Planning for Now and the Future,

a Planning Resource
from the Guidance Counselor at WT Sampson HS

Questions not answered here? Please contact WT Sampson

Additional files available in this webpage are also linked immediately
below so you can  download them now:

•   Six Year Course Planner for Middle School Through Graduation

•   6th Grader (next  year) Course Forecasting Form

•   7th Grader (next year) Course Forecasting Form

•   8th Grader (next year) Course Selection Form

•   9th Grader (next year) Course Selection Form

• 10th Grader (next year) Course Selection Form

• 11th Grader (next year) Course Selection Form

• 12th Grader (next year) Course Selection Form

• College Admissions Handbook

• Rising Senior (Junior) College and Financial Aid Presentation (2.2MB)

• Sample Student Resume

School Profile
(clicking the above link displays a brief profile of WT Sampson School)

     Grades 7-12 – Middle school is teamed and all students are on a block A day/B day schedule. There is a half time counselor at the 7-12 campus that services the students in the DODEA standards.

     Our DoDEA School Counselor provides a comprehensive guidance program to all students in grades 7-12 and performs transition to HS/scheduling for 6th grade and standardized testing administration of the Terra Nova to 3rd-11th grade. The school guidance program helps build the foundation for life-long learning by assisting students in developing self-respect, awareness of others and positive learning attitudes. School counselors provide direct and indirect services and activities to students, families, and school staff for developing strategies that deal with education, personal and social challenges that may interfere with the educational process.

     In the middle school, the program focuses on the rapidly changing needs of pre and early adolescents. The areas emphasized in elementary school are continued, but are adjusted to fit the unique needs of students in the middle level age group. In addition, planning for the future years beyond high school is started. Each student begins a six/four-year plan with the help of the high school counseling staff, taking into account graduation requirements, interests and aptitudes and future educational and occupational goals.

     In the high school, the counselor assists students to become responsible adults who can develop realistic and fulfilling life plans based upon a clear understanding of themselves, their needs, abilities, interests and skills. The four-year plan started in middle school is reviewed and updated periodically. Continued attention is given to assisting high school students in the development of decision-making skills, particularly as they relate to post-high school education and career planning.

(taken from the DODEA PPS web site and modified)

 
A great web site for students is ... http://www.students.gov 

Here's another great web site for active military parents and their children to determine eligibility to pay in-state college tuition rates at colleges in the current state the sponsor is assigned to: https://www.hrc.army.mil/site/education/InState/index.htm

Graduation Requirements

     This next link gives specific information on the courses required at the completion of 9-12th grade in order to be awarded a diploma. It also addresses rankings, gpa, repeated courses, home school courses, etc. Please make an appointment with the counselor or principal if you have any questions about these guidelines. Middle school students (grades 7-8) follow the DODEA requirements for K-8 promotion and retention. There are no required exit tests in DODEA.
http://www.dodea.edu/students/graduation.cfm

Middle School Course Offerings

     Courses vary depending on the availability of resources and teaching staff but are taken from from DoDEA's master courses list. See the MS/HS counselor for more information. Some courses are only open to specific grade levels. We attempt to team the middle school students, meaning they may have only a few classes with 9-12th grade students. The Middle School Course Selection Sheets are linked below:

•   Six Year Course Planner for Middle School Through Graduation

•   6th Grader (next  year) Course Selection Form

• 7th Grader (next year) Course Selection Form

•   8th Grader (next year) Course Selection Form

High School Course Offerings

     Courses at WT Sampson HS vary depending on the availability of resources and teaching staff. Some courses are only open to specific grade levels. Clicking a link below allows you to see and select these course choices. Be sure to save and print the form and then be sure to also turn it in to the HS counselor.

•   Six Year Course Planner for Middle School Through Graduation

•   9th Grader (next year) Course Selection Form

• 10th Grader (next year) Course Selection Form

• 11th Grader (next year) Course Selection Form

• 12th Grader (next year) Course Selection Form

Curriculum

The DODEA curriculum standards can be found at:
http://www.dodea.edu/curriculum/index.cfm

Testing

     W.T. Sampson administers the Terra Nova to 3rd-11th grade each March. In addition, there are “end of course” exams given in selected courses. “The results of each system assessment identified to measure the achievement of students in DoDEA will be used as one component of an assessment system for major decisions concerning the student's future learning activities.” (DODEA web site)

     Please see the following web site for information on assessments and the policy for Home Schooled students that would like to participate: http://www.dodea.edu/datacenter/assessment.cfm

Military Bound

     So you think you might want to enlist in the military after high school? Guantanamo Bay does not have a MEPS center to accommodate for recruitment. However, we do have recruiters that have provided contact information and do administer the ASVAB for students to use to see if they would meet the minimum requirements for enlisting. Students can also use it to see what they are good at for career planning. Sign up for Juniors and Seniors ONLY is announced in March. The ASVAB is administered during the school day in April and scores come back in May. (ROTC information is provided under the college section.)

