest and interpersonal survey. Students have begun exploring their results through completion of the student workbook. In the workbook students are uncovering their talents, learning language they can use to describe themselves, reviewing their career matches, and beginning to explore colleges. Once students have completed their workbooks results will be compiled and sent home to parents.

11th and 12th Grade Families

The junior/senior counselors have been busy supporting students and their parents through individual meetings, classroom lessons and evening parent programs throughout the first quarter.

JUNIORS (CLASS OF 2025)

College Exploration Classroom Lesson: Counselors introduced them to CORSAVA, a college search program that helps students explore their preferences and consider what they may or may not want in a college. This early exposure to the college search process helps students make informed decisions about their future education.

Columbus Suburban College Fair: Bishop Watterson was a sponsoring high school at this event hosted by Otterbein University. There were more than 120 colleges/universities participating in this event for students to meet.

PSAT Preparation and Testing Strategies: Counselors visited classrooms to talk about the Preliminary SAT (PSAT)/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Our goal was to help students become familiar with the new testing format, set up their Blue Book and to share test-taking strategies/tips. Bishop Watterson also partnered with The College Review to offer a Saturday PSAT Prep Lesson for students interested in additional support and resources.

Junior College Planning Meeting: This was an informative evening program designed to help juniors and their parents understand the college application process.

SENIORS (CLASS OF 2024)

Common App Help Sessions: These took place at the beginning of August to provide additional support to seniors who wanted to get a jumpstart on their college applications. The sessions were followed by individual one-on-one essay review sessions with college admission representatives. An additional College Application Help Day was offered in October for seniors to get 1-on-1 essay help and to work with their counselors and peers on their applications.

Classroom Lessons:

College Applications: We provided a lesson for all seniors to help them connect the CA with Naviance, update their college application due dates, and guided them through the process of requesting transcripts and letters of recommendation.

Stress Management: Counselors met in small groups to build rapport and assess student stress levels. These meetings provided a supportive environment for seniors to discuss their concerns and receive tools to manage their stress.

Individual Senior Check-in/College Meetings: Counselors are meeting with each senior individually to continue getting to know them, discuss career/major options, and assist with college applications (if applicable). Our goal is to meet with all seniors and process their college materials in a timely manner, ensuring a smooth transition to the next phase of their education.

Senior College Planning Meeting: This was an informative and interactive evening program designed to help seniors and their parents navigate the college application process.

Coming Up:  Financial Aid/FAFSA Meeting November 13th at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom

Career Exploration Initiatives

All students in grades 10-12 were invited to participate in our new Career Lunch and Learn event. Students had the opportunity to hear from a panel of business professionals from various fields. This allowed students to gain insights into different career paths and engage in small group discussions with the professionals. These events will be offered quarterly. Keep a lookout in Watterson Wednesday for event dates and career fields.

Wellness Team

First Quarter’s Wellness Events

• Wellness Wednesday (once per month): focusing on students’ mental health and stepping away from routine and structure
• Classroom Brain Breaks (once per quarter): engaging in a brief classroom activity that benefits students’ understanding of their own mental health and how to support others

Wellness Discussion Topics

• With much of our first quarter focus being on stress, if you would like to have conversations with your child about how they navigate their day:
  • Ask them one high (something that went well) and one low (something that was an obstacle)
  • Encourage them to see themselves outside of their grades, athletic performance, etc. Emphasize their worth as people, not just as students, athletes, etc.
• Cultural Awareness: National Hispanic Heritage month was September 15-October 15
  • This was a great opportunity to celebrate the history, culture and contributions of American citizens, including students and staff, whose ancestry comes from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

Support Services

• Wellness Counselors continue to take referrals from teachers, students, and parents please reach out if you feel your student needs additional social / emotional support.

August 9, 2023

Outlined below is the counseling department structure for the 2023-2024 school year. Counselors are assigned to students by grade level and last name.