The BellefonteAreaHigh School
School Counseling Department
Class of 2012 Newsletter
October 2010
From the Junior Counselor Jeanie Burns
I hope everyone has had a great start to the 2010-2011 school year! It is exciting to see everyone back in the building and hard at work towards graduation in June 2012. For those of you who have not added your email to the Class of 2012 email distribution list, please contact me at and I will add you to the list. Also, please be certain to gain or update your access to the Power School Parent Portal which allows parents to log in to view grades, attendance, teacher email addresses, announcements, and other important information. Forms for this program can be downloaded from the district website – We also offer FREE after school tutoring again, Monday through Thursday. Please take advantage of these wonderful services.
I recently met with junior students in their World Cultures classes and gave students a copy of their transcripts, discussed credits needed for graduation, community service requirements, and junior year testing. I will continue to meet with students throughout the school year.
Included in this newsletter are several important dates for you to be aware of and information that may be useful to you and your child. Please feel free to check our school counseling web page for more helpful information. To find this site from the High School home page go to Departments, then School Counseling – Additionally, I can be reached at 355-4833, extension 8525.
Important Dates
Progress Reports
Progress reports will be sent home to each student earning a course grade below a 73% at the mid point of marking period. Progress reports will be mailed home within a week of their due date to the School Counseling Office. These dates may change if we have a snow day.
Progress Reports Due to School Counseling office:
1st Marking Period / October 6th2nd Marking Period / December 15th
3rd Marking Period / March 1st
4th Marking Period / May 9th
Report Cards
Report cards will be issued at the end of each nine weeks. Report cards are given to the students for the first three marking periods. The final report card will be mailed home at the conclusion of the school year. Please understand these dates may change with snow days.
Marking Period / End of Marking Period / Approximate Issue Date1st MP / November 8th / November 22nd
2nd MP / January 25th / February 9th
3rd MP / April 5th / April 18th
4th MP / June 9th / Week of June 20th
Credits Needed for Graduation
English / 4.00 creditsSocial Studies / 4.00 credits
Math / 4.00 credits
Science / 3.00 credits
Phys. Ed. / 2.00 credits
Health 10 / .25 credits
Health 11 / .50 credits
Foundations of Technology / .25 credits
Driver Ed. / .25 credits
Electives / 6.75 credits
Graduation Project / 73% or higher
Community Service / 30+ hours
Total / 25.00 credits
Academic Eligibility
Academic eligibility for participation in all extracurricular school-related activities as Athletics, Band, Choir, Drama, Academic Decathlon, Student Council, Model UN, and Debate, to name a few, shall be cumulative from the beginning of a grading period andreported on a weekly basis.
A student is ineligible to participate if any of the following categories apply:
He/She has failed or is failing two or more courses.
He/She is not passing a minimum of five (5) credits.
He/She doesn’t have a minimum average grade of 73%.
He/She is not eligible to be promoted to the next grade.
The weekly ineligibility begins on the Monday of each week and lasts for 7 days. The ineligible student will report to academic tutorial after school Monday through Thursday with materials to study and prepare for class(es). Academically ineligible students may practice Monday through Thursday after completing the academic tutorial session. Academically ineligible students may practice on Friday’s at the discretion of the coach. If a student is found to be academically ineligible for a third straight week, the student will forgo their participation in both practices and competitions associated with their sport(s). It is the coach’s discretion as to whether or not the student actively continues with the team from that point forward.
Any student who is not meeting the academic eligibility requirements at the end of a marking period or school year or who is not eligible for promotion to the next grade level, will not be eligible for the first fifteen (15) days of the next marking period. Ineligibility established in June will carry over into the next school year.
After-School Tutoring
Tutoring is available in all major subject areas Monday-Thursday after school. Students must bring materials and textbooks with them for tutoring assistance.Students do not need to sign up in advance;however, there is a limit of 18 students per tutor each day to be helped on a first come, first served basis. Students may sign out when finished.Tutoring lasts from 3:25 pm – 4:25 pm, except for Tuesdaysit is 4:00 pm until 5:00 pm. The tutoring schedule with teacher, room number, and time is:
Monday:
Shaun McMurtrie 228 (3:25 pm – 4:25 pm)
Jen Bowersox 209 (3:25 pm – 4:25 pm)
Tuesday:
Jen Bowersox 209 (4 pm – 5 pm)
Chris Morris 119 (4 pm – 5 pm)
Wednesday:
Shaun McMurtrie 228 (3:25 pm - 4:25 pm)
Linda Misja 150 (3:25 pm - 4:25 pm)
Thursday:
Chris Morris, 119 (3:25 pm – 4:25 pm)
Linda Misja, 150 (3:25 pm – 4:25 pm)
Parent Portal
Due to upgrades to the Parent Portal system, all users are required to reapply for access for the 2010-2011 school year. The Parent Portal will allow you to access real time grade and attendance information for your child. Forms can be downloaded by going to and clicking on “PowerSchool Parent Portal” under the Parents tab.
Graduation Project
In order to graduate from high school in Pennsylvania, students must complete a graduation project established by the school district. The BellefonteAreaHigh School’s graduation project has two parts:
- A senior research project completed in senior English class
- 30 hours of community service during grades 9-12 (hours will vary if a student enters the district during grades 10, 11, or 12).
Attendance Policy
If a student misses 15 days of a semester course or 30 days of a yearlong course they may fail the course due to attendance.Thus, the attendance policy may prevent a student from meeting graduation requirements in order to graduate with their class.
Proficiency
In order to graduate from high school in Pennsylvania, students must demonstrate proficiency in Mathematics, Reading, Writing, and Science. To demonstrate this proficiency students take the PSSA tests in these four areas during the spring of their junior year.
