PTHS Student Handbook 2020-2021

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GRADUATION CEREMONIES In order for a student to attend graduation ceremonies and receive a diploma from Pontiac Township High School, a student must attend PTHS and meet all requirements set forth by the Board of Education. Students who attend the ROE Alternative School will not be allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony. There will be no exceptions to this policy. REQUESTS FROM MILITARY OR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING Upon their request, military recruiters and institutions of higher learning will be given access to students’ names, addresses and telephone numbers. Parents who do not want their child’s name to be released (or students over the age of 18 who do not want their name released) should contact the building principal by October GUIDANCE SERVICES COUNSELOR ASSIGNMENT: Lisa Meyer - A-K, and Jeff Flott -L-Z The functions of the department can be divided into three areas: Educational Guidance, Career Guidance, and Personal Counseling. Educational Guidance helps students develop their educational goals, select courses and make post-high school plans. The counselors schedule routine conferences at least twice a year with all the students to discuss their educational and vocational plans. Group guidance sessions are held to disseminate information and interpret test scores; however, this is never intended to discourage students from seeking individual help from a counselor when the need arises. Vocational guidance aids students in gathering information and considering careers in conjunction with their standardized testing results. Special activities include a tour for all sophomores of the Livingston Area Career Center and the Career Day. Personal counseling for students is voluntary, and a student may talk with any member of the department whom he chooses. What the student chooses to discuss with the counselor is held in utmost confidence. A student may arrange for an appointment during a study hall or before or after school. Some special activities provide students with more information and will help them make better informed choices. These activities are Freshman Orientation, Career Center Tours, Financial Aid Meeting, and standardized testing. Students who meet certain academic criteria will be required to participate in state testing. At the student’s expense, additional testing is offered. Juniors may take the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (P-SAT), and both juniors and seniors may take the SAT. Various college catalogs are on the shelves in the Library. An up-to-date file of information on various occupations with regard to training and opportunities in all fields of work is available as well as pamphlets regarding social and emotional growth and development. The department also accommodates frequent requests from graduates, and those who left school for some other reason. No request is too trivial, and the department always welcomes the opportunity to be of assistance. Parent conferences are encouraged. If a parent has any questions regarding a student’s educational or vocational plans, achievement, testing or post-high school training, he should call a counselor for an appointment. Mutual concerns always serve to benefit the student. LIBRARY The Dr. Ronald J. Yates Memorial Library provides resources for students through print and online collections that are housed at the high school and are available through the Library webpage and Axis360 app. Print materials include fiction and nonfiction books, magazines, and newspapers. Online subscription databases include magazine, newspaper, and reference articles as well as images, videos, and primary source documents. Axis360 is a library app that provides access to both print books, as well as audio books. The Dr. Ronald J. Yates Memorial Library is also a member of the RAILS Library System which gives students access to library materials through inter-library loan from school, public, and academic libraries throughout Illinois. Students are encouraged to use the Library during study halls and before and after school to work on assignments and access resources. The Library will be closed to students on occasion for instructional purposes.

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