Seventh grade students recently participated in a lesson presented by the Pine Mountain counselors. Students determined their Holland Code by completing a self-assessment booklet. The booklet uses information about interests, skills, and career choices to obtain a two letter Holland Code. This code is a guide to exploring future careers.
FAQ's
How does an 8th grader enroll for high school?
8th grade students will receive a registration form on February 9th. Forms will need to be returned by February 13th. This form will have courses that have been recommended by the current 8th grade teachers. Parents should review the course recommendations that have been chosen for the student. Parents will also help their student choose electives. If the parent does not agree or understand why a particular academic course has been recommended, he/she should contact the teacher who made the recommendation. If a recommendation cannot be changed, the parent may pursue a waiver into the desired course directly with the high school counseling office. All registration forms should be returned to the middle school by February 13th.
How do 8th grade teachers recommend courses for 9th grade?
EIghth grade teachers attend a training session led by high school subject area department chairs about recommending courses. In addition, teachers consult the Cobb County School District 9th Grade Placement Chart to make recommendations consistently for all students.
Can parents access the 9th Grade Placement Chart?
Access this online by going to: www.cobbk12.org
Click on School Counseling (left side of page).
Click on K-12 Advisement Guide (right side).
Then click on Placement Chart-2009/10 ninth graders.
Do all students need 9th grade foreign language and honors classes to be accepted into college?
Many colleges require 2 years of the same foreign language for college admission. These courses may be taken in 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th grades. Honors classes are not required for college admissions. Colleges look at grade point averages as well as difficulty level of courses for college admission. Honors and Advanced Placement courses are considered courses of higher difficulty.
Sue Martin - Counselor for students in team 7-1 and 6th grade
Heidi Settles = Counselor for students in team 7-2 and 8th grade
Welcome to the Counselor's Blog!
Counseling: We see students on an individual basis when teachers, parents, or students themselves request to see us.
Collaboration: We can attend parent conferences when requested. The counselors also work with Response to Intervention Team (RTI). RTI is a committee of teachers, administrators, counselors, parents, and the school psychologist. The team meets to develop interventions for students experiencing academic or behavioral difficulties.
Classroom Guidance: We will be going into each classroom this year to discuss various topics. Our focus will be on school success, career/life planning, and standardized testing tips.
Standardized Testing Calendar for 2008-9
It is very important that students be here for standardized testing on the dates listed below:
September 17, 18 Cognitive Abilities Test (GRADE 8)
September 22 - 26 Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (GRADE 8)
January 21 Georgia Writing Assessment (GRADE 8)
April 21 - April 27 Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Tests (GRADES 6, 7 and 8)
Sue Martin - Counselor for students in team 7-1 and 6th grade
Heidi Settles = Counselor for students in team 7-2 and 8th grade
Welcome to the Counselor's Blog!
Counseling: We see students on an individual basis when teachers, parents, or students themselves request to see us.
Collaboration: We can attend parent conferences when requested. The counselors also work with Response to Intervention Team (RTI). RTI is a committee of teachers, administrators, counselors, parents, and the school psychologist. The team meets to develop interventions for students experiencing academic or behavioral difficulties.
Classroom Guidance: We will be going into each classroom this year to discuss various topics. Our focus will be on school success, career/life planning, and standardized testing tips.
Standardized Testing Calendar for 2008-9
It is very important that students be here for standardized testing on the dates listed below:
September 17, 18 Cognitive Abilities Test (GRADE 8)
September 22 - 26 Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (GRADE 8)
January 21 Georgia Writing Assessment (GRADE 8)
April 21 - April 27 Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Tests (GRADES 6, 7 and 8)
Registration Information
8th graders are already registered for high school and have attended orientation. 7th and 6th graders need to bring back pre-registration forms for next year before March 31st. 7th grade students also need to return their foreign language registration forms as soon as possible.
Classroom Guidance
Mrs. Martin and Mrs. Settles are working with 7th grade students on career education. Students will learn about how their abilities can be used when finding a career. Students will also learn about the various levels of education required for a variety of careers. All Pine Mountain students have access to the internet program called "Career Cruising." Students can get the password and access code from the counselors learn about careers, and schools throughout the United States, including technical schools, two-year colleges, four-year colleges, and graduate programs.
