Counselor Connection
La Canada High School
Daily PA LCHS Announcements
Can't hear the PA Announcements in class? Did you know that all of the announcements are posted on the school website? Just go to the Student Portal on the upper left corner of the website, then "PA Announcements" on the right gold bar. Click here for the link. Stay informed and never miss an announcement again!
Finals Schedule
Finals for 9th-11th graders begin on Wednesday, May 25th.
Please click here for more details.
General Announcements
Pasadena City College Transfer Center Workshop
Educational Success: A Family Affair on May 12, 2016 from 5:00-9:00 p.m. in the Circadian Room at Pasadena City College
“Educational Success: A Family Affair”, sponsored by the PCC Outreach Degree and Transfer Center, is an opportunity to gather the information you need to make the best choices about going to college. You will meet with representatives from California State University, University of California, and Pasadena City College to learn about the advantages of attending community college and the programs and services that can help you transfer from PCC to a four-year university. Topics covered during the event include the following: • CSU and UC Transfer Admission Requirements • Transfer Admission Guarantee Programs • Financial Aid and Scholarships Plan to attend this informative event, and discover how to start your bachelor’s degree at Pasadena City College.
Leadership Opportunity coming to LCHS!
Sophomores and Juniors do you want to make a positive impact on our school? If so, pick up an application to be a Link Crew leader next year. Link Crew is a new program coming to LCHS, and our goal is to help transition incoming freshmen to life at the high school. We are looking for kind, compassionate, energetic students who are willing to put themselves out there to befriend underclassmen and make our school the best place it can be. Applications can be found in Mr. Yoder’s room, Miss Beattie’s Room, Mr. Williams Room, in the Main office, the IRC, and Online at www.lchslinkcrew.weebly.com Applications are due Friday May 13th! Questions? Ask Mr. Yoder or Miss Beattie.
Pasadena Tournament of Roses Student Ambassadors Program 2016-2017
Are you interested in earning community service hours?
The Pasadena Tournament of Roses Student Ambassadors Program gives rising seniors (current juniors) the opportunity to work alongside tournament members and other volunteers for a minimum of 40 community service hours in preparation for the 2016-2017 Rose Parade. Activities include public interaction at float decorating venues, assisting Rose Parade band members at Bandfest and during the Parade, acting as ushers in the Tournament Grandstands on Rose Parade morning and interacting with the public at the Post Parade float viewing venue.
Eligibility requirements:
- Maintaining at least a 2.0 (“C”) grade point average in both the current and previous academic year
- Must be at least 17 years of age on or before December 31, 2016 and not older than 19 years of age before January 4, 2017 (exceptions will be considered, if requested by the student’s school)
- Completing and submitting the Student Ambassador Agreement and other related application materials
- Selected candidates must serve one year from June 2016 to June 2017 and be available to serve at least 40 volunteer hours between December 26, 2016 and January 4, 2017 (Candidate must be available for assignment on Parade Day (January 2, 2017)
- Candidates must attend all scheduled training meetings and other scheduled events; no mandatory activities or events are scheduled during school hours
- Candidates must provide their own transportation to and from all meetings, events and Tournament-related activities
If you are interested in this opportunity, please inform your counselor by May 13th.
Exploring College Options
Exploring College Options is a unique program featuring five of the country's leading universities: Duke University, Georgetown University, Harvard College, Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania. At each event, representatives from the five schools will offer brief slide presentations about their institutions and answer your questions about the sometimes-mystifying world of college admissions. You will learn about what distinguishes one fine university from another, what competitive colleges look for in the selection process, and what you can do to enhance your college application.
Sunday, May 22, 7:00 pm
Westin Bonaventure
404 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Tuesday, May 24, 7:00 pm
DoubleTree Hotel Ontario Airport
222 North Vineyard Avenue, Ontario, CA 91764
Please visit the website if you would like to register for one of these events. http://www.exploringcollegeoptions.org/
Syracuse University Summer Opportunity
Summer College at Syracuse University is a chance for high school students to experience college before they graduate from high school! In the summers after their sophomore and junior years, students can spend 2-6 weeks on campus and experience life as a college student - attending class, living in the residence hall and having a roommate, and exploring the city of Syracuse! Applications are available for summer 2016 through June 1st! If you haven't made summer plans yet, check out the 30+ programs they have to choose from for you to explore your possible college major: http://www.summercollege.syr.edu. Apply online! And in the meantime, you can check them out on Facebook: Syracuse University Summer College.
Berkeley Business Academy for Youth (B-BAY)
The Berkeley Business Academy for Youth introduces youth from around the world to the disciplines and skills that make business work. B-BAY students learn from professors who are at the top of their field and from youth mentors. Class projects and presentations give students hands-on experience in a safe learning environment-all on the vibrant UC Berkeley campus. Click here fore more information.
