ICS Counseling Newsletter
All counseling newsletters can be found on Powerschool and the ICS website under ‘Counseling’. Your counselors are connected and here for you. We are only an email away.
Middle School Counselor - Lis Christiansen - [email protected] High School Counselor - Kelsey Cummings - [email protected]
Your counselors are here for you and only an email away. If you are struggling, please reach out if you need assistance.
Social Emotional Learning Opportunities https://www.nwtrek.org/ Drive your own car through NW Trek's free-roaming area! https://naturalhistory2.si.edu/vt3/NMNH/ Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History https://www.womenshistory.org/womens-history/online-exhibits National Women’s History Museum https://www.parentmap.com/calendar/virtual-nature-art-challenge Virtual Art Challenge https://www.thisamericanlife.org/ Public radio program and podcast with weekly themes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prW59LY0QWA Monument Valley Tribal Park Tour Experience America National Park Tours Visit the Grand Canyon Experience America National Park Tours Visit Bryce Canyon
How to Succeed
Lately I’ve been talking to students about success – what will make them feel like they’ve accomplished something in life? I’ve heard a variety of ideas: make lots of money; start a business by age 18; consume every show, book and game on their list; hit a double C on the trumpet; go to an Ivy League school; be happy! But when I talk to these same students about values – what’s most important to them in life right now - their ideas are more vague. They list nice things their friends say about them, their parents’ expectations, or their culture’s values. And that’s normal. As young people, you’re still trying out lots of different things, making lots of mistakes, learning a ton from those around you. You’ve got to do all that in order to identify your core values, and from there, what success means to you.
So before making any big decisions about what you want to accomplish in life, first think about your values. Values aren’t the WHAT (i.e. a job, friends, big muscles), but the WHY (stability, kindness, health). They might be traits you see in people you truly admire (i.e. Grandma because she always makes things fun; Lizzo because of her unapologetic self-love). They might be something that’s important in your religion or culture that feels right to you (family always comes first; every human is inherently good). You can also look back at decisions you’ve made, consider why you made them, and see if there’s a pattern (i.e. I decided to go to ICS because I love…; I swim every day because it makes me feel good). From there you can make a list of what’s most important to you, and talk about it with your parents, friends, teachers, counselors. The list will no doubt change a bit as you grow up, but chances are those values will inform many future decisions on your own personal and purpose-filled path to success.
A NOTE TO PARENTS: We love our children dearly and we want them to be happy and healthy. It is absolute torture to watch our children make mistakes, and we want to protect them. Because of this, we tend to urge them to work toward OUR ideas of success, before they’ve figured out their own. That pressure makes them put a lot of energy into your idea of who they should be, not necessarily who they want to be. This often leads to unhappiness, unproductivity, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Here’s a suggestion: Notice what values your child lives by, and talk to them about how those affect the choices they’re making. Ask them what really matters to them, then listen to their answers. Rather than comparing them to other children who seem like they have it all together (trust me, they don’t), support your own child in becoming their own best selves (trust me, they will).
Students: Want to do a Values Sort? Parents: Want to talk about parenting frustrations? Meet with Cora!
How to Meet with Cora Goss-Grubbs, YES Counselor:
Zoom Office Hours: Every Wednesday, 1:00PM - 2:30PM; Register here anytime – Find your school’s office hours on the chart and follow the link. Telehealth (phone or video): Leave a voice message at 425-747-4937, ext 2719. Enter the extension anytime during the greeting. Be sure to leave your name and phone number, and she will get back to you within 24 hours on weekdays.
Free Upcoming Webinar
The Art of Motivation - The Applerouth Tutoring Organization is offering a free webinar on May 27th for students, parents/guardians, and educators that will discuss The Art of Motivation. In this session, they will go over the language of motivation, the varying motivational profiles of students, and techniques that may help you be more effective with your motivationally challenged students.
The Art of Motivation Wednesday, May 27th at 8:00pm EDT / 5:00pm PDT Sign-up: Art of Motivation Registration
Cultivating Skills for Middle/High School and Beyond
Study Habits and Test Prep
It’s worth your time to develop good study skills because having them will help you get the best possible grades. Those skills will also help you be better prepared to succeed after high school.Here are some tips to improve study skills and effective studying habits:
● Organization is the key to successful studying. Before you begin reviewing, make sure that you organize your course notes, study guides and any test corrections that you may have. Check online to see if your teacher has posted any additional study aides or outlines that suggest what might be covered on the final. Consider making a “to-do” list and sticking to it. ○ Make flashcards for quick reviews of dates, formulas, vocabulary words, etc. ● Understand that studying is more than just doing homework assignments. Get into the habit of reviewing your notes within 24 hours of taking them. This will move the information you are learning from your short-term to long- term memory. Rewrite your notes if they are particularly messy or disorganized. This will be a great review of the subject matter. ● Find a quiet, distraction-free environment in which to study. Turn off the TV and put away your cell phone (on silent). Make sure that others know that you need uninterrupted study time if it will help you focus. Put up a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your door if that helps. ○ Designate a specific area for studying in your distraction-free environment that has a large enough table or desk to lay out all of your needed materials. ○ Stock your designated study area with all of the supplies that you may need: computer paper, pencils, pens, highlighters, note pads, notebook paper, stapler, ruler, calculator, dictionary, and thesaurus. ○ Make sure that your study area has a good chair, plenty of good light, and that the temperature of the room is comfortable. (Do not try to study on your bed! Your body has been conditioned that this is the place to sleep. You will be more alert and focused sitting upright at a table or desk.) ● Discover your key productivity periods for study. Some people work best in the morning, some in the afternoon, and others in the evenings. Try to study at the time of day that works best for you. Once you set a time and place, try to stick with it regularly. Building a routine will help build a habit.
