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HHS GUIDANCE

11th Grade

Information

Packet

Also available on Guidance Website http://htownguidance.weebly.com/

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

College Application Timeline………………………………………………………………………………………………………….3-4

ASVAB……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5

College Visits………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….5

Southern Maryland College Fair…………………………………………………………………………………………………..…5

Scholarships……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5

Letter of Recommendation Request Form………………………………………………………………………………………6-7

Transcript Request Form………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..8

CSM Dual Enrollment……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..9

Communication

E-mail………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….10

HAC……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..10

Remind………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..10

Schoology & Guidance Website.………………………………………………………………………………………………….…..11

Work Permit…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….12

Clubs/Sports/Organizations …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….13

Tutoring Options……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..13

Service Learning……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………14-17

Driver’s Education…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..18

Learner’s Permit……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..18

MVA Form……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….19-20

Mentor/Job Shadowing…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..21

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College Application Timeline:

All year long:

• Keep your grades up.

• Check the Guidance Website and your Office 365 e-mail account for important information:

http://htownguidance.weebly.com/

• Get involved!

• Take advantage of service learning opportunities.

• Take a rigorous course load that you can reasonably handle.

• Build rapport with teachers and staff. You will need people to write you letters of recommendation when it

comes time to apply to college. Having a good rapport with your teachers will help them write you strong

letters of recommendation.

Winter and Spring of Junior year:

Talking with your family about how you’re going to pay for college is a very important step in the college

process that often gets overlooked. It is imperative that you and your family consider and discuss the

impact financing college will have on the family. You and your family need to be on the same page as you

start looking at colleges so that you are only looking at schools within your financial means.

• Take the SAT and/or ACT

o Sign up for SAT on Collegeboard.org and the ACT on ACTstudent.org

o Collegeboard and the ACT website have all kinds of help available to prepare for the SAT/ACT. Khan

Academy on YouTube has also partnered with the Collegeboard to offer preparation questions,

study tips, skills, etc for the SAT.

▪ Note: if you are experiencing difficulty accessing your SAT or ACT scores online, you will

need to contact Collegeboard or ACT directly. The school has no access to your accounts or

login information. All troubleshooting will need to be dealt with the company you are using.

• There are SAT Prep classes available usually quarterly after school at HHS. It usually consists of 8

sessions twice a week for 4 weeks. One day is devoted to English while the other day is devoted to Math.

There is a cost for this class (see registration form), and it is aimed to help students who intend to take the

following SAT. Listen for morning announcements for it, check your e-mail, and listen for announcements in

your English class.

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Spring/Summer:

• College visits. Meet with admissions counselors; go on tours.

Summer:

• Narrow list of colleges; intend to apply to 3-5: 1 Dream School, 1 Reach School, 2-3 solid schools, 1 safe

school. If you’re still looking for colleges, use the College Match tool on the Collegeboard website. It has

filters that allow you to weed out schools that don’t apply to you. Also, Career Cruising has a college match

tool you can use. (Please see the attached flier on how to access Career Cruising.)

• Start getting your resumé together and filling out the Recommendation Request Form

o The Recommendation Request form is what you will give to teachers/community leaders/your

counselor, etc., so that they have a whole picture of you to be able to write a strong letter of

recommendation.

▪ You only need to fill out the recommendation request form once, then bring it in to

Guidance, and we will make copies of it for you.

o Many colleges and scholarships require letters of recommendation to be submitted with your

transcript or application.

▪ Note for letters of recommendation: pick someone who knows you well and will be able to

speak to your character, work ethic, and strengths

o You can get the Recommendation Request form in the Guidance office or on the HHS Guidance

website. It is also included in this packet.

• Check the websites of the colleges you plan to apply to and make note of their application deadlines for

early decision and regular decision and decide which deadline you will use.

• Select 2-3 teachers/coaches/community leader to write you a letter of recommendation

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ASVAB

If you are unsure of what path you’d like to pursue outside of high school, whether it’s what to major in or if you

should join the workforce right after high school, it is a good idea to take the ASVAB. While it is administered by

the military, as long as you check the box stating you do not want to be contacted by the military, no one will from

the military will contact you. It is an excellent test to give you an idea of where your strengths and interest join

together to give you some guidance and direction on what would be a good fit for you. It is a free test, and it is

administered during the school day (usually takes up until lunch) at the end of October every year.

College Visits

Lots of colleges come to the school during lunch to give information regarding their school. Take advantage of this!

Some colleges will even guarantee admittance upon looking over the students’ transcripts with them during the

meeting. Even if that doesn’t happen, the people who come often are on the selection committee to grant

admittance, and if they have a face to go with the name on the paper, it is much more helpful and personal. This

also allows you opportunities to ask questions about the university or application process.

