Counseling and Guidance

Students who plan to take the AP exam in May, must sign up and pay by October 4, 2019. There is no extensions on time. For further questions, please contact Beth Gjerde. 
elizabeth.gjerde@isd197.org or 651-403-7203
 

ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) COURSES
The Advanced Placement (AP) program is sponsored by the College Board, which develops courses and administers advanced tests that help students develop the intellectual skills and self-discipline they need to do well in college, while they are still in high school. The curricula for these classes are the same as those taught on a college campus; therefore, it is important that students understand that an AP course is significantly more difficult than a high school course. Students are required to do considerable outside reading and other assignments and to demonstrate the analytical skills and writing abilities expected of first year students in a strong college program.

In May, students can take a national test that measures their knowledge in the areas they studied during the year. If the students score high enough, they will receive college credit at over 3,000 institutions nationwide. While the amount and type of credit you receive depends on the college you attend, most will allow you to skip basic courses and around half will allow you to start as a sophomore if you passed enough AP classes.

Students who are highly motivated and who meet course prerequisites are recommended to take AP courses and examinations. AP courses offered at Sibley include AP Language and Composition, AP Calculus (AB), AP Calculus (BC), AP Statistics, AP Computer Science, AP Music Theory, AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP Physics, AP Physics Mechanics C, AP Psychology, AP US History, AP World History, AP Economics Macro and AP Economics Micro.




COLLEGE IN THE SCHOOLS (CIS) AND CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT COURSES
College in the Schools (CIS) is a concurrent enrollment partnership between the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and School District 197. CIS delivers U of M courses to high-achieving students in their own high schools. Selected high school teachers are appointed as affiliated U of M faculty and receive ongoing, continuous professional development from U of M faculty. CIS courses are offered in Physics by Inquiry, Algebra Thru Model, German III, German IV, French IV, and French V. Concurrent Enrollment courses are offered in Spanish IV-CE and Spanish V-CE through MN State University, Mankato.


PROJECT LEAD THE WAY
Project Lead the Way courses at Henry Sibley include Introduction to Engineering Design, Principals of Engineering, Civil Engineering and Architecture, and Computer Integrated Manufacturing.
 

Click here for important Graduation requirements and college and career resources. 

Admissions representatives from various colleges come to Sibley throughout the year to meet with interested students. Students can check the calendar outside of the Guidance Office, or check the shared calendar College Visit and Open House Calendar (shown below) and join the virtual meetings to meet with the college reps over Google Meet. This is a great opportunity to learn about the programs that different colleges offer as well as the application process. 

If you would like to meet with the Admission Representatives from any of the Colleges or Universities that are virtually visiting Sibley, simply click the link to the Google Meeting at the appropriate time and you will be connected with them directly. If you have any questions, please reach out to the Guidance Office Administrative Assistant, Danielle Barbosa Brown.

We know that this is a difficult time where you may be feeling anxious, wondering what each day will bring. Just know we are all in this together and we will persevere. Think of things that are in your control to reduce any anxiety. We encourage you to keep a healthy routine. Your school counselor is available by email and google hangout. Please reach out to them individually to know further of what their working hours are.

The COVID 19 pandemic has impacted us all in unexpected and difficult ways.  Many families may be feeling increased stress and anxiety due to fears about ...

• You or a loved one contracting COVID-19
• Providing childcare while schools are closed
• Travel restrictions
• Economic downturn
• Lost wages
• Accessing healthcare
• Obtaining necessary products and supplies
• Being isolated from friends and family

The following are resources (articles, tools, videos, etc) to support you and the young people in your life to manage stress and other mental health impacts of all the disruption:

• Mental Health Support and COVID19 - NAMI
• COVID 19 and the Mental Health of Your Children - The Youth Mental Health Project
• Don't Go Down a Coronavirus Anxiety Spiral 
• How To Talk to Your Kids about the Coronavirus --You Tube video, the Child Mind Institute
• Managing Anxiety and Stress--Center for Disease Control 

CURRENT STUDENTS IN GRADES 9-11
Current students in grades 9-11 register for classes in February. Students should access the registration guide (see below) they received as a freshman to select classes for the next school year. School counselors are available to assist students with registration and course planning. Students should stop into the Counseling Office (C201) to make an appointment.

STUDENTS IN GRADE 8 AT HERITAGE AND FRIENDLY HILLS MIDDLE SCHOOL
Sibley School Counselors meet with and hand out registration materials to current 8th grade students at Friendly Hills Middle School and Heritage E-STEM Magnet School in February. A Parent Meeting for all incoming 9th grade students is offered in February at Henry Sibley High School. 