Sessions
- High School Case Study
July 9 - July 23, 2016 - High School Entrepreneurship
July 23 - August 6, 2016
Mock SAT and ACT Results
Results are in from the Mock SAT and ACT tests taken on April 2nd. Students should see Mrs. Erickson in the counseling office between 12pm and 3:30pm to pick up their score reports.
Glendale Community College Baja Summer Program/College Transfer Credit Opportunity
Click here for information on how high school students can earn college credit while taking a field study Marine Biology course in Baja, California, Mexico.
High School Academy at Woodbury University Summer Opportunity
Offered to high school students entering their junior or senior years, this intensive program is offered for college credit (2-3 units) and allows students to explore Woodbury’s various disciplines.
Summer 2016 courses include:
Animation: Introduction to Animation
Architecture: Design Lab: Introduction to Architecture
Communication: Public Speaking
Design Foundation: Drawing Fundamentals & Beyond
Fashion Design: Introduction to Fashion Design
Filmmaking: Introduction to Production
Game Art & Design: Introduction to Game Design
Graphic Design: Introduction to Photoshop
Professional Writing: Writing by Imitations: An Introduction to Professional Writing
Psychology: Introduction to Psychology
For descriptions and specific class times, download the flyer .
Summer Programs
Thinking of summer learning opportunities? Please visit http://connection.naviance.com/lchsca. Click on the College tab, then click on Enrichment Programs to see a full listing of programs available. Deadlines are quickly approaching! Some tips from Collegewise for families considering summer program invitations
Scholarship and Financial Aid
For scholarship and other financial aid opportunities, please visit http://connection.naviance.com/lchsca Click on the college tab, then click on scholarships. Mrs. Erickson will also keep hard copies of any local scholarships on file in the counseling office. She is available in the front office between the hours of Noon-3:45 p.m.
SAT and ACT Prep Opportunities Click here for a list of local options and La Canada student discounts.
Special Announcement: UC is revamping the personal statement section of the admission application.
After almost 10 years, UC is changing the personal statement section of its undergraduate admissions application, replacing the current two personal statement prompts with short-answer questions that students can choose from. The new questions, now called personal insight questions, aim to give applicants a greater say in the kind of information they share with the University. For Personal Insight Questions Worksheet, please click here.
Summer Registration:
12th Graders: Monday, August 8, 2016 8:00-10:00 a.m.
11th Graders: Monday, August 8, 2016 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
10th Graders: Monday, August 8, 2016 1:00-3:00 p.m.
9th Graders: Tuesday, August 9, 2016 8:00-10:00 a.m.
Senior Stop
Pasadena City College
Tomorrow! 5/11 12:00PM lunch table outside
Next Wednesday, 5/18 10:00AM
Glendale Community College
This Thursday 5/12 12:25PM Lunch table outside. Admissions rep will be available to assist with application for next Fall.
Final Countdown
Senior Graduation Survey: Monday, May 16th. Counselors will walk you through the survey in the IRC via your Gov/Econ classes. All students without a Gov/Econ class will be called in individually throughout the remainder of the week.
Final Transcripts: First copy is free and is ordered as part of the Senior Graduation survey. Additional copies can be ordered at the Office of the Registrar, Beth Waas, for $5 each.
Now is a good time to double check your college files, making sure that you’ve signed all paperwork and sent in all necessary deposits.
Please see the school calendar for more specific details on the following events:
Senior Salute: 5/20
Cap and Gown Distribution: 5/20
Senior finals: 5/23 and 5/24
Baccalaureate: 5/24
Senior Awards Night: 5/25
Graduation rehearsal: 5/26
Graduation: 5/27
La Canada Interfaith Baccalaureate Service
All La Canada high school seniors, their families and community members are invited to the La Canada Interfaith Baccalaureate Service at St. Bede’s Catholic Church on Tuesday, May 24th at 7pm. The evening’s keynote speaker is Sally Spangler, a college consultant and beloved youth mentor who worked with LCHS students for many years. Ian McFeat, Principal of La Canada High School will deliver Opening Remarks. As a celebration of students’ faith, Baccalaureate includes the reading of scriptures and testimonies by seniors who are active in local Islamic, Jewish, and Christian congregations. Musical offerings will be provided by the LCHS Chamber Singers and “The Venerables” from St. Bede’s.
Graduates attending Baccalaureate are asked to arrive at St. Bede’s Catholic Church (215 Foothill Blvd., La Canada) by 6:30pm wearing their caps and gowns. Everyone is welcome to attend a reception following the 7:00pm service.
At a time when there is so much divisiveness in the world, La Canada’s Interfaith Baccalaureate Service celebrates the religious traditions of all graduates and offers prayers for them as they move into adulthood.