Report cards will be distributed at Parent/Teacher conferences (January 22-28). No parent likes to see a child receive poor grades. It can be disappointing, surprising and even make you angry. The best way to handle a poor report card is to see it as a turning point - a chance to identify and solve problems. Here are some steps that will help:
Put things in perspective. Talk with your child about how grades reflect what he/she has learned - not whether he/she is a "good" or "bad" person.
Discuss how the final grade was reached. Determine which assignments were hardest for your child. If learning or emotional difficulties are suspected, have a professional examine your child.
Help your child plan for success. Focus on the problems you've identified, and make a plan for improvement. Stay informed about your child's progress. Check i-parent frequently. If you do not have your access code to establish an i-parent account on line, come to the guidance office for assistance.
Reassure your child that no matter what grades he/she receives, you will always love him/her. Children should never feel that their worth is dependent upon their grades.
Source: "Report Cards: How can I use them to help my children?", Home and School Institute, http://www.bellsouth.com/sc/edu/midstrm//page23.htm
CAREER CLASSROOM GUIDANCE
In November and December, students will participate in classroom guidance activities to explore career opportunities. 8th grade students will learn more about post-secondary options. 6th grade students will complete an interest inventory. All students may access a wonderful web site called Career Cruising. Using this web site students can learn about many colleges and technical schools. Students may also complete the "Matchmaker Inventory" and learn about thousands of careers! Students will be given the web address and access code during the classroom guidance lessons so students may access the site from home. Parents will also enjoy this web site.
Parents, would you like to be better informed about today's youth culture?
Cobb County's Prevention/Intervention publishes a bi-monthly newsletter. In the November issue you can read about energy drinks and also about triple C and Robotripping on DXM. www.cobbk12.org/~preventionintervention (click on newsletter).
High School Transition Activities
8th grade students and their parents have already had their first introduction to high school. On October 15th, Kennesaw Mountain High School hosted "Getting Prepared for High School" in the KMHS theater. Parents and students learned about the new graduation requirements, the 9th grade registration process, block scheduling, and advanced and academy programs for future KMHS mustangs! Parents can go to the Kennesaw Mountain High School web site and click on the link for "Future Mustang Info" to access the materials distributed that evening.
More important dates for your calendar:
October and November: 8th graders interested in Magnet High School programs need to apply and attend the open house for the school they are interested in.
January 31st: 8th grade assembly for high school information at Pine Mountain Middle School.
February 20th - 22nd: 8th graders bring registration forms home for parents to fill out for high school.
March 13th: 8th grade parents and students attend spring orientation at Kennesaw Mountain High School Theater.
I-Parent Information
We hope every parent at Pine Mountain will sign up for I-Parent. I-parent enables parents to access grades currently posted for their child. To register for I-Parent, come to the guidance office to pick up your child's access key. The counselors will be happy to show you how to set up the account. We encourage parents to check grades weekly and share this information with their children. We must maintain the security of our I-Parent system, therefore we are unable to mail access keys or send them home with students. As a reminder, children should not have passwords to the account.
INFO CENTER
Does your child seem to never have homework? It's easy to check by calling INFO CENTER. Parents and students can listen to daily voice mail messages from the teachers about the assigned homework for the evening. When students are absent, it is extremely helpful for the student to check their teachers' messages the assignments given while they were absent. The guidance office has a master list of teacher phone extension numbers. Call or e-mail us if you need the extensions for your child's teachers. heidi.settles@cobbk12.org or sue.martin@cobbk12.org.
8TH GRADERS: ARE YOU INTERESTED IN ATTENDING A COBB COUNTY MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL?
Mrs. Settles (8th grade counselor) has information about our 6 wonderful magnet high schools. 8th grade students submit applications in October and November for acceptance in 9th grade. Flyers will go home on September 7th. Check out the websites listed below for any school you might be interested in attending.
North Cobb High School of International Studies: www.northcobbinternationalstudies.org
Kennesaw Mountain High School Academy of Mathematics, Science and Technology: www.kmhsmagnet.com
South Cobb High School Academy of Mathematics and Medical Sciences: www.southcobbmagnet.com
Wheeler High School Center for Advanced Studies in Science, Mathematics, and Technology: www.wheelermagnet.com
Campbell High School International Baccalaureate Program: www.cobbk12.org/~campbellhs/ (click on link International Baccalaureate Magnet)
Cobb County Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts at Pebblebrook High School: www.cccepa.com