Junior Testing Information
PSSA
The testing schedule for the PSSA for juniors this coming spring is:
PSSA Math and Reading / March 14 -25, 2011PSSA Writing / March 28 - April 1, 2011
PSSA Science / April 4 - 8, 2011
PSAT/NMSQT
For many students the “Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test” is the first step on the road to college. It is strongly recommended for juniors to take the PSAT! In addition to serving as a useful warm-up to the SAT Reasoning Test, the PSAT is used as the initial screening tool for the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). Only junior year PSAT scores are used to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program.
The PSAT will be administered at the High School on Saturday, October 16th from 7:45 AM to 11:00 AM. The cost of the test is $20.00 (cash or a check made payable to BASD). Students must register/pay in the high school counseling office. About six weeks after the test is administered, the School Counseling Office will receive the results. Counselors will then review test results with students in small groups. Students will also receive their original test booklet that will allow them to look back at questions with which they had problems and to work on the correct solution methods. For more information regarding the National Merit Scholarship Program visit
SAT Reasoning Test
The SAT Reasoning Test ( is the college admissions test recognized by most four-year colleges and universities in the United States. It focuses on student abilities in three areas, Critical Reading, Math, and Writing. It is recommended that college-bound juniors register for the test in the spring. The test will be given at BellefonteHigh School on March 12th, 2011. Be certain to register online for the March 12th SAT on or before February 11, 2011 at
Each school year the High School offers an SAT preparation course before and/or after school hours to help students better prepare for the SAT Reasoning Test. The SAT Prep Course is usually offered approximately six weeks prior to the March SAT. Please be sure your child pays attention to the morning announcements for more information on the course. You can check our Daily Bulletin for morning announcements at
To prepare for the SAT Reasoning Test I strongly recommend your child register for the OfficialSAT Question of the Day at for an easy way to familiarize themselves with test questions on a daily basis. For more SAT practice information please go to:
SAT-Subject Tests
SAT Subject Tests are designed to measure knowledge and skills in particular subject areas, as well as the ability to apply that knowledge. Many colleges use the Subject Tests for admission, for course placement, and to advise students about course selection. Used in combination with other background information (your high school record, scores from other tests like the SAT Reasoning Test, teacher recommendations, etc.), they provide a dependable measure of your academic achievement and are a good predictor of future performance. Some colleges specify the Subject Tests required for admission or placement. Subject tests are offered in: English, History, Mathematics, Science, and Languages.
Check to see if the school you are interested in applying to requires the SAT-Subject Tests. For tips on taking SAT-Subject tests please go online to
ACT Assessment
Virtually all colleges also accept the college admissions test called the ACT. This is a curriculum-based achievement test designed to assess high school students’ general educational development and their ability to complete college-level coursework. The test covers four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning. Students will be able to take the ACT here at the High School February 12, 2011. More information is available at website: Interested students need to be certain to register for the February 12th ACT online on or before January 7, 2011. For more ACT practice information and testing tips please go to:
ASVAB
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is an aptitude test offered to measure of academic ability. This test is then tied to a career activity that makes it useful for career exploration and future decision-making. This year’s test will be given at the High School on Wednesday, December 1, 2010. To prepare for the ASVAB please go to This site can be very helpful with any test preparation.
Post-secondary Exploration and Planning
FINANCIAL AID NIGHT – JANUARY 11th, 2011
Our area PHEAA representative Don Shade will be giving a Financial Aid presentation at the High School on Tuesday, January 11th at 6:30p.m. I highly recommend that you attend this presentation if your child is planning to continue her/his education beyond high school. Having exposure to this information is invaluable for financial planning well in advance to your child’s entrance into college.
NCAAEligibilityCenter
Those students who wish to compete at the NCAA Division 1 or 2 level must be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center (EC). Student-athletes can register in their junior year. If you have a child who is a potential division 1 or 2 athlete, please let me know. For more information, the EC website is
Where Do We Go From Here?
The Where Do We Go From Here? Guide was given out to juniors in their World Cultures classes in September. It contains valuable information regarding post-secondary planning. It includes job seeking strategies, post-secondary education, and military information. Extra copies are available in the School Counseling Office.
Student Assistance Program
Every school district in Pennsylvania is required by law to provide a Student Assistance Program (SAP). A Student Assistance Team (SAT) is comprised of a team of specially trained professionals who serve to identify and refer students who may be “at-risk” for social, emotional, or behavioral problems. “At-risk” may refer to drug, alcohol, mental health, or any other concerns that may be preventing a student from being successful within the school setting. The High School’s Student Assistance Team includes the school nurse, school psychologist, administrators, school counselors, and specially trained teachers. Please do not hesitate to contact me or any member of the team if you feel your child may need help! For more information please refer to the SAP site:
How do you know when you should seek help for your adolescent's behavior?
You should look for changes in the following areas, please contact me with concerns:
- Marked change in school performance
- Abuse of alcohol and/or drugs
- Inability to cope with problems and daily activities
- Marked changes in sleeping and/or eating habits
- Aggressive or non-aggressive consistent violation of rights of others; opposition to authority, truancy, thefts, vandalism
- Intense fear of becoming obese with no relationship to actual body weight, depression shown by sustained, prolonged negative mood and attitude, often accompanied by poor appetite, difficulty sleeping or thoughts of death
- Frequent outbursts of anger
Homework
Parents please encourage your child and/or children to complete their homework assignments every night. Homework completion will help your child to better understand the subject and improve their overall learning experience and academic performance. Parent Portal access will help you to monitor your child’s homework assignments, as well as, completion of the homework assignments.
Please call or email me with questions
Jeanie Burns 353-5318 ext 1 or
As ever, I wish you and your children a very successful school year!!