Counseling - High School

Welcome

Guiding Students to Achieve Success

The Faribault High School Counseling Department will provide a developmental, equitable program to meet the academic, career, social/emotional needs of our diverse population.

School counselors are certified/licensed educators with the minimum of a master’s degree in school counseling and are uniquely qualified to address the developmental needs of all students through a school counseling program addressing the academic, career and social/emotional development of all students. School counselors work with students and all stakeholders directly and indirectly within these domains. Collaboration, leadership, advocacy, and systemic change are integral components of a comprehensive school counseling program aligned with the American School Counseling Association.

Counselors

Stop by the counseling office before/after school or during lunch/homeroom to make an appointment! Search for your counselor by using the first letter of your last name.

A-Ge

Dawn Peanasky,
A- Ge Counselor
507-333-6199 | Email

Gf-N

Faith Ahmed,
Gf- N Counselor
507-333-6147 | Email

O-Z

Michelle Breun,
O- Z Counselor
507-333-6206 | Email

Support Staff

Shelly Fritz,
Registrar
507-333-6207 | Email

Ellyn Benhamida,
Administrative Assistant
507-333-6200 | Email

Mary McNelis,
Career Center Coordinator
507-333-6161 | Email

Registration

Freshman

Juniors

Interested students may take the PSAT exam which is essentially a practice SAT exam. It follows a similar format as the SAT as it measures verbal, math and writing skills. There are three reasons why a junior may choose to take the PSAT:

The students plans on taking the SAT and would like a formal practice test
The student would like to try and qualify for the National Merit Scholarship
If the students’ parent/guardian work for a select group of companies (example; Jennie-O Turkey store), that student may qualify for additional scholarship opportunities offered by these companies.

Counselors meet with students individually during the spring semester to discuss career searches, the college application process, and testing options including ACT, SAT and ACCUPLACER. Students receive resources containing information and timelines to assist them with their post high school planning.
Counselors give classroom presentations about registration and academic planning.
Students meet with counselors in homeroom to discuss course registration and academic standing.

Sophomores
Seniors

Sophomores

Seniors

Seniors meet with the Counseling and Career Center staff to discuss a wide range of topics including:

1. Credit requirements/GPA and class rank
2. College application process
3. Scholarship application process
4. College visits
5. Career Center resources
6. National College Fair
7. Letters of recommendation

After this meeting, students can meet with their counselors on an individual basis. Students are encouraged to meet with their counselors as often as necessary. We meet with students to help them organize their application materials, proof essays and applications, and write letters of recommendation. We also brainstorm with students about possible colleges or programs. We are available and qualified to help students in every aspect of this journey.

Exam Information

PSAT

PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test) – measures skills that are important for success in college-verbal reasoning, critical reading, math problem solving, and writing. This is the qualifying test for entry to National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) competitions for college scholarships. Usually taken in the junior year, students will enter NMSC competitions for recognition and awards. Further information can be found at www.nationalmerit.org or www.collegeboard.com. The PSAT is an optional test for juniors and sophomores.

The PSAT will be given at FHS usually in October. A fee is charged and students must pre-register in the Counseling Office. Test results are available in January.

ACT

ACT (American College Test) is an assessment that measures student abilities in English, Mathematics, Reading , Science and Writing. The ACT takes about 3-4 hours to complete and is administered in September, October, December, February, April, June and July. Most School Counselors agree that the best time to take the ACT is in April or June of the junior year of high school. Some seniors retake the ACT in October to try to increase their scores. The composite, which is the average of the English, Mathematics, Reading and Science sections, is the score used to determine admission to colleges. Additionally, colleges look at class rank and grade point average.

You may register to take the ACT online at www.act.org. Keep in mind there are registration deadlines for each test date. Late fees may apply when registering after the deadline.

Results of the assessment are sent to the high school as well as to your home. The code for Faribault High School is 240-805.

Several colleges now require your test results be sent directly from ACT/SAT. Please check with the college that you are applying to for further instructions.

* = Located at Faribault High School

Faribault High School will be offering the ACT for all 11th grade students in the spring. This assessment will be provided by the school district and will be at no cost for our students. This is NOT a graduation requirement, but is available to all interested 11th graders. The Counseling department will meet with all 11th graders to register them for this test date.

