Guidance
COUNSELORS11th & 12th Grade School Counselor: 9th & 10th Grade School Counselor: 7th & 8th Grade School Counselor: 6th & 7th Grade School Counselor: College Advisor:
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Our Mission
Our mission as school counselors is to serve as advocates for all students. Our goal is to support and encourage students to reach their academic, personal, social, and emotional potential. The foundation of our program is driven by data, the TN State Counseling Standards, and collaboration with stakeholders to be proactive and preventative in an effort to meet the needs of all students. We work to create a safe and positive environment that supports students in gaining the skills and knowledge needed to become balanced lifelong learners.
Our Vision
We envision all Signal Mountain Middle High School students graduating with a strong foundation of personal worth and character, academic confidence, a growth mindset to meet their future career and college goals, and the resiliency to navigate obstacles as respectful and compassionate global citizens.
Our Beliefs
We believe the following to be true:
- all students should be respected regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or religious beliefs.
- all students are unique and dynamic individuals, capable of learning and becoming responsible and productive adults.
- all students should have the opportunity to learn from mistakes and successes to better understand and develop resiliency.
- all students should take developmentally appropriate ownership of their learning and practice self-advocacy.
- the school counselor’s role is to provide a data driven, developmental counseling program to meet the needs of ALL students.
IB PROGRAMMES
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International Baccalaureate Programmes
Click the icon above to go to the Managebac login page
College and Career Prep
Sandy Mitchum, College Advisor
423-886-0880 ext. 52147, mitchum_s@hcde.org
Margaret Gigandet, Ed.S., College Advisor
423-886-0880 ext. 52120 gigandet_m@hcde.org
The purpose of your college advisor is to collaborate with and support the existing counseling program by serving as a resource for college and financial aid information for students, parents, faculty and staff.
At SMMHS, our ideals include the belief that every student should have the opportunity to go to college. We will work to help increase awareness of postsecondary opportunities, find the right college match for your child, and present as many scholarship opportunities as possible. Specific activities and opportunities to make this possible for students include:
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- Conducting curriculum and college planning workshops for students in grades 9 and 10
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- Conduct classroom advisory sessions on topics such as: how to write a strong essay for scholarships, what a great personal statement looks like, and how to find the right college for you
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- Meeting one-on-one with students during spring of the junior year or early fall of the senior year to build and refine postsecondary plans
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- Maintaining a college counseling database for ongoing accountability, end-of-year reports, and college matriculation follow-up
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- Conduct financial aid workshops and work with support staff from local universities to assist in completing your FAFSA (free application for federal student aid)
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- Coordinating college tours and/or college representative visits to the schools
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- Assisting students with college and scholarship applications
Links FAFSA ACT Collegeboard (SAT) College for TN
College 101 Info Packet: College Info 24-25.pdf
Scholarship Websites: www.goingmerry.com www.myscholly.com www.fastweb.com https://studentscholarships.org/scholarships.php
Top 175 Scholarships: Top 175 Scholarships
College Essay Tips: http://https//www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay
ACT Dates 24_25 http://https//www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/registration.html#dates
SAT Dates 24-25: https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/registration.html#dates
College Guide for Seniors: Senior-Next-Guide-Class-of-2024-Final.pdf
NACACCollegeAdmissionsProcess.pdf
2023-2024-Preparing for College Guide.pdf
How to Find a College That Fits You 3.doc
Scholarship/ Financial Aid Resources Non-TnTech_Scholarships.pdf
College Search in TN: https://www.collegefortn.org/college-finder/
College Search outside of TN: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-search/filters
SMMHS School Profile 23-24: 2023-2024 Profile (1).pdf
FASFA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) support:
www.studentaid.gov
https://www.collegefortn.org/fafsa/
www.studentaid.gov
https://www.collegefortn.org/fafsa/
Math Advancement Plan
The SMMHS math department is committed to helping our students achieve their highest potential. Our ultimate goal is to place students in courses that both meet their needs and challenge them to grow. Students who are properly placed are more likely to have their interest in math cultivated. To this end, we offer multiple paths and opportunities to advance at different times in a student’s development.
We offer 6 distinct opportunities in which students may advance during their SMMHS math career. By accepting the opportunity to advance, the student is committing to following the path to which they advance.
1. Students in 6th grade advanced math class take Honors Algebra 1 in 7th grade. The 6th, 7th, and 8th grade standards are covered in the 6th grade advanced course. These students are chosen by data including academic performance, teacher observations, and at least two diagnostic assessments.
2. Students in 6th grade math may advance to 7th grade advanced math which covers the 7th and 8th grade standards in one year. The purpose of the course is to enable students to enter Honors Algebra 1 in 8th grade through an accelerated curriculum. These students are chosen by data including academic performance, teacher observations, and at least two diagnostic assessments.
3. Students in 7th grade may advance to Honors Algebra 1 in 8th grade based on data taken at the end of 7th grade. This data includes academic performance, teacher observations, and at least two diagnostic assessments. Summer work is provided and recommended to prepare students for Honors Algebra 1 in the Fall.
4. Students may double up and take Honors Geometry & Honors Algebra 2 during the same year. In order to do this, they will have to forego an elective Administrative approval is required for this opportunity.
5. After Geometry – Students may take an abridged Algebra II course (not for credit) with only the content of Algebra II needed for DP Analysis and Approaches SL. The course must be completed by August 1st for placement in DP Analysis and Approaches SL. There is not an EOC for this course.
6. After Honors Algebra II – Students may take an abridged Precalculus course (not for credit) with only the content of Precalculus needed for DP Analysis and Approaches HL. The course or content must be completed by August 1st for placement in DP Analysis and Approaches HL. There is not an EOC for this course.
If you have an advancement need not covered here, please let your math teacher and school counselor know.
