School is closed until 3/27.  Spring Break will then follow 3/30-4/3.

At this time school is scheduled to resume Monday, April 6, 2020.  Please monitor the Helena Public Schools website for further updates as that date might change.

CHS Counselor Sara Berg and CHS Career Counselor Anna Doran are members of Helena WINS and Helena Summer Jobs Program. Helena WINS, an initiative of Helena Area Chamber of Commerce, is partnering with American Jobs for American Youth (AJAY-MT), a nonprofit dedicated to developing life and work skills in youth, to facilitate Helena Summer Jobs Program (HSJP) again this summer. This program focuses on providing high-quality work or internship experiences to area high school students (16-19 year olds, given priority) by partnering with Helena area businesses and organizations. This experience would not only benefit the students but also benefits Helena by helping to build a good workforce and molding students into good employees.

Application are now open for HSJP 2020! 

www.americanjobs4youth.org/hsjp

There are some amazing opportunities again this year. HSJP builds students’ work skills, helps students explore career options, and develops the next generation of employees in Helena. The high school students participating in the program are matched with a summer job, complete four hours of work skills training prior to the summer, and meet with a mentor throughout the summer.

Some areas we are looking to fill or have possible positions available include the following:

• Marketing/public relations (at multiple locations)
• Tire/auto repair
• Camp counselors at YMCA & Kays Kids (City of Helena)
• Lifeguards
• Bank staff (over 18 y/o)
• Hotel staff (front desk, housekeeping)
• Retail
• Shodair internships in government relations, public relations, the foundation, genetics lab, kids residential home, etc.
• IT (hopefully – not confirmed)
• Hospitality and health care at Touchmark – CNA/PCA work (assisting residents with activities of daily living), Nursing, Restaurant-Style Dining, Kitchen, Front Desk/Hospitality, Maintenance, Management, Administration
• Direct support staff at West Mont (over 18 y/o)
• Front desk at Fuel Fitness & Helena Chamber of Commerce (greeting customers, helping with admin and events)
• Construction with Dick Anderson

HSJP Placements:

• HSJP placements run from June-August 2020. During this timeframe, HSJP requires students to prioritize their HSJP work experience for at least six weeks.
• Students will average at least 25 hours/week for a minimum of 150 hours.
• Students will be paid a minimum rate of $9.00 per hour.
• Students will meet with a mentor weekly
• HSJP cannot guarantee internship or job placement, due to applicant availability or qualifications.

Applying youth must:

• Have a current photo ID and a Social Security number.
• Complete an online application, complete an HSJP interview and attend the pre-placement training workshop.
• Be 16-19 years old (for priority placement).
• Successfully pass a drug screening and background check, if required by their host employer.
• Have transportation to the job site.

Additional information and the application can be found by visiting, www.americanjobs4youth.org/hsjp.  Or reach out to Mrs. Berg at sberg@helenaschools.org or 324-2490

Here is what is going on at CHS this month!

March 2020 Newsletter

Dear Students and Parents,

The next couple of months are a very busy time in the counseling department. We would like to share what we have upcoming so you can plan ahead in your calendar and know what we are working on to assist your students.

Schedule Changes for Semester 2

1/27/20 The 1^st day of the new semester- Students wanting to make schedule changes for the new semester have until 1/31/20 to get them signed off and finalized. All changes require teacher and parent signatures. Students can choose to change to classes that are offered for S2. Changing of instructors only is not permitted by the counseling department. In addition, going less than 6 credit bearing classes as a senior must be approved by Mrs. Kidder. Other grades require additional meetings with admin and extenuating circumstances to be approved. For Grades 10 and 12-, Mrs. Kidder, for Grades 11 and 9- Mr. Chancy.

Dual Credit Timeline

Students in S2 Dual Credit Courses (Statistics, Intro to Lit, Contemporary Math, Speech, MS Excel, Auto) will be given their registration forms on Monday (1/27/20)

Registration forms are due to the counseling department on Thursday (1/30) when the rep from Helena College will be in the counseling department from 8:30-2:00 to collect the papers. If they are not turned in during this window, students will have to deliver them to Helena College by 2/3. Students who need to take the Accuplacer for placement will have until 2/10 to get a passing score on the test. Items that miss the deadlines will not be accepted. Also, for students who have not taken their 2 free dual credit classes, their class this semester will count for free. Additionally, we have a scholarship opportunity for students who qualify for free and reduced lunch, see Mr. Robinson for more information.

