Guidance Counseling

Activities in the Guidance Department

SUMMER

• Complete credit evaluations for incoming seniors.

LATE AUGUST

• Parent orientation meetings, schedule changes, and enroll and schedule new students. 
• Seniors register for the SAT through their College Board account if they would like to improve their scores.

SEPTEMBER

• Class meetings, schedule college representatives to visit our school, begin processing college applications and select and train mentors.
• Seniors register for the SAT through their College Board account if they would like to improve their scores.

OCTOBER

• PSAT/NMSQT (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) for all juniors.  
• Financial Aid night for all seniors and parents is highly encouraged to attend.
• FAFSA opens on October 1st.
• Seniors register for the SAT through their College Board account if they would like to improve their scores.
• Note: seniors should have a goal to have their college applications in by the 31st.

NOVEMBER

• Coordinate the registration process with GOCC to enroll dual enrollment and Early Middle College students for winter classes.
• Seniors register for the SAT through their College Board account if they would like to improve their scores.

FEBRUARY

• Begin credit audits and meet with students (grades 8-11) to complete/update their 4-year plans for the next school year schedule, including CTE applications for 10th and 11th graders.
• Note: Seniors should have their FAFSA forms submitted by March 1st.

MARCH

• Complete SAT and ACT WorkKeys pre-registration with all 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th graders in preparation for the SAT, ACTWorkKeys, and MSTEP. Tests are the second week of April. Make-up testing up to two weeks after as needed.

APRIL-MAY

• Monitor senior grades, get ready for graduation,  and continue to schedule for the next school year. 
• Accuplacer testing for students who plan to dual enroll in the fall. Advising with GOCC to schedule classes for the fall.

JUNE

• Check over student schedules to make sure they are complete and plan for the next school year.

ONGOING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

• Identify students for Student Assistance Team (SAT) meetings and possible testing for special education services, develop and monitor section 504 plans (for students who qualify), respond to student and parent needs and provide referrals as needed, advertise and process scholarship applications and complete college applications.  

Seniors are encouraged to begin applying in September and should set a goal to have all their applications in by October 31st.  There is generally a better chance of getting accepted the earlier they apply. Some colleges will even waive the application fee, especially in October, which can range from $20-50 for 4-year colleges, for applying early.

Students will complete college applications online.  Colleges require official transcripts to be sent by the school.  The student can email Ms. Roe at vroe@cpschools.org with the name of the college, the address of the college, and a name of a person they are working with, if applicable, and I will send the transcripts out.  

Students should consider applying to more than one college to optimize their choices depending on where they are accepted and what financial aid packages are offered to them.

OCTOBER 2023

The PDF linked details the 2023 Application Fee Waivers (PDF) and other important resources regarding Michigan College Month.

All seniors who are college-bound need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1st. The information entered about parent and student income is used by both the federal government and the State of Michigan to determine what your expected family contribution will be toward your child’s education. If there is a gap between what you can contribute and the expected cost of tuition and fees, you will receive information on whether your child or you qualify for federal student loans or grants. Again, the state also uses this information to determine if you qualify for need-based state scholarships.

The FAFSA must be completed online. We give a financial aid packet to all seniors in December that will have a worksheet for you to use to get the information on paper before you log on to make the process easier. If you can get your taxes done before you work on the FAFSA, that can help a great deal too. You can access the FAFSA form after January 1st.

Throughout the year, I post scholarship opportunities in the announcements with a brief description of the eligibility requirements. Students can determine if those opportunities apply to them and stop in for an application. They complete their part of the application and give it to me to send out with a transcript if required.

Students can also search on their own for scholarships. There are a few scholarship search books available in the library for students to check out or students can search the web. Parents should ask their employer if they offer any scholarships. Students should check with the financial aid office of their prospective college to see if they offer specific scholarships for their major.

Note: Please plan to attend our Financial Aid Night hosted in our library every January for a presentation about the FAFSA if you need more information. You may also plan to attend College Goal Sunday, in February, where professionals can help you to complete the FAFSA by the time you leave. 

The ACT and SAT are both college admissions tests, which mean that colleges use the scores from these tests as one measure to determine whether or not to accept a student. Scores from these tests are also sometimes used to determine eligibility for certain scholarships. The majority of colleges and universities will accept ACT scores and this is the more widely used assessment. However, students should check with their prospective college/university to see which test they are required to take.

The ACT is now part of the Michigan Merit Exam (MME) assessment that all juniors are required to take in March. However, students are allowed to take the ACT earlier than their junior year or can retake the ACT by registering online at ACT.org (opens in new tab). The ACT test included in the MME is at no charge to the student, but those taking it early, or juniors/seniors unhappy with their initial ACT score who are retesting, must pay out-of-pocket. The current cost for the ACT plus writing test is $88. The writing portion of the ACT is not required, but it is recommended since some colleges do require a writing score. Early ACT and retakes of the ACT will be held at a test center, not the high school.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes are hands-on vocational classes that allow students to learn about different career areas while, at the same time, getting a chance to apply those skills in real-world applications. While vocational classes used to be geared toward students who were not college-bound, currently many of these classes require the skills necessary for college and the workplace. Some programs offer direct or articulated college credit at Glen Oaks Community College.