May Scholarship Deadlines
The Spirit of American Youth Scholarship 5/31/16: The Spirit of American Youth Scholarship presented by The Americana at Brand has been established to invest in the future of the next generation by honoring outstanding spirit, leadership, and social responsibility. It offers students in our community the opportunity to fulfill their dream of going to college. They will be awarding two $10,000 scholarships to two graduating high school seniors in 2016 that exhibit academic potential, provide examples of how they’ve contributed to the betterment of their communities, and complete an essay based on how they would invest in their communities to create a brighter future for the next generation.
Senior Pennants
We want ALL seniors to tell us where you are going to college! Please stop by the front office any day between the hours of 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. and see Mrs. Erickson to get started on your pennant! You will then be able to post the pennant in the front office to celebrate your accomplishments! We want to see everyone, from those going to FIDM, to those going to the military, to those going to community college, trade schools, the Cal states, the UCs, the Ivies and anywhere else! Come fill out your pennant today and be proud of all that you have accomplished as a soon-to-be La Canada High School graduate!
June/July Scholarship Deadlines
Aspiring Business Professional Scholarship 6/1/16
Abbott & Fenner Business Consultants Scholarship 6/10/16
BigSun Scholarship 2016 6/17/16
BBG Communication Scholarship 6/30/16
2016 Aspiring Nurse Scholarship 6/30/16
Richard R. Tufenkian Scholarship 7/31/16
Counseling Corner Resources
Fostering Resilience
http://www.fosteringresilience.com/
"Young people will be resilient when the important adults in their lives believe in them unconditionally and hold them to high expectations."
Half of Us
"Mental health issues are a reality for millions of people across the country. Young people are especially at risk, with half of college students reporting that they have been stressed to a point where they couldn’t function during the past year."
Making Caring Common
http://sites.gse.harvard.edu/making-caring-common
“Making Caring Common (MCC) helps educators, parents, and communities raise children who are caring, respectful, and responsible toward others and their communities.”
Tweet! Tweet!
The LCHS Counseling Department is on Twitter! Come follow us for important reminders, announcements, and upcoming events. Our Twitter handle is @LCcounselors
Click here for La Canada Flintridge Community Prevention Council resources available
Good Summer Reads for Parents of Teens...
Teach Your Children Well
by Madeline Levine, Ph.D.
"Madeline Levine's latest book is a cri de coeur from a clinician on the front line of the battle between our better natures-parents' deep and true love and concern for their kids- and our culture's worst competitive and materialistic influences, Levine see kids in her practice who cheat, take drugs, drink, shut down or, worse still, keep up their tightrope act of parent-pleasing, Ivy-aiming high achievement while quietly, invisibly dying inside. And now, it would seem,she's had it. She's had it with schools that worship at the altar of high achievement but do everything they can to undermine children's growth and well-being; eliminating recess; assigning mind-deadening amount of homework; and ranking, measuring and valuing kids by narrowly focused test scores, while cutting out other areas of creative education in which large numbers of students who don't necessarily test well might find success and thrive. And she's had it with parents who profess to want nothing more than "happiness" for their children while neglecting the aspects of family life that build enthusiasm and contentment, and overemphasizing values and activities that can actually do harm. This message-that essentially everything today's parents think they're doing right is actually wrong is the most noteworthy take away... and Levine is correct to say that, as parents and as a society, we've reached a tipping point, in which the long-dawning awareness that here's something not quite right about our parenting is strengthening into real desire for change."--abstracted from Judith Warner for the New York Times Book Review
by Brad Sachs
In Emptying the Nest, Brad Sachs once again insightfully maps out the challenging terrain of contemporary parenthood. Skillfully and gently, he leads readers through the complex choreography required not only to help young adults achieve the well-documented need for healthy separation and self-sufficiency, but also to help them cultivate what is often overlooked - that a life well-lived must have significance and meaning. Practical and compassionate, innovative and empathic, this book provides parents with the necessary tools to finish the job right. Emptying the Nest will help empower family members of two generations to evolve into the next stage of development, growing towards a new and deeper maturity.--Madeline Levine, Ph.D.