2020-2021 Class Registration

February is registration month in the counseling department, and our attention will be shifted to helping students apply for classes next year.

Students will receive materials on Monday each week and have until Friday to pick classes, get parent signatures, and meet with any teachers to get signatures for advanced courses. For access to the registration materials please visit https://chs.helenaschools.org/chs-registration-guide/ (2020 info will go live 1/31)

Junior Week- Future Senior Registration February 3-7

Monday- Class Visits by counselors (American History Classes)

Tues-Thursday- Counselors available to answer student registration questions

Wednesday- Junior Parent Night (6pm, Auditorium)

Friday- Students register with counselors in Library- Forms must by signed by parents

 Sophomore Week- Future Junior Registration February 10-14

Tuesday- Class Visits by counselors (English 2 Classes)

Wed-Thursday- Counselors available to answer student registration questions

Friday- Students register with counselors in Library- Forms must by signed by parents

 Freshman Week- Future Sophomore Registration February 18-21

Monday- Class Visits by counselors (World Cultures Classes)

Tuesday-Thursday- Counselors available to answer student registration questions

Friday- Students register with counselors in Library- Forms must by signed by parents

Missing Forms Collection Week- February 24-28

We will spend the week trying to collect any forms that have not been submitted due to absences, missing signatures, or various other reasons. If your child has not turned it in by this week, expect a call from your child’s counselor.

CRA Week- Future Frosh Registration  March 2-6

Monday- Counselors Meet with Students

Tuesday/Wednesday- CHS Counselors at CRA Parent Teacher Conferences

Wednesday – Incoming Frosh Tour CHS

Thursday – Parent Night 7:00 PM CHS Aud.

Friday- Counselor Pick up Reg forms

New Pre-Apprenticeship Program

For students interested in trades related to the construction industry (construction, electrical, plumbing, etc. ) our CTE department has worked out an exciting new opportunity with the Montana Department of Labor and Industry. Students who complete a course sequence and gain various certifications in those courses will be able to count their hours towards an apprentice program in Montana. They have started working with local contractors who will accept the hours towards a journeyman license. It is an exciting opportunity that will allow students to enter the workforce a higher earning band and set themselves up well for a career. For more information, check out the registration guide or reach out to Mr. Canney or Mr. Kain.

Parent Nights

We will be hosting a current Junior Parent Night on Wednesday, February 5^th at 6PM in the CHS Auditorium

We have stopped running Freshman and Sophomore parent nights due to low attendance, but feel free to make an appointment with your child’s counselor to get all your questions answered.

We will be hosting an CRA Parent Night for incoming freshman on Thursday March 5^th at 7:00 PM in the CHS Auditorium.

Suicide Prevention at CHS

The counseling departments at both high schools have worked hard to help develop a comprehensive suicide prevention and mental health awareness program.

 YAM (Youth Aware of Mental health)– Freshman year program run through the Frosh PE courses presented by outside mental health professionals. All freshman students will begin the program within their Freshman PE class on January 29^th.  Outside mental health professionals will be meeting with students during 5 individual class periods of Freshman PE.  For more info on YAM, please contact Mrs. Meldrum or Josyln Davidson at jdavidson@helenaschools.org

 QPR (Question, Persuade, Respond)- Sophomore program run through the Health classes by health teachers. The focus of this program is for students to reach out for help if they feel their friend is at risk.

 SOS (Signs of Suicide)- Junior year program, presented in US History classes by counselors. Was presented in December, and the focus was to try to learn how to recognize the signs of mental health struggles in themselves or peers and to reach out for help. Students will be taught ACT (Acknowledge, Care, Tell)

 Career Cruising

The counseling department has completed career cruising lessons with the Freshman, Sophomore, and Senior classes. We will do Junior Career Cruising lessons in March, so students have the opportunity to come up with their 5 colleges to send their ACT Scores to.