SAT

SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) – measures students’ reasoning ability in the areas of mathematics and reading. Some colleges require the SAT, but most will accept either the SAT or ACT. The subject tests (SATII) may be required as a follow up for selective college admission. You may apply online at www.collegeboard.org or pick up a paper application in the Counseling Office.

The code for Faribault High School is 240-805. See Counseling Office for SAT Assessment Test Dates. Note: There are also LATE registration postmark deadlines. A late fee applies.

NCAA

NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) FOR ATHLETES ONLY. The NCAA purpose is to help student athletes succeed on the field and in the classroom. Student athletes should register with the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse after the completion of the junior year in high school. Students who are planning on participating in Division I or Division II athletics need to submit a transcript of their grades and their ACT/SAT scores. These scores should be sent directly to the clearinghouse by entering code “9999” as a reporting selection when they register for the exam. There is a registration fee. NCAA forms and information are available at the NCAA Web site at www.ncaa.org. You may check our list of NCAA-approved core course at any time by linking to the clearinghouse page of the NCAA web site. Competing in College .

AP Advanced Placement

This year, AP exams will be offered in Calculus AB, Chemistry, English Literature and Composition, Microeconomics, Psychology, World History, and United States History.

Below you will find information provided from the College Board regarding AP Exams during our time of Distance Learning. We will provide further information as we are able.

Students remain eager to take AP Exams and have a chance to earn credit and placement. We surveyed 18,000 AP students and 91% indicated they want to complete this important step, urging us not to cancel this opportunity.

The AP Program will invest heavily over the next month in the following ways:

1. For the 2019-20 exam administration only, students can take a 45-minute online exam at home. Educator-led development committees are currently selecting the exam questions that will be administered.

2. Some students may want to take the exam sooner rather than later, while the content is still fresh. Other students may want more time to practice. For each AP subject, there will be two different testing dates.

3. AP curricula are locally developed and we defer to local decisions on how best to help students complete coursework. To be fair to all students, some of whom have lost more instructional time than others, the exam will only include topics and skills most AP teachers and students have already covered in class by early March.

4. Colleges support this solution and are committed to ensuring that AP students receive the credit they've worked this year to earn. For decades, colleges have accepted a shortened AP Exam for college credit when groups of students have experienced emergencies.

5. Students will be able to take these streamlined exams on any device they have access to—computer, tablet, or smartphone. Taking a photo of handwritten work will also be an option.

6. We recognize that the digital divide could prevent some low-income and rural students from participating. Working with partners, we'll invest so these students have the tools and connectivity they need to review AP content online and take the exam. If your students need mobile tools or connectivity, you can reach us directly to let us know.

7. The exam questions are designed in ways that prevent cheating. We use a range of digital security tools and techniques, including plagiarism detection software, to protect the integrity of the exams. Scoring at-home work for an AP Exam isn't new to the AP Program. For years the AP Program has received and scored at-home student work as part of the exams for the AP Computer Science Principles and AP Capstone™ courses.

We'll continue to support students with free resources through exam day. And while we encourage students to wait until closer to the test date to decide, any student already registered for an exam can choose to cancel at no charge.

Information about the reduced scope of content that will be covered on each 2020 AP Exam is currently posted on AP Central®. The specific test dates and the free-response question types will all be posted by April 3. We'll also unlock any relevant free-response questions in AP Classroom for digital use so students can access all practice questions of the type that will appear on the exam.

Pre-ACT

The Pre-ACT is an exam offered to all FHS sophomores each fall. This exam serves as a practice ACT exam. The ACT is a college-entrance exam for 4-year colleges. All juniors at FHS have the opportunity to take the ACT at FHS at no cost in the spring of their junior year. The Pre-ACT has some great benefits for students including:

An estimated ACT score
A practice testing experience that mirrors the ACT exam
Areas of strength and weakness identified within the subject tests of English, Math, Reading, and Science.
A comprehensive score report with compatible career area information

This exam will occur on the following dates:

Tuesday, October 27th for Monday/Tuesday hybrid learners and distance learners with last names A-K
Friday, October 30th for Thursday/Friday hybrid learners and distance learners with last names L-Z.

Click this link to learn more about the Pre-ACT

Using Your Pre-ACT Results

Health & Safety Guidelines

Career Center

The Faribault High School Career Center has many resources available to help students with their post secondary options.

