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9th Grade Counseling Services Overview 

During freshman year it is essential to establish a strong academic foundation. Most students experience a new level of academic challenge when they begin their high school course work. As a department we have made it our goal to support students in the transition process and have focused our 9th grade guidance curriculum on bolstering academic success.

Freshmen Parent Night

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The counseling department will offer a presentation for freshmen parents and guardians on Back to School Night to provide an overview of counseling services and resources available on campus to ensure your student's success at Torrance High.

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Freshmen Orientation 

In our "Freshmen Orientation" guidance lesson students will discuss:

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• Graduation requirements and college entrance requirements

• Available support resources on our campus

• Strategies for success

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The PowerPoint presentation for this lesson will be available to download in the Fall.

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College and Career Day 

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All freshmen participate in various teacher-led activities to help students develop self-awareness and understand how to relate to others. Students will also attend a motivational assembly.

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Four Year Plans

 

During scheduling, all students will create a 4 year plan utilizing the Course Planner feature on the Naviance platform. Counselors will meet with freshmen