NEW STUDENTS ENROLLING IN DISTRICT 197
Henry Sibley welcomes resident and non-resident students to join our school community.

New Student Registration Process: 

• Complete an enrollment packet available in our District Office or online.
• Provide a transcript from your current school with up-to-date grades. 
• Make an appointment to meet your counselor to select your courses. 
• Welcome to Sibley! 

Registration packets for high school-age students NEW to the district may be obtained at the District Office. The office is open during the school year from 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. To request a packet by mail contact Andreanna Sontoya at enrollment@isd197.org or 651-403-7041. New students are encouraged to submit their registration by March 1. Students may arrange to shadow a current student for a day at Henry Sibley. This can be done by contacting Danielle Barbosa Brown at 651-403-7208.

Learn more about Our School or Enrolling District 197.

We, as Guidance Office staff, are very aware of the emotional and physical stress that the 2020 year has put on us all, most importantly on our students. Below, you will find information about mental health, warning signs to look for in your children, and links for help, if help is needed.

 

Warning signs Parents can look out for in their children:

**Please note: Individually, many of these symptoms may be part of normal development, however further consultation may be indicated if the symptom(s) appear to be impacting functioning at school and/or home.

Emotional/Mental Health

• Signs of depression, such as crying without a reasonable and identifiable trigger, persistent low energy
• Non-verbal signs of anxiety, such as frequent physical complaints (headaches, stomachaches), pacing, pressured speech, poor sleep/nightmares
• Perfectionistic tendencies
• Separation anxiety
• Appears unmotivated to engage with others or engage in class
• Delusions or hallucinations
• Compulsive behavior (checking, counting, or other rituals)
• Obsessions (persistent preoccupation with an idea, feeling, or thought)
• Irritability or explosive anger
• Suicidal statements
• Poor concentration

Behavioral Health:

• Disruptive behavior
• Behavior that causes harm to self (cutting, head banging, etc.)
• Restlessness or agitation
• Behavior that causes distress to others, such as physical aggression, bullying, or poor boundaries
• Tantrum-type behaviors
• Attention seeking
• Defiance
• Excessive tardiness, absences or school refusal
• Difficulty with transitions

Interpersonal Troubles:

• Bullying or bullied by others
• Demanding
• “Yes, but…”
• Blaming
• Triangulating (playing staff or family members against each other)
• Makes accusations against staff
• Attacks or alienates others
• Withdrawn, socially isolated

Family Troubles:

• Indecisiveness
• Excessive worry
• Too little involvement
• Too much involvement
• High family discord
• Numerous recent changes/transitions/losses

Staff Involvement:

• Staff spending significantly more time with a student than usual
  • Either because the student is particularly difficult
  • Or because staff appears particularly attached or overly-involved
• Staff becoming frustrated with a student
• Staff making statements such as “I shouldn’t have to deal with that”

Finding HELP:

If you feel that HELP is needed, please feel free to reach out to the Guidance Office Staff, most notably your student's assigned counselor. American Clinic of Psychology (ACP) Also offers counseling services through Sibley. If you feel your child would benefit from counseling services, you can contact your child's counselor or access the referral form directly for ACP here: https://acp-mn.com/referral-form/

However, if you feel additional help is needed, please reach out to the resource you feel is most appropriate:

• Phone 911 - Actual critical emergency (Police, Fire, Medical)
• Dakota County Mental Health and other Support: https://www.co.dakota.mn.us/HealthFamily/MentalHealth
• Phone 1-800-273-8255 - Suicide Prevention Hotline
• Phone 1-888-628-9454 - Spanish Suicide Prevention Hotline
• Chat format login http://www.crisischat.org - Nationwide emotional support, crisis intervention, and suicide prevention

As the school year progresses, we will begin our group counseling sessions. If you do not want your child to participate in group counseling, please reach out to your students' counselor.

Students graduating in 2020 are able to file a 2020-2021 FAFSA-the Free Application for Federal Student Aid-as of October 1, 2019, rather than beginning of January 1, 2020. The earlier submission date is a permanent change that began in 2016, enabling students to complete and submit a FAFSA as early as October 1 every year. This fall's FAFSA, submitted for students attending college in the 2019-2020 school year (including this year's graduating seniors), will use income and tax information from 2017.

