Counseling
Counseling and Supportive Resources available at HighMark
Beth Clemenger
Guidance Counselor
Email: bclemenger@hmcharterschool.org Welcome to HighMark Charter School Counseling page. As the counselor, I am here to help your student succeed in school. Counseling services that may be provided to your student depending on the individual needs of each student. They may include:- Assist with academic planning
- Conduct College and Career Readiness Conferences (PCCR)
- Provide small and large group counseling
- Provide community resources and referrals to families of students
- Mediation with students
- Teacher classroom guidance lessons
- Counseling academically struggling students
Credit Makeup and Requirements
How to take care of credits
Northridge Learning Center offers high school students a way to retrieve lost credit through independent study packets. The cost of packets is now $50 per .25 credit. The curriculum follows Utah Core Standards. The credit earned is transferred directly to the student's school. For more information and a complete list of courses offered, please visit their website. For information call (801) 776-4532.
Our 9th grade students can enroll with Utah Online Recovery Credit to earn credit back that was lost. Students pay $50 per quarter and are able to recover as many courses as possible during each quarter. To enroll click on the UOS logo.
If interested in purchasing a packet to make up credit in a core subject (Language Arts, Math, Science, Geography), please contact me to see if one is available or if one will become available. They can be purchased for $35 per quarter credit packet.
CREDIT REQUIREMENTS FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION
Credit requirements are very similar, if not the same, across the state. On this page, you will find the requirements for Davis, Weber, and Ogden School Districts. Charter high schools may vary significantly depending on which school you attend. You will want to contact the specific charter school you would like to know graduation requirements for.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE?
Foreign language is not a requirement for graduating high school in the state of Utah (unless a specific charter high school has that written into their charter). Foreign language classes are great for students to take, but again they are not required. When taken in high school (9th-12th grade) foreign language classes fall under elective credits. There are certain colleges that require a student to have taken at least 2 years of a foreign language in high school. The University of Utah is the only college in Utah that has that requirement. Students planning to go out of state should check with those individual colleges/universities. There also may be certain scholarships that have a foreign language requirement. One example is the Regents' Scholarship.
Davis School District Requirements (pdf)DAVIS SCHOOL DISTRICT REQUIREMENTS
Weber School District Requirements (pdf)WEBER SCHOOL DISTRICT REQUIREMENTS
Ogden School Requirements (pdf)OGDEN SCHOOL DISTRICT REQUIREMENTS
Morgan School Requirements (pdf)MORGAN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Scheduling Information
Some extra resources that might be helpful
SCHEDULE CHANGE POLICY
Schedule changes can be made as quickly as possible the first few days of school. Students need to fill out a schedule change request form and submit it to the counselor or office. However, all schedule changes will cost you $10. This fee will only be waived if the school made an error that needs to be fixed. Examples of that would be: 8th grade student being scheduled in a 7th grade science class, student being scheduled in math for 2 class periods, or student placed in wrong Spanish level class. These types of issues will be fixed free of charge. All other reasons for a change will cost $10.
HIGH SCHOOL REGISTRATION INFORMATION/LINKS
Use this link to get information for high school registration for your current 9th grade student. If your student's high school is not listed here, please send me an email (bclemenger@hmcharterschool.org). This list of schools is based on information given to me directly from the students.
2020-2021 HIGHMARK CLASS REGISTRATION DOCUMENT
Student Office Aide Application (pdf)
Teacher Aide Application (pdf)
FOREIGN LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
I have talked to several parents who had misconceptions about foreign language requirements. In the state of Utah, foreign language is not a requirement for graduating high school (unless a specific charter high school has that written into their charter). Foreign language classes are great for students to take, but again they are not required. When taken in high school (9th-12th grade) foreign language classes fall under elective credits. If you would like to look at the local school districts' requirements, please click on the tab "Preparing for High School" and click on "High School Credit Requirements." If you are going to a high school in the Ogden School District, you will notice that it has 3 types of diplomas: Honors, Traditional, and Basic. The Honors Diploma is the only diploma that requires 2 years of a foreign language.
There are certain colleges that require a student to have taken at least 2 years of a foreign language in high school. The University of Utah is the only college in Utah that has that requirement. Students planning to go out of state should check with those individual colleges/universities. There also may be certain scholarships that have a foreign language requirement. One example is the Regents' Scholarship
Scholarship and Financial Aid
Information regarding fees you may need to pay
College and Career
Information regarding College and Post High School Careers.
College and Career Readiness Plan (PCCR) is the process used for students beginning in the 7th grade to prepare them for college and careers. It will involve both group and individual meetings with counselors. At these meeting you and your student will discuss school achievement, goals, strengths, 4 year high school class planning, college and career opportunities after high school, and any other personal concerns.
During the group and individual PCCR, the counselor may discuss:
• School performance and test scores
• Future goals and plans after high school
• High School graduation requirement and 4 year planning
• Programs to earn college credit in high school
• Scholarships and college savings plans
• Career and personal interests
• College and career information
7th Grade
In 7th grade students at Highmark take a College and Career Awareness class. The curriculum will assist students through activity-centered lessons to utilize technology, develop beginning skills, and explore careers. The course provides information regarding additional courses and training related to each student’s career field of interest. This is a year-long course taught by a Career Technical Education teacher and school counselor. This is a key class for our focus and mission of entrepreneurship at HighMark.
8th Grade
Every 8th grade student will have an individual meeting with the school counselor. This meeting will allow the student and parent to develop a better understanding of college and career readiness specific to their student’s needs. Parents will be notified when sign ups are available. If you are not able to attend at the available times please call the office to set up another time.
9th Grade
Beginning in September we will do group PCCR presentations to the 9th grade students. These presentations will cover high school and college planning, high school graduation requirements, scholarships and financial aid, opportunities in high school to earn college credits, and a general overview of the college application process. In the spring all 9th graders will complete a career interest inventory through Utah Futures.
Utah Futures-track your classes, set goals, look up college and career information, build a resume, take ACT prep and much more. https://www.utahfutures.org/
Helpful Links:
Local High School Links
Local High Schools you can attend after HighMark.