The focuses at each level are

 Freshman Year– Learning Styles Inventory, Career Matchmaker (looking at interests and careers that match them)

 Sophomore year– Reality Check- Looking at the lifestyle students want, and the salaries needed to provide that lifestyle. We then researched careers and the salaries and checked to see if they would match up with the lifestyle plan.

 Junior Year– Post Secondary High School planning. We will spend the period working with them on their post high school plans.

 Senior Year– We worked with them on finalizing their post high school plans, taught them how to do scholarship searches.

ACT for Juniors

Once again, CHS will be facilitating the ACT test for all juniors on Tuesday, April 14^th at Capital High School. You will receive several communications from CHS regarding this, but we wanted to make sure it is on your calendar.

We have several ACT Prep opportunities upcoming; you should have received a flier about this as well.

We will have an online prep option, afterschool option, as well as an intensive ACT Prep class offered by Sycamore learning. The prep class will be Monday and Tuesday February 3^rd, 4^th . We will run 2 different evening sessions, one from 3:30-6 and the other from 6:30-9 so you can pick the time that works best for you. This is a great opportunity and the cost is $80. You should have received a letter in the mail regarding this course and you can sign up at www.prepforthefuture.com . Please feel free to contact Mr. Robinson if you have additional questions.

AP Testing

Students in AP courses will start getting information about the tests in March and signing up for the tests between 3/4 and 3/22. The cost is $94 per test and they will sign up through the book keeper.

May Test Dates

4- AP Government (AM)- @Delta (old Radisson)

5- AP Calc AB (AM) @Delta

5- AP Calc BC (AM) @Intermountain

5- AP Human Geography (PM) @Intermountain

5- AP German (PM) @Helena High Library

6- AP English Lit (AM) @Delta

6- AP Euro History (PM) @Intermountain

7- AP Chemistry (AM) @Delta

7- AP Physics 1 (PM) @intermountain

8- AP US History (AM)@Carroll College CUBE

11- AP Biology (AM) @Carroll College CUBE

11- AP Environmental Science (PM) @Carroll College CUBE

12- AP Spanish (AM) @CHS Library

13- AP English Lang (AM) @Carroll College CUBE

15- AP Computer Science (AM) @Intermountain

15- AP Statistics (PM) @Helena College

Senior Awards

With the class of 2020 being the 1^st class to go through with our added graduation requirements, increased rigor for the B.E.A.R. award as well as continued lower attendance at our Senior Awards Night, we are in the process of revamping our awards ceremony. More information about this new recognition event will be out this spring.

Graduation

Graduation this year will be on June 6^th  and this year CHS will be at 2 P.M.

Stay tuned to this webpage for updated info on graduation.

http://chs.helenaschools.org/graduation/

Graduation Requirements

Speaking of graduation, just a reminder that the class of 2020 needs to earn 23 credits in order to graduate and per a school board policy enacted last year, students must have earned all the required 23 credits prior to the graduation ceremony in order to participate in commencement. We will be sending out a letter explaining this policy in more detail as well as a copy of your child’s 7^th semester transcript in early February to help you know exactly what your child needs to graduate.

Final Transcript Requests

On Wednesday May 27^th we will be going into Government classrooms to hand out graduation tickets (in case of inclement weather) and asking students for final transcript requests. This will be your senior’s opportunity to let the counseling department know where they would like their final grades sent, whether that is a college, NCAA, NAIA, military recruiter, or home. Once a student graduates, transcript requests go through www.parchment.com and they cost $8, so it’s important for students to take advantage of this opportunity.

Scholarship Information

Remember to keep checking our scholarship page; it is updated at least weekly. There are currently over 50 scholarships listed on the page.

https://chs.helenaschools.org/about/counseling-career-center/scholarship-opportunities/

One big scholarship with an upcoming deadline is the Montana University System Honors Scholarship.

It has a March 15^th deadline

Application:  http://www.sfs.mus.edu

More information:  http://www.mus.edu

The MUS Honor Scholarship is a 4-year renewable scholarship that waives the recipient’s tuition when used at an eligible campus. The value varies depending upon which campus the student attends

Another scholarship to highlight is the Angel Fund Scholarship, which is only for Helena Public Schools students.