Students can use the comprehensive tools in Family Connection to plan for college and a career, and their school counselor can assist them along the way. Family Connection allows students to: get involved in the planning and advising process, research colleges and careers, create plans for the future, and prepare for the ACT and AP exams.

Family Connection also lets us share information with students about upcoming meetings and events, local scholarship opportunities, and resources for college and career information. Students can also use the site to communicate with their counselor. Students can log in to their account using their school email address and student ID number at https://student.naviance.com/hsshs. Click here for troubleshooting. 

Naviance Login

If you have registered your child to attending Henry Sibley, but have since decided not to do so, please contact our Guidance Office at 651-403-7208 and let us know. Thanks!

For Juniors and Seniors only, there will be a  credit recovery opportunity starting in January. Three different sessions will be available to you to recovery a Math or Language Arts semester credit. If your student is in need of this opportunity, have them stop into the guidance office to pick up a form(s). Seats are limited and the deadline for the second sessions is Friday, February 14th, 2020, by 3:15 p.m. If you have any questions, please connect with your students School Counselor.
 

Students who have enrolled in PSEO classes at local colleges are reminded to schedule an appointment with their counselor to update their schedule at Henry Sibley. We will need a copy of their PSEO courses for second semester before the start of the school year. Whether the student is taking an online or campus class. It is the student's responsibility to make sure they are taking the necessary credits to graduate. Call 651-403-7208 if you would like to schedule an appointment with your child's counselor to verify their graduation requirements.

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MINNESOTA POST-SECONDARY ENROLLMENT OPTIONS (PSEO)
Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) is a program that allows 10th-, 11th- and 12th-grade students to earn both high school and college credit while still in high school, through enrollment in and successful completion of college nonsectarian courses at eligible participating postsecondary institutions. Most PSEO courses are offered on the campus of the postsecondary institution; some courses are offered online. Each participating college or university sets its own admissions requirements for enrollment into the PSEO courses. Eleventh and 12th-grade students may take PSEO courses on a full- or part-time basis; 10th graders are eligible to enroll in PSEO on a more limited basis (see note below). Students must meet the PSEO residency and eligibility requirements and abide by participation limits specified in Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.09. If a school district determines a pupil is not on track to graduate, she/he may continue to participate in PSEO on a term by term basis. Minnesota Department of Education offers modifications for students with some form of disability who want to take PSEO courses.

By March 1 of each year, or three weeks prior to the date a student registers for courses for the following school year, schools must provide PSEO information to all students in grades 8-11 and their families. To assist the district in planning, a student must inform the district by May 30 of each year of their intent to enroll in postsecondary courses during the following school year.

There is no charge to PSEO students for tuition, books or fees for items that are required to participate in a course; however, students may incur fees for equipment that becomes their property when the course or program is completed, textbooks that are not returned to the postsecondary institution according to their policies, or for tuition costs if they do not notify the district by May 30 and the district does not waive this date requirement. Students may also use school computers and Wi-Fi for PSEO courses.

Funds are available to help pay transportation expenses for qualifying students to participate in PSEO courses on college campuses. For more information on these funds, access the PSEO Mileage Reimbursement Program Instructions.

Enrolling in a PSEO course does not prohibit a student from participating in activities sponsored by the high school.

School districts must allow a PSEO student reasonable access to the high school building, computers and/or other technology resources during regular school hours to participate in PSEO courses, whether on-line or on campus.

Each year, districts must publish their grade-weighting policy on their website, including a list of courses for which students can earn weighted grades.

All courses taken through the PSEO program must meet graduation requirements. Districts must transcript credits earned in PSEO by a ratio prescribed in statute. Districts have the authority to decide which subject area and standards the PSEO course meets. If there is a dispute between the district and the student regarding the number of credits granted for a particular course, the student may appeal the board's decision to the commissioner. The commissioner's decision regarding the number of credits will be final.

Postsecondary institutions are required to allow PSEO students to enroll in online courses consistent with the institution’s policy regarding postsecondary student enrollment in online courses.

Tenth-grade students may initially enroll in one Career and Technical Education (CTE) PSEO course if they receive a reading proficiency score of “meets” or “exceeds” on the 8th grade MCA. If 10th graders taking a CTE PSEO course earn at least a grade C in that class, they may take additional CTE PSEO courses. If the student did not take the MCA in 8th-grade, another reading assessment accepted by the enrolling postsecondary institution can be substituted. For students with disabilities, there is an alternative option to demonstrate reading proficiency.

For current information about the PSEO program, visit the Minnesota Department of Education’s Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) webpage.