Counseling Center

The Counseling Center is open from 8:00 – 4:00 PM Monday – Friday and we are here to assist you!

This month is What do School Counselors do? School Counselors address all students’ academic, career, and social/emotional development needs through culturally relevant preventions and intervention activities and programming.

School Counselors help students and families by:

• Working with students, parents, and teachers and community partners to identify and remove barriers to learning and
• Counsel students individually and in groups
• Make referrals to professional mental health workers (West now has a full time Social Worker)
• Provide resources and support during personal/family/community crisis
• Supports self-advocacy and aim for equity for all students.

School Counselors also work with community partners including Homeless Youth Services, The Odyssey Hour (mental health services), Hope Squad, PAC Social Emotional Learning, Insight, Peer Court.

Come in and visit your counselor! The Counseling Center is located in Room 316.

ACT Information:

Study Sessions September 16- November 20

Volunteers from the University of Utah will be available to help high school students study for the ACT Test. Students can get their own free ACT book after attending two sessions. No sessions on these dates: October 14 & 16 and Nov 11

Thursdays 3-5pm Zoom Meeting

Saturdays 1–3pm Zoom meeting

Registration is required: events.slcpl.org

The mission of the West High School Counseling Center is to provide a comprehensive, developmental counseling program addressing the academic, career, and social/emotional development of all students. West counselors strive to empower students to maximize their potential and academic achievement. In partnership with other educators, parents, and community members, West counselors support the educational system to ensure all students in the Salt Lake City School District are prepared with the knowledge and skills needed to function in a changing society.

The gifts we treasure most over the years are often small and simple. In easy times and in tough times what seems to matter most is the way we show those nearest us that we’ve been listening to their needs, to their joys, and to their challenges.”
The World According to Mr. Rogers: Important Things to Remember (pg. 61)

News and Announcements

Pro Tips: Searching and Applying for Scholarships - The first episode of "In a Nutshell: How to Pay For College" season two.

Student Loan Report: Guide to paying for College - Financial Aid, Scholarships, Savings and Student Loans

Parents and seniors: check out this informative article from the Deseret News on avoiding senioritis and preparing for college!!

Looking for information regarding West High's ELP or IB program? Click on the link.

Online Resources

Test Prep

• SAT Website: Register for the SAT . Search for scholarships. Information on how to plan, find, apply, and pay for college.
• ACT Website: America's most widely accepted college entrance exam — and more! ACT provides educational and career planning for students and teachers at every level.
• Number2.Com: Free ACT/SAT/GRE Prep
• Information regarding the PreACT
• Practice ACT Questions
• Practice SAT Question of the Day
• Shmoop: ACT and PLAN test prep
• PSAT: CollegeBoard's website with free PSAT/NMSQT Practice Tests

Financial Aid and College Admission Information

• Scholarship Information: West High's scholarship page, updated regularly
• Utah College and Career Readiness Parent Toolkit: The Utah State Board of Education has created a new webpage which will have updated college and career information and links to information about financial aid, college exam preparation, career pathways, scholarships, UtahFutures, USHE, StepUP, etc..
• Utah Futures Website: Utah's Premiere site for career, college, and financial aid planning
• FAFSA Website: U.S. Department of Education FREE Application for Federal Student Aid Web Site.
• Commonapp Website: For undergraduate college admissions
• Princeton Review: Test prep and college search
• Collegeboard: College tips, search
• Fastweb: An online resource for paying and preparing for college
• NCAA Homepage: National Collegiate Athletic Association
• NCAA Initial Eligibility Center
• StepUP: StepUp provides tips, tools, resources, and conversation-starters about preparing and paying for college so obtaining a higher education can be a reality for all Utah students. Administered by the Utah System of Higher Education.
• Information for Undocumented Students

Cyberbullying Information

• Cyberbullying: Tips for Teens
• "Cyberbullying: spotting the signs"
• "Cyberbullying FAQ for Teens"

The Suicide Prevention Resource Center has created a very robust list of resources for addressing questions related to the series, “13 Reasons Why”. I wanted to provide the forwarded e-mail to all of you. May is Mental Health Awareness month.

From Suicide Prevention Organizations

• A Teachable Moment: Using 13 Reasons Why to Initiate a Helpful Conversation about Suicide Prevention and Mental Health (AFSP/ASCA/NASP) (Webinar)

• Tips for Parents for Talking with their Children about 13 Reasons Why and Suicide (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention)

• Briefing in Connection with the Netflix Series 13 Reasons Why (International Association for Suicide Prevention)

From Other Mental Health/Professional Organizations

• 13 Mental Health Questions about 13 Reasons Why (American Psychiatric Association)

• 13 Reasons Why Netflix Series: Considerations for Educators (National Association of School Psychologists)

Other Related Resources

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

• The Trevor Lifeline (The Trevor Project)

• SPRC Web Page for Suicide Prevention in Schools (Suicide Prevention Resource Center)

• Information for Parents webpage (Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide)

• Not my Kid: What Parents Should Know about Teen Suicide (Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide) (Video)