Try not to study when you are tired and/or hungry. Make sure you are alert and ready to concentrate on the tasks at hand. ○ Take breaks as needed to absorb new information and keep your mind focused. ● Consider studying your most difficult subjects first, when you are most alert and fresh. ● Organize a system so that you can determine how to prepare for longer term assignments, as well as short term assignments. You may want to consider taking a calendar and ripping out the months so that you can mount each month from left to right along one wall in your study area. Then you can write in exam dates marked in one color, project due dates marked in another color, etc. This can help you visually plan ahead and schedule time as appropriate for completing your tasks. You may also wish to make “To-Do” lists with study objectives for each day, (or write them in your daily planner)! ● Prioritize! Remember, a test tomorrow is more important than an assignment due next week.
Your teen might take the PSAT, SAT, or ACT this fall. The best way to prepare is to take challenging or rigorous courses, read widely, write frequently, and develop problem-solving skills both in the classroom and through extracurricular activities. These are the same habits that prepare students for the SAT/ACT and AP exams as well as for college and career.
If high school students would like to access free resources for SAT or ACT at this time, they can utilize our district’s free prep program Method Test Prep. The program is attached to students' Xello profile on Powerschool Learning. Students can login to Powerschool, click the Apps tab on the upper right-hand side, and click Xello. Once in their profile, students can scroll down on the main page to Links and Resources in the bottom right. Once they have opened Method Test Prep, students have full access to all SAT and ACT prep materials. Students can contact your high school counselor if they have any questions.
ICS Updates
Please visit LWSD.org for access to remote learning updates. Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information ICS Student Tutors Available
As a part of the transition towards curriculum-based remote learning, the National Honor Society is offering virtual tutoring for younger students! Our 11th and 12th-grade tutors can offer academic guidance for a wide breadth of subjects through email, messaging, or call. They are happy to help your student edit a piece of writing, work through a difficult math problem, prep for a standardized test, and more! If your student would benefit from this, please fill out the online form below so NHS
can pair your student with a suitable tutor. They are striving to support their peers and build upon ICS' unique 6-12 learning community, even at a distance! Online tutoring form: https://bit.ly/3e70Ru1 Career/College Planning Activity of the Week
College Essay Guy’s: Personal Statement Boot Camp (June 1st-5th) Ethan Sawyer is a nationally recognized college essay expert. Each year he helps thousands of students and counselors learn about the college essay writing process through his online courses, workshops, articles, and books. Coming up this June, Ethan is hosting a College Essay Boot Camp for high school students! On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (June 1, 3 and 5), the College Essay Guy will meet live for 90 minutes, during which he will guide you through a series of exercises, then lead a Q&A. Tuesdays and Thursdays are your time to write.
During the boot camp, you can attend either the morning or afternoon session. (The material will be the same for both sessions, but you’re welcome to come to both.)
Live Session Dates/Times
Monday, June 1st Brainstorming
Wednesday, June 3rd Revising
Friday, June 5th Upleveling
** Live Sessions are held at 10:00-11:30am OR 4:00-5:30pm PST** If you are interested in participating in the boot camp, please contact Ms. Kelsey Cummings, the ICS High School Counselor, via email at [email protected]
Testing
AP - We are in the final day of AP Exams! Good luck to all of our students. A few technology reminder emails were sent to students last week and earlier this week. Previous updates regarding exams were emailed to students and families on April 29th, April 7th and April 21st. If you have questions and can’t find answers in the updates, please contact your high school counselor, Ms. Cummings.
Scholarships
WashBoard Scholarships - A wide range of scholarships are available to Washington students each year. Although scholarship application processes are competitive, many are targeted to students
based on their interests, desired campus or major, or their background. Students should register on theWashBoard.org to be matched to scholarships in WA. Of the nearly 500 scholarships listed on theWashBoard.org, only one out of ten required a GPA higher than 3.0.
Cirkled In COVID-19 Relief Grant -This year, Cirkled In is awarding 3 scholarships of $250 each, every 2 weeks (may increase based on funds availability). Students in 8th-12th grade are eligible to apply. Due Dates are May 31st, Jun 15th and Jun 30th. Students can visit Cirkled In Relief Grant to learn more.
Cirkled In No Sweat Scholarship - Students can enter to win a $2500 scholarship each quarter. All students in 8th-12th grade may apply. Deadline: June 30th. Students can check-out the flyer below for more information. No Sweat Scholarship
Family, Community, and Stress and Crisis Resources
LWSD Community Resources Mental Health Resources
LWSD Family Services Community Resources
Pantry Packs Mental Health and Coping During COVID-19
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Above all else, remember to: Take care of yourself. Take care of your family. Do something kind for someone else. Reach out for help when you need it. We are all in this together, and we will overcome this. We are Phoenixes!
Your ICS Counselors,
Lis Christiansen and Kelsey Cummings