Current CTE Programs include:

(these programs are housed at St. Joseph County high schools or at Glen Oaks Community College. Students are transported on school buses in the afternoon to attend these programs).

• AgriScience
• Automotive Technologies
• Computer-Aided Design
• Computer Coding & Gaming
• Computer Networking/Cybersecurity
• Construction Trades - Residential Building
• Construction Trades - Electrical, Plumbing, HVAC
• Engineering, Design, and Manufacturing (EDM)
• Engineering Design Technologies (EDT)
• Graphic Design
• Health Sciences I & II
• Manufacturing 4.0
• Marketing
• Public Safety
• Teacher Academy
• Welding Technologies

Freshmen get an overview of all the different programs and sophomores get to choose a program they wish to visit so that they may meet the teacher and see how the class is run. Interested students must complete an application in the spring before their intended enrollment date, either in the fall of their junior or senior year. Seats in these programs are competitive and the ISD looks at the reason students give for wanting to enroll, their career plans, attendance and discipline, and academic history to determine placement.

Students receive credit for CTE classes just as they would for CHS classes.

The schedule is set up so that students can fail two classes and still have enough credits to graduate on time. When students fail more than two classes, they may need to make up credits. They may do this in four ways:

Night School

Students who were at least 16 at the beginning of the school year can take night classes through our Covered Bridge program, which is an alternative education program housed in our building. The cost for night school is $50 per class. Night school runs on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30-9:30. Students will be placed in an online class that is self-paced to make up the credit(s). A teacher is present during night school to assist students. Students will not be able to access their online class(es) outside of night school. Students are finished with night school when they complete their credit(s). There is no longer a seat time requirement.

An application is required and is available in the guidance office. Payment can be made out to Centreville Public Schools and can be turned in to the high school office with the application.

Summer School

Our school runs a summer school program in the high school. Just as with night school, the class will be a self-paced computer class that they can only access during summer school hours. However, there is no age requirement for summer school. A teacher will be present to help students with their class. Please read the announcements in May/June to get more information about dates and times. An application is required and will be available in the guidance office.

The new graduation requirements begin with the class of 2011 and were set by the state to ensure that all students take rigorous courses to prepare them for work and college. Centreville High School’s graduation requirements are as follows:

4 English Credits

4 Math Credits (Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Personal Finance, Pre-Calculus, Physics, Dual Enroll Math])

3 Social Studies Credits (World History-Geography, U.S. History-Geography, Government/Economics)

3 Science Credits (Physical Science, Biology, and Chemistry OR Physics)

0.5 Health Credit

1 Physical Education Credit

1 Fine/Performing Arts Credit

1 Career Prep Credit (Senior Portfolio & Exit Interview)

Under the new graduation requirements, students can take the final exam for a course to test out by getting at least a 77%. Students then receive credit for the course but no grade. The test-out window falls during final exam week at the conclusion of each semester as well as published dates before the start of a new school year.

Due to the nature of working in a school setting, time does not allow me to conduct ongoing counseling sessions. I am happy to provide you with referrals to area counseling agencies and can help you with what you should ask your insurance provider to determine what will be covered. There are also options for parents who do not currently have health insurance.

If your child is set up with a counselor, I will request that you consider signing a release so that I may communicate with the counselor so that I can be a support for the student at school to help achieve the goals set by you, the counselor, and the student.

If you feel that you need an immediate assessment for your child because they may be at risk of harming themselves or others, you can call Community Mental Health at 467-1000 (7 days a week, 24 hours a day crisis line) or you can take them to the nearest emergency room.

With my help, students complete an Education Development Plan (EDP), which is sometimes also called a 4-year plan. This document maps out the required classes as well as the elective classes that students wish to take based on their current career goals. Because students change their minds often about possible careers, I meet with students once a year to update the 4-year plan. I keep a copy and the students are given a copy to take home to go over with their parents and obtain a parent/guardian signature. They should then return the signed copy to the guidance office.

After the student requests are entered, I generate a master schedule. Some of the elective classes your child chooses may not fit into their schedule, as required classes are given priority or classes fill up. When this happens, I choose the class available that best meets their needs and career choice. Schedules are then mailed home in August and students and parents have a chance to come in to change schedules before school begins.

Here at Centreville, we use Xello for career exploration. As an alternative for families to use, Pathfinders is also an online program free to Michigan residents. You can access the site at https://pathfinder.mitalent.org/ (opens in a new tab). 

Additional information regarding this program is available here: Pathfinder Information Packet (PDF). 

2023-2024 Jr./Sr. High School Curriculum Guide (PDF)