by Carol Dweck
Mindset is "an established set of attitudes held by someone," says the Oxford American Dictionary. It turns out, however, that a set of attitudes needn't be so set, according to Dweck, professor of psychology at Stanford. Dweck proposes that everyone has either a fixed mindset or a growth mindset.A fixed mindset is one in which you view your talents and abilities as... well, fixed. In other words, you are who you are, your intelligence and talents are fixed, and your fate is to go through life avoiding challenge and failure. A growth mindset, on the other hand, is one in which you see yourself as fluid, a work in progress. Your fate is one of growth and opportunity. Which mindset do you possess? Dweck provides a checklist to assess yourself and shows how a particular mindset can affect all areas of your life, from business to sports and love. The good news, says Dweck, is that mindsets are not set: at any time, you can learn to use a growth mindset to achieve success and happiness. This is a serious, practical book. Dweck's overall assertion that rigid thinking benefits no one, least of all yourself, and that a change of mind is always possible, is welcome.--Publishers Weekly
by Wendy Mogel
Social-clinical psychologist Mogel concentrates on the hidden blessings of raising teenagers in this engaging follow-up to The Blessing of a Skinned Knee. Intermingling wisdom and guidelines from Judaism and adolescent psychology, Mogel compares the teen years to the journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. As kids wander in the "desert" of adolescence, she advises parents to offer counsel and guidance, demonstrate empathy without entanglement, and resist the urge to intervene or rescue. In chapters peppered with true-to-life examples and humor, Mogel examines the blessings of a B minus, staying up late, hangovers, breaking the rules, and a variety of other teen topics, urging parents not just to look on the bright side, but to help kids benefit from the learning opportunities inherent in difficult situations. Some of her advice may be challenging for readers to follow: for instance, she recommends that parents refrain from broaching the subject of college until grade 11. She also encourages parents to let teens learn from their own mistakes and to respect their yetzer hara (aggressive impulse), while seeking balance with a sense of teshuvah (repentance). Mogel's compassion and authenticity will ring true with parents of all faiths facing the tumultuous teen years. (Oct.) (c)--Publishers Weekly
by Brad E. Sachs
Drawing on his extensive clinical work helping hundreds of parents and children navigate through choppy waters, Dr. Sachs identifies the five stages of reconciliation, providing persuasive anecdotal evidence, and sharing stories from his many years as a family therapist (as well as his own time spent in the parenting trenches). The stories, which cover the spectrum from birth through the teenage years, will resonate with exhausted parents and overextended children everywhere. Dr. Sachs supplies hands-on exercises that guide parents to a greater understanding of how they can be good enough, rather than perfect, parents, and how they can attain a healthier dynamic within the family. "A compassionate, forgiving, wise book that is also eye-opening. If you read only one book on parenting and family life, make it this one."--Dr. Sam Osherson, author of Finding Our Fathers
by Brad E. Sachs
"Viewing teenagers as 'good enough' is likely to be much more difficult than it was when they were 'good enough' children. Parents who are increasingly frustrated by their teens' behavior and missed expectations should turn to Brad Sachs, a psychologist and parent of three, who offers help with the unique challenges of raising teens. The primary philosophy here: Bad behavior isn't administered as a way to make you miserable; it's a natural step on the path to maturity. The author begins by discussing the primary difficulties of being a teenager—namely, a teen's realization that his or her parents aren't all-knowing, and the shock that the world doesn't revolve around him or her. With entirely believable, and sometimes frightening, case studies, Sachs walks through the family relations he's seen in his practice and offers concrete solutions for improving communication and expectations—not to mention behavior. He also includes exercises, checklists, and quizzes to help put into perspective the dynamics of parents' relationships with their teenagers. His tone is breezy, accessible, and understanding, even in discussing depression and drug use."--Kirkus Reviews
by David Elkind
Internationally recognized as the voice of reason and compassion, Dr. Elkind showed that in blurring the boundaries of what is age appropriate, by expecting-or imposing-too much too soon, we force our kids to grow up far too fast. In the two decades since this groundbreaking book first appeared, we have compounded the problem, inadvertently stepping up the assault on childhood in the media, in schools, and at home. Taking a detailed, up-to-the-minute look at the world of today's children and teens in terms of the Internet, classroom culture, school violence, movies, television, and a growing societal incivility, Dr. Elkind shows a whole new generation of parents where hurrying occurs and why and what we can do about it. "David Elkind [is] one of psychology’s leading lights."--Washington Post
The Power of Play: Learning What Comes Naturally
by David Elkind
In this fascinating look at the importance of letting kids be kids, Elkind argues that "Play is being silenced." According to Elkind, a child psychologist and author of All Grown Up and No Place to Go, important, unstructured play is too often replaced in modern times by organized activities, academics or passive leisure activities such as watching television and playing video games. Elkind explains how even toys have changed: "toys once served to socialize children into social roles, vocations, and academic tool skills. Today, they are more likely to encourage brand loyalties, fashion consciousness, and group think." Elkind acknowledges that technology has its place in the classroom, but debunks computer programs marketed toward babies and preschoolers whose young brains are not yet able to fully comprehend two-dimensional representations. "Parent peer pressure" is often to blame, causing parents to engage in "hyperparenting, overprotection, and overprogramming." Media-spread fears about everything from kidnapping and molestation to school shootings and SIDS can cause parents to forget that "children can play safely without adult organization; they have done so as long as people have been on earth." With clarity and insight, Elkind calls for society to bring back long recesses, encourage imagination and let children develop their minds at a natural pace.--Publishers Weekly