Every student has the need to feel

Cared for, Capable and Connected

Cheryl Hendrix, counselor at Boals Elementary School, will be honored at a luncheon in February in Galveston as a recipient of a CREST Award, according to Brenda Russell, Director of the FISD Guidance and Counseling Department. Hendrix is the first FISD counselor to receive this prestigious award. Russell noted that the award comes at a fitting time as National School Counseling Week is observed February 6-10.

Counselors Reinforcing Excellence for Students in Texas (CREST) is sponsored by the Texas School Counselor Association (TSCA) and awarded to school counseling programs that meet CREST requirements. CREST is a continuous improvement document that school counseling programs can use to demonstrate effective communication and a commitment to obtaining results. In its final form, CREST is a brochure that highlights the accomplishments of a school counseling program. A CREST document includes information in seven (7) areas:

• Principal’s Comments
• School Counseling Advisory Council
• School Climate and Safety
• Student Results
• Major Achievements
• Community Partnerships/Resources
• Parent Collaboration

Hendrix will receive an award banner to be displayed at Boals.

Most recently, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board engineered the development of a new campaign to increase awareness and build support for the new college and career readiness standards, prepare students for all postsecondary education options, and clarify the application process for postsecondary admission and student financial aid. The higher education campaign, Generation TX (pronounced “Generation Texas”) is a statewide, grassroots movement focused on creating a culture of college and career readiness that leads to the most successful generation in Texas history. All over Texas, students are standing up, finding their voices, and fueling the movement. Helpful information and resources are available on the College for All Texans website (http://www.collegeforalltexans.com/) and Generation TX website (http://gentx.org/).

Our Middle School students will have lessons through College Ed curriculum. CollegeEd is the College Board's flexible standards-based college planning and career exploration program for middle and high school students. The program includes classroom, online and take-home resources for students, educators and families. The recently revised program includes expanded coverage of self and career exploration content in conjunction with extensive online resources. It provides the information; inspiration and guidance that help students develop their capacity to succeed in college and in life.

At the elementary level the counselors will organize fun and educational experiences for both students and teachers during College Week

The purpose of college week, which may include guest speakers, special bulletin boards, art projects and classroom discussion, is to get children thinking about the future. Counselors will go in the classrooms to talk about colleges and how preparing to go to college begins in elementary school with the formation of strong study habits and setting educational goals.

Part of college week will also include discussions of career and training options for people who do not attend traditional college.

Some students may study a specific college in their classroom, making pennants or reading books about the institution. Teachers will share experiences about their colleges with students and outside speakers including administrators and school board members may be invited to visit various school.

At the high school level, the counselors strive to educate the students and their parents for all aspects of post-secondary experiences.  The counselors provide education through classroom guidance, evening and morning education sessions for the parents, assemblies, Go Center Programs, the Family Connection program, and tours of the Career & Technical Education Center.

The Frisco ISD counselors are committed to a guidance program that is dynamic and which fosters the developmental foundations of all students. We believe in the dignity and worth of each individual and that all students can benefit from a preventive and developmental guidance program. Inherent in this process is the total involvement of school personnel, parents and the community.

We believe every student has the need to feel

Cared for, Capable and Connected.

Students have a need to belong. The need to belong refers to the strong psychological and emotional need all students have to feel important, worthwhile, significant, and valued.

• Capable - Students must feel capable of completing tasks in a manner that meets the standards of the school.
• Connected - Students need to believe that they can connect successfully with teachers and classmates.
• Cared for - Students need to feel cared for and to know they can contribute to the group in a significant way.

To read more, click here.

The mission of the Counseling and Guidance Department is to create and sustain effective comprehensive counseling and guidance programs and services which help students become lifelong learners and responsible productive citizens by promoting their personal growth and academic development.

The purpose of the school guidance program is to promote and to enhance the learning process. School counselors work closely with administrators, teachers, parents, and the community to support the FISD mission and accomplish goals with focus on three strands of guidance:  academic success, college/career information, and personal/social development.

Section 504

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, commonly known in the schools as “SECTION 504,” is a federal law passed by the United States Congress with the purpose of prohibiting discrimination against disabled persons who may participate in or receive benefits from, programs receiving federal financial assistance.  In the public schools, specifically, Section 504 applies to ensure that eligible disabled students are provided with educational benefits equal to those provided to non-disabled students. Click here to read more.

Students who complete AP courses:

• Are placed in challenging courses thus better prepared academically.
• Develop the academic skills and expectations needed for college.
• Are more likely to choose challenging majors.
• Are more likely to maintain a high grade point average and graduate from college with honors than their college classmates of similar ability.
• Allows students to pursue college-level studies while still in high school.
• More than 1,691,905 public school students in the United States took AP exams in 37 AP Courses in 2009.
• 37 courses offered in multiple subject areas.  FISD offers 27 of these courses.

The purpose of the Pre-AP Initiatives is to equip all middle and high school teachers with the strategies and tools they need to engage their students in active, high-level learning, thereby ensuring that every middle and high school student develops the skills, habits of mind, and concepts they need to succeed in college. For more information click here.

To see how AP courses can save you money on college, click here.

The Princeton Review

Offers ACT and SAT Prep Classes

Frisco Independent School District is excited to announce a partnership with The Princeton Review; as a Princeton Review Partner, ALL Frisco ISD students will receive a great discount off the SAT and ACT courses as well as the PSAT Clinics. These courses will run throughout the year and will be exclusive to Frisco ISD students. Please click the links below for more information:

• The Princeton Review Partnership
• Test Preparation Resources

Creating a College/Career

Ready Culture

ADD/ADHD: Beyond the Labels