 Angel Fund Scholarships

• Deadline: March 2019

Award:  $1,000

http://angelfundhelena.org/scholarships

(For Helena Graduates Only)

As always, you can also follow our social media accounts for up to date information.

https://twitter.com/BruinCounseling

https://www.facebook.com/BruinCounseling/

Contact Info

If you need to contact your counselor, you can at

A-D students- Mr. Robinson jrobinson@helenaschools.org

E-K Students- Mrs. Meldrum dmeldrum@helenaschools.org

L-Ri Students- Ms. Bawden jbawden@helenaschools.org

Ro-Z Students- Mrs. Berg sberg@helenaschools.org

Career Center- Mrs. Doran adoran@helenaschools.org

Counseling Secretary- Mrs. Herndon aherndon@helenaschools.org

We hope this helps you navigate this spring and all the big things happening.

All the best, CHS Counseling Department

Capital High has launched its first collection of exciting and comfortable leisurewear courtesy of both UPTOP and your Capital High DECA Chapter. 

A short sleeve tee, a long sleeve tee, and two types of hoodies will be available in the Capital High main foyer at lunch every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in addition to all winter sporting  events until we sell out. 

Prices are as follows: 

Short Sleeve: $25 

Long Sleeve: $30 

Whitish Gray Hoodie: $40 

Gray Hoodie w/ White Strings: $42 

*CASH OR CHECK ONLY* 

To make it easier for you to request transcripts, Capital High School has partnered with Parchment to provide secure online transcript ordering available 24/7. Creating an account is free and only takes a few steps. Get started now!

Go to: 

Transcript Requests: In order to send transcripts for college applications, scholarship programs, N.C.A.A. eligibility, or almost anything else you would need a transcript for, past and present students must register with Parchment to send their transcripts electronically. Transcripts include A.C.T. scores taken at Capital High School during a student’s junior year. A.C.T.,  retake scores are added after scores are received by A.C.T.

• Graduated students: If you graduated after 2009, you may register with Parchment and can request your transcripts electronically. If you graduated before 2009, you must request a hard copy of your official transcript by calling Mary Rehm at 406-324-2477

We have created unique registration codes for all current students, you can access the site without one, but it streamlines the process and makes it easier to get your transcript sent on time.

With this new program, you can send your official secure transcript to anywhere in the world. It will be free for as many as you need while you are still enrolled at CHS as long as you are sending it to a college or university. ( the state only supplements requests to higher ed at this point)

Parchment : Formerly called Docufide, Parchment is a secure way to send your official, high school transcript electronically. Transcripts are sent, usually within 24 hours, and are received instantly by the college. Parchment also confirms the receipt of the transcript. No more wondering if all of your materials sent through the mail have been received and processed! Transcripts are free to send to all public universities in the state of Michigan and to many other colleges throughout the country. Sending transcripts to certain colleges, scholarship programs, or specialized locations may result in a processing fee through Parchment. This is a fast, easy, and convenient way to ensure that your transcripts are received in a timely manner along with your online college applications. Once you are registered with Parchment, you can request transcripts anytime in the future, even after you graduate. Follow these simple steps to get your transcripts sent:

Register with Parchment : Every senior needs to register! Follow these Parchment Screenshots to complete your registration. If you need some assistance registering with Parchment see Mr. Robinson in the Counseling Office.

Complete College Applications : Students should have their college applications completed and submitted before requesting transcripts be sent. College applications should be completed online through the college’s website.

Request Transcripts : Login to your Parchment account and search for the colleges you would like your transcripts sent to. Select each college you want your transcripts sent to and complete your request. Follow these Parchment Transcript Request Screenshots  to send your transcripts to schools. If you need some assistance requesting transcripts with Parchment see Mr. Robinson in the Counseling Office.

Please call the Attendance Office at 406-324-2499 if your student will be absent or late.  If you are not able to speak with someone directly, please leave a message. Thank You!

For information about Traffic Education, please email trafficeducation@helenaschools.org or visit the District Page by clicking here.