Military recruiting sites and links to ROTC scholarship information…
http://www.goarmy.com
http://www.navy.com
http://www.marines.com
http://www.airforce.com

Being a military dependent - transfers and PCSing

http://www.militarychild.org

College Information

     DODEA provides resources like the links provided in this web site, free PSAT tests for all 10th and 11th graders and access to study materials. The library and counselor’s office has materials to help in the search and preparation for attending college. In addition, the counselor offers some classroom guidance presentations for students and the college night in the spring that is open to the community (posted on the roller and in the emailed school newsletter.) Students who are interested in seeking a college education need to use the resources available to them and begin preparing at the beginning of their high school career.

     However, please keep in mind that we are in an isolated location. There is not a College and Career Counselor devoted to helping parents and students fill out the applications and write the essays. We do not have people from college admissions offices visit the campus and DODEA does not have Scholarship Coordinators that searches out national scholarships.

     Although Fleet and Family and Legal can be a resource for questions about residency and budgeting, their primary focus is on adults. Since the treaty with Cuba prevents free enterprise, parents can not hire someone to walk them and their students one-on-one through the process. Therefore, it is essential that parents and students utilize the resources provided by DODEA – including these links and the spring College Night. This web site also provides links to the Power Point presentations given locally to families and students as an extra resource.

     It is ultimately the students’ responsibility to complete the college application process and secure financing for college. Students need to contact the colleges they are interested in attending for specific requirements and expectations.

     Many colleges require scores from test that determine college readiness. The ACT (by ACT) and SAT I reasoning /SAT subject tests (by College Board) are both offered in Guantanamo Bay at the High School Media Center based on national test dates from these two companies for international test centers. The ACT only offers a few dates with the writing section.

     Both tests need to be registered for online. The College Board Code used to identify the student attends WT Sampson to colleges and to College Board (SAT) and ACT is 838600. The ACT test center code is 870580 and the SAT site center number is 90120. These should both be used to search for centers during registration rather than searching by locations. ACT has provided vouchers that can be used to avoid the international portion (only) of the fee for taking the test. That voucher number can be obtained from the school counselor. On occasion there are mail delays from these companies, so students should not wait until the last minute to take the test. However, it is advised by the counselor that they wait until their junior year to take the test to ensure they have had received the best curriculum to be prepared to be successful on the exam.

SAT: http://www.collegeboard.com

ACT: http://www.actstudent.org

DODEA provides many resources at the following link:
http://www.dodea.edu/students/college.cfm

     College Board is a great creditable resource for researching the college process and searching for colleges are financial aid. The college matchmaker is a great tool for determining which school is a good fit. The student must be registered with this site to sign up for the SAT I or SAT II Subject Tests. This site also provides information on the Advanced Placement courses and the PSAT – both of which are offered for no fee to DODEA students. All 10th and 11th grade students take the PSAT at DODEA and are then provided their scores and the correct answers for missed questions to help them prepare for the SAT. The 11th grade students that take the PSAT are automatically registered through College Board for the very competitive National Merit Scholarship contest.
http://www.collegeboard.com

College Admissions Handbook

Rising Senior (Junior) College and Financial Aid Presentation (2.2MB)

Sample Student Resume

Financial Aid Information

     There are a few organizations in Guantanamo Bay and one in Ft. Lauderdale that offer local scholarships to our students. They are small amounts and not guaranteed from year to year. As those become available, they are announced on the morning announcements and students pick up applications from the counseling office.

     Students should contact the financial aid offices of the colleges they have applied to for more financial aid information.

There are many resources provided at the following link:

http://www.dodea.edu/students/college_financialaid.cfm

Other College/Financial Aid Links:

http://www.fafsa.ed.gov
http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/osfahomepg.htm
http://www.applytexas.org
http://www.facts.org
http://www.scholarship.com
http://www.fastweb.com
http://www.scholarshiphelp.org
http://www.finaid.com (great  calculator here)
http://www.csumentor.edu

Counselor’s Recommendations for all students
on the College Preparation and Admissions Path:

• PLAN EARLY!

• DOCUMENT!

• STAY ORGANIZED!

• PUT TIME INTO THIS PROCESS!

• ASK QUESTIONS!

• RESEARCH!

• MEET ALL DEADLINES!!

Junior Checklist

Senior Checklist

Questions not answered here? Please contact WT Sampson