With schools closed due to COVID-19, school representatives are meeting with students virtually. Please refer to

the “Virtual College Rep Visits” document for links to meetings. This document can be found on the Guidance

Website or the Schoology page.

Southern Maryland College Fair

Due to COVID-19, the college fair has been cancelled for Fall 2020. Please refer to the Schoology page for

virtual college fairs and information.

This is open to Juniors and Seniors every September. You can either go with the school on a field trip during

the school day, or you can go with your parent/guardian in the evening. It takes place at the Hollywood

Firehouse. It is a great opportunity to meet with representatives from various colleges, get a feel for what the

college is like, what they’re looking for in an applicant, and see if they’re a good fit for you. It also will give you

an idea if a college is worth a visit or not.

Scholarships

These are mostly available to seniors, but there are some open to juniors. Check your school e-mail regularly

for communication from your counselor and check out our Guidance blog. We regularly post local

scholarships on our blog.

http://htownguidance.weebly.com/

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Recommendation Request Form Name: Notes to recommender: I will pick up ________ transcripts from you by ______________.

I have submitted you as an electronic recommender to Common App/SENDEDU/UMD (circle all that apply).

College(s) applying to

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Clubs/Sports/Organizations (don’t use acronyms i.e. TIE—write Transitioning Into Excellence)

CLUB | ROLE ( I.E.TREASURER, CAPTAIN, ETC.)| DATES |RECOGNITIONS (I.E. SMAC, ALL COUNTY-CHORUS)

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Employment

EMPLOYER | POSITION | DATES | ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (I.E. EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH)

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Awards/Honors/Recognitions

NAME | DATES | REASON

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Volunteer Experience

ORGANIZATION | DATES | BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE

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Skills & Abilities & Interests

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2 adjectives that describe you

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Any special circumstances we should be aware of?

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Dual Enrollment

There are three classes offered at HHS that students can earn college credit from CSM—Honors Composition and

Rhetoric and both Academic and Honors Pre-Calculus. A representative from CSM visits those classes and gives

information on the process of how to get credit from CSM. It does cost money, and the students must earn a certain

grade. All specifics are given in the informational meeting by the CSM representative and on the form sent home with

the students.

Students interested in attending CSM: There is a Dual/Concurrent enrollment form available in the guidance office. The

student needs to get that form signed by the counselor and Mr. Weber. The student will then take that form to CSM to

meet with an enrollment advisor. The student will likely have to take a placement exam in English and Math to

determine the student’s level of English and Math for placement in appropriate classes. Click the link to get more details

about the Dual Enrollment https://www.csmd.edu/apply-register/credit/steps-to-enroll-credit-courses/highschool-

student-admissions/dual-enrollment-student-admissions/

• Dual enrollment vs. Concurrent enrollment: Dual enrollment means a student is getting both high school

and college credit for the same course. In this case, the student needs to make the counselor aware that

this is being attempted as well as show the counselor proof of registration in the course. This is especially

important if the course the student is enrolled in with CSM is a graduation requirement!

• Concurrent enrollment means the student is taking a course at CSM that will not be used for high school

credit.

• Juniors who take a class at CSM are still required to take a full course load (7 classes) at the high school level.

Any course taken at CSM will have to be taken after school hours.

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COMMUNICATION

School e-mail: Every student has been given an Office 365 e-mail account. Check it regularly and frequently! Your

counselor is forwarding you scholarships, opportunities, job openings, etc. regularly, and you want to make sure you’re

getting this information. Also, your counselor will be using this as a major form of communication during your senior

year, which time is crucial to maintain open communication with your counselor!

• How to access your school Office 365 Outlook account:

▪ Calvert County Public Schools website

• Click on Students tab

• At the bottom, in the box that says Internet Resources, click on Office 365

• Click login at top right (it’s a blue box)

• Your login is the letter ‘s’ followed by your student ID

• Your password is the same as your Office365 password

HAC: It is important that you are checking your grades and keeping up with them just as much as your parents.

All middle and high school students need to login to Home Access Center (HAC) using their Student ID and email password.

An ‘s’ should be put at the beginning of the Student ID so a student with an ID of 12345 would login to HAC with:

UserName: s12345

Password: (email password --- same password used to login to Office365)

REMIND: Join your graduating class’s Remind group to get vital communication from your counselor or administrator.

Class of 2022 – Last names A - L Text the message @8k66ec to the number 81010. If you’re having trouble with 81010, try texting @8k66ec to (443) 991-7520 Class of 2022 – Last names M - Z Text the message @8b3b8b to the number 81010. If you’re having trouble with 81010, try texting @8b3b8b to (443) 991-7520 Class of 2022 – Parents Text the message @be68b3 to the number 81010. If you’re having trouble with 81010, try texting @be68b3 to (443) 991-7520

Follow us on Twitter!

@HtownHSCCPS

@HtownGuidance

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Schoology

All students have access to the “HHS School Counseling Resources” School group. There are folders specific to grade level information and a folder relevant to all grade levels. These resources cover college and career, mental health, and academic support resources.

Guidance Website/Weebly

Documents, forms, information, and resources can be found on the HHS Guidance Weebly webpage. To visit

this site, go to - https://htownguidance.weebly.com/

There are tabs for each grade level that has important information specific to that grade. The “blog” posts

announcements, opportunities, scholarships, events, etc. for all grade levels. The blog is updated daily as new

postings are received in the Guidance office.

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Work Permits

The Guidance office no longer is a part of the process for obtaining a work permit.

Maryland Work Permit Process Instructions for the Minor

Step 1- Print a hard copy of the work permit application which can be down loaded from the Department of Labor &

Industry’s website at:

http://www.dllr.state.md.us/labor/empm.shtml

Complete the minor’s information section. It is important that the minor also sign and date the application.

Step 2- Take the application to the employer to complete the employer’s section.

Step 3- Have the parent or guardian review, sign and date the application.

Step 4- Using the completed hard copy of the application the minor should log back on to the website, complete the

online application, save the information and print the data receipt.

Step 5- When the minor has completed their part of the work permit process, they should then take the completed hard

copy of the application, the data receipt, and proof of age such as a birth certificate, valid driver’s license/permit, state

identification card, passport or any other valid government issued document that provides the date of birth to the

issuing officer.

Step 6- Once the permit has been approved and signed by the issuing officer, the minor will give it to the employer.

Click the link for important information on work guidelines for minors:

https://www.dllr.state.md.us/ChildWorkPermit/web/content/Documentation/Minor%20Work%20Permit%20Fact%20S

heet%20FINAL.pdf

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Clubs/Sports/Organizations

Get involved! It makes your high school experience a much more pleasant one, and it makes you a well-rounded

student, which is what most colleges are looking for. Once you’re in a sport/club/organization, look for opportunities to

lead. You don’t have to be president of a club or team captain, just take responsibility willingly and head a few things

up.

Tutoring options

If you’re struggling in a class, see your teacher during lunch when they are available and talk to your teacher! It is

important that you show your teacher that you care about your grade and that you are willing to make an effort to

improve your grade.

• As a rule, all teachers from their department are available on these days:

o Monday—Social Studies

o Tuesday—Math

o Wednesday—Science

o Thursday—English

o Friday—Electives Related/Fine Arts

• Students can attend Saturday School when it’s offered to come to get help or catch up on missing work. The

hours are 8:00-11.

• There is after school tutoring available Tuesdays from 2:30-3:30 in the Media Center. Students MUST have

transportation if they decide to stay after school for tutoring.

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Service Learning

If you have service-learning hours that still need to be completed before graduation, get them done as soon as possible!

Summer is the perfect time to get them done. Service-learning information, ideas, and verification forms that needs to

be signed by whoever supervised you and also for a list of Calvert County Public Schools service-learning partnerships

can be found on the Guidance weebly site or Schoology page. If you want to complete your hours with an organization

that is not on the list, you must submit a request with Mrs. Allen, the Guidance Secretary and Service Learning

Coordinator for approval. Once it is approved, you will be able to complete your hours. Don’t forget to turn your

Verification Form in!

There are A LOT of scholarships that require community service, so it is a good idea to go above the required 75 hours.

Plus, it looks good on a resumé and college application.

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Driver’s Education

There is no driver’s education program available through Calvert County Public Schools.

You can use any accredited/certified driver’s education program (a Learner’s Permit is

required to take the course).

Learner’s Permit

If you are under the age of 16, Maryland law states, you must get the MVA verification of

attendance from signed by the attendance office. You can get the form the attendance

office. You must have the top portion filled out with the applicant’s signature and the

parent/guardian signature before taking it to the attendance office. DO NOT OPEN the

envelope before taking it to the MVA.

**Please note, there is a new version of the form that allows the parent/guardian to verify school attendance

while schools are closed due to COVID-19. Please see the form below (page 22) to complete or you may

complete it on site at your closest MVA location.

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nvelope. DO NOT OPEN THE ENVELOPE! The MVA will NOT accept any envelope that appears to have been opened or

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Mentorship/Job Shadowing

There is a Community Mentorship and Job Shadowing program available through CCPS for 11th and 12th grade

students. This is a great opportunity to gain real-world experience in a chosen career field. Click the link for

more information https://cccweb.calvertnet.k12.md.us/programs.

The CCPS contact for this program is Ms. Michelle McGuffin. Please contact her at

McGuffinM@calvertnet.k12.md.us for any questions.

.

FINAL NOTE: The Guidance website and blog are regularly updated with important information. Please refer to them

if you have questions about upcoming dates and deadlines. Also, make sure your Parent/Guardian e-mail and phone

numbers are updated in HAC in order to receive regular updates about upcoming school information.