Some of these resources include:

College and Career Information
Assistance in completing college applications
Scholarship Information
ACT and SAT prep materials
Financial aid applications, including FAFSA
Military career information
Job postings
Summer academic information
Naviance Student
Minnesota Career Information System

Contact:

Mary McNelis,
Career Center Coordinator
507-333-6161 | Email

PSEO

General PSEO Information:

Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) is a state program that allows tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade students to enroll in courses at a college and earn both high school and college credit while still in high school. Only enrollment in and successful completion of college-level, nonsectarian courses at eligible participating postsecondary institutions apply. Most PSEO courses are offered on the campus of the postsecondary institution; some courses are offered online.

Please note: Each participating college or university sets its own requirements for enrollment into the PSEO courses. Eleventh and twelfth-grade students may take PSEO courses on a full- or part-time basis. Tenth graders may take only one career/technical PSEO course. If they earn at least a grade C in that class, they may take additional career/technical PSEO courses.

There is no charge to PSEO students for tuition, books or fees for items that are required to participate in a course. Students must meet the PSEO eligibility requirements.

Students must notify FHS by May 30 if they want to participate in PSEO for the following school year. Please meet with your high school counselor to complete this process.

Any student interested in PSEO should make sure to attend the annual "How to Earn College Credit in High School" presentation at FHS held towards the end of January.

For a list of participating institutions in Minnesota, click here.

Parents

Resources

Mental Health Resources

South Central Mobile Crisis Team provides support for children, teens and adults who are experiencing a mental health crisis. The Mobile Crisis Team will provide services in your home or another community location. They bill insurance for these services, but have grant funding available to assist with any bills received if there is financial hardship. 877-399-3040.

Rice County Children's Mental Health coordinates an extensive network of assessment, treatment, and supportive services for children and teens with mental health needs. These services can include diagnostic assessments, individual and family therapy, in-home counseling and skills training, day treatment, and case management. 507-333-3773

Click Here for a list of Rice County Community Mental Health Resources.

Click Here for another list of Chemical and Mental Health Resources compiled by the Rice County Chemical and Mental Health Coalition.

Crisis Hotlines:
Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 Crisis Text Line: text "HOME" to 741741

Confidentiality with Virtual Counseling

Faribault High School Student Support Team Informed Consent Statement For Virtual Counseling

The Counseling Department at Faribault High School would like to introduce you to our process and protocols for connecting with students and families online. What follows are the benefits and limits associated with virtual counseling.

As we all know, this is an unprecedented situation. Using technology to discuss personal and private matters is not the same as doing so face-to-face. We want to address any questions or concerns that you want to discuss, but there are limitations and exceptions to keep in mind.

First, while we will be doing everything we can on our end to keep our discussions confidential, there is always the possibility that someone else might overhear the conversation. In the worst-case scenario, someone might “hack” into the counseling session. While we don’t think this will occur, it is always a possibility. What is more likely to occur is that someone else may overhear the conversation. The most common way that this can happen is by someone leaving a door open or the area you are in is not soundproof enough to prevent voices from being heard by others around. For this reason, it is very important that you do everything possible to ensure that wherever you use your computer or phone is as “safe” as possible. Given the confidential nature of the conversations that may take place neither the staff member, nor student/family is permitted to video or audio record the counseling session.

Second, if you are participating in a group discussion of some type, please keep in mind that whatever is shared in confidence is only confidential as long as everyone respects the privacy of all group members. The basic rule of “whatever is said in here, stays in here” also applies in virtual group counseling.

Third, all the other basic rules of safety apply online as it does in person. As always, if anyone says something that leads the staff member to believe that the student is going to hurt her/himself or is being harmed by someone else, then that information must be shared with other responsible adults and administration to ensure that harm does not occur. This is called mandated reporting and all members of our student support team are mandated reporters.

Last, at the beginning of any conversation we have online or by phone, we will go over these points and will ask for your verbal agreement to participate, along with your understanding of these limitations. That will provide evidence that you understand what is about to occur online or by phone. While all of this may seem unnecessary, we want to do everything we can to make certain that everyone understands the limits of our conversation virtually and we are as safe as possible during this time of social distancing.

Technology Support

Schoology: This is the primary platform for FHS Distance Learning and communications with students. Students can download the Schoology App to their cell phone to receive notifications and updates.

Infinite Campus:I If parents/guardians do not have a Campus Parent account or are having trouble logging in, please email portalhelp@faribault.k12.mn.us Also, please note that all voice messages are forwarded to our email addresses, so please do leave a voice message if you call and we will then get back to you.