- Syosset Central School Dist
- Guidance
SHS Guidance Services for all Students
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The Developmental School Counseling Program of Syosset secondary schools is a comprehensive plan of academic, career and personal development. It is an integral part of the total school program and supports the goals established for all students.
The Syosset School Counseling Program emphasizes the relationship between student and counselor. It is the key to a successful program. Through a series of sequential and developmental activities, the counselor ensures that he/she is meaningfully involved with each student during each year of the secondary school experience. In this way the student is in the best position to learn, plan, and make positive decisions with the ongoing support and assistance of a counselor that knows him/her well.
Integral to the success of a comprehensive, developmental program is a team approach that requires the cooperation and involvement of parents, staff members, and community organizations.
Career Education is an important component in a developmental school counseling program. It is important for all students, parents, staff and community members to know that Syosset High School offers a wide variety of vocational education programs without regard to sex, race, color, national origin or disability. For more information, please contact your child’s counselor.Visiting Guidance Department Procedures
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Grade 9
- Small Group Student Orientation to Guidance Services
- Evening Parent Orientation Workshop
- Do what you are - small group career exploration activity – Naviance Student
- Programming for Grade 10 – classroom introduction and individual student course selection meeting
- Guidance newsletter emailed home bi-monthly
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Grade 10
- Career Decision-Making Program – small group career exploration activity – career planner Naviance Student
- Evening 10th grade workshop for parents and students
- Programming for Grade 11 – classroom introduction and individual student course selection meeting
- Guidance newsletter emailed home bi-monthly
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Grade 11
- PSAT/SAT/ACT Registration
- Evening College Testing Workshop for parents and students
- Evening College Search Workshop for parents and students
- Programming for Grade 12 – classroom introduction and individual student course selection meeting
- Individual Parent/Student Conferences in the winter – exploration of post-secondary opportunities – discuss application procedures through Naviance Student
- Guidance newsletter emailed home bi-monthly
- College Night for parents and students
- College Essay Workshop for juniors
- Naviance Student groups with counselor - spring
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Grade 12
- Senior Day - a college transitioning workshop for all 12th grade students
- Senior Meetings to Review College Application Process – small group overview
- SAT/ACT Registration
- Evening College Application Workshop for parents
- College Essay Workshop for students
- Grade Point Average Distribution
- Senior Bulletin Publication of scholarship, financial aid, college, military, and employment information mailed home monthly
- Financial Aid Night for parents
- College Admissions Representative Visits
- College Admissions On-site Evaluations (Local Colleges)
- Naviance Student: https://student.naviance.com/syosset
- Interview Workshop for College/Employment
- Naviance meetings to review the program - small group overview
- College Boot Camp – two days in the summer (dates TBD)
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Naviance Student
Naviance Student allows parents and students to research colleges by comparing GPA, standardized test scores, and other statistics to actual historical data from our high school for students who have applied and been admitted in the past. In addition to general and admissions information, parents and students can access college information on academics, cost and financial aid, student body characteristics, extracurricular and athletic programs. A link to each college’s website is provided.
Students and parents may log onto their shared account where they will have access to the student’s personal academic information (GPA, SAT scores). Students may begin compiling their list of prospective colleges and compare their own credentials with recent Syosset applicants to those schools. With the ability to view the application outcomes (accepted, denied, waitlisted) for recent applications using GPA and SAT scores, students can gauge their chances of acceptance by comparing personal GPA/SAT statistics with those of successful applications.
This program also offers an in-depth career and personality profiler. Students will participate in small groups with their guidance counselor to complete these assessments to help them decide in which high school elective courses they may want to enroll. These programs offer a series of career assessments which also helps students discover multiple career options and plan their career paths based on general areas of interest, level of education, and training required to achieve their individual goals and objectives.
Naviance Programs offered through Guidance include:
- 9th grade - Do What You Are Personality Profile Assessment in December
- 10th grade - Career Cluster Assessment in March
- 11th grade - Naviance Student College Review Groups in April
- 12th grade - Naviance Application Groups in September
Naviance Student link: https://student.naviance.com/syosset -
Services Across All Grade Levels
- Individual and Group Counseling
- Special Education Guidance and Counseling
- Enrichment Program Information
- Employment Opportunities – Part-time Work
- Academic Advisement
- Drug and Alcohol Education
- Peer Mediation
- Peer Tutoring
- Scholarship Information
- Student Athlete Workshop
- Vocational Opportunities
- Career Exploration
- Internships
- Evening Counseling Appointments
- Parent Awareness Workshops
- Psychological/Social Work Liaison and Referral Services
- Study Skills Workshop
- Guidance Resource Center
- Divorce Group
- Women’s Group
- Stress Management Group
- New Student Group
- Ninth Grade Support Groups
- Volunteer Opportunities
- Bereavement Group
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Student Support Groups
Bereavement Group – This group is designed to provide support for students who have experienced a loss of a parent or close family member/friend. This is an opportunity for students to share their feelings, explore coping skills, and learn about the stages of grief. This group runs as needed.
New Student Group – For all students who are new to the Syosset School District, this group meets weekly with counselors in the Guidance Resource Center. This is an excellent opportunity to meet new people, make new friends, and share experiences.
Divorce Group - This group meets every Friday on rotating periods. The group provides a supportive and safe space to discuss themes related to divorce and any adjustment difficulties that students may experience. This group is comprised of boys and girls from across the grades and includes students whose parents are recently separated to those living with step-siblings and step-parents.
Study Skills Workshop – This workshop will help students become more effective readers, teach time management, test-taking techniques and note-taking skills.
Breathe for Peace – This group is for students who would like to learn mindfulness techniques such as breathing and visualization. These practices are known to help reduce anxiety, improve concentration, attention and performance. Loving-kindness, acceptance and self-awareness concepts will also be discussed, explored and practiced. This group is co-facilitated by counselors, social workers and/or psychologists.
College Essay Workshop – This workshop helps students learn about the role of the essay in the college admissions process. Students will discover practical, useful tools to help them generate ideas and create a strong college essay. This workshop will be offered to juniors in the spring of 11th grade and to seniors in the fall of 12th grade.
Interviewing Skills Workshop – This workshop will help students prepare for internship, job and college interviews. Students will discuss the role nonverbal communication plays in an interview as well as the importance of research and preparing for interviews. This workshop will give students insight into different types of interview questions and allow them to role play so they are better prepared for future interview opportunities.
Substance Free Alliance - This group is open to all students who are committed to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and finding strategies to help other teens do the same. Students create awareness and education within the Syosset community and are devoted to changing teen attitudes toward substance use. The members do not use nicotine, alcohol or other drugs. Some of the activities they participate in are the Health Fair, reaching out to the middle schools, and fundraisers to support substance use prevention and treatment within the community.
Stress Management Group – Meets in a group or individually with students to focus on understanding how our body and mind reacts to stress by looking at good stress, bad stress and the healthy ways we can cope. Topics include anxiety and avoidance, asking for help, time management and organizational skills, an introduction to mindfulness and self-compassion, and an explanation of what soft skills are and why they are so important to cultivate for college readiness and career growth.
Executive Functioning Skills Group - Almost all students struggle at one time or another with focus, paying attention, organizing, prioritizing and completing projects or papers. This group will focus on increasing self-awareness and improving your ability to pay attention and focus, which are related to the skills of executive functioning. Specific cognitive behavioral strategies will be offered that can help with organizing your school work, paying attention more fully while studying or in class, initiate school tasks more readily and minimize distractions and procrastination.
Friendship Group – This group will meet weekly to foster new friendships.
Bring Change 2 Mind - This group’s mission is to promote mental health awareness, educate students on supports, and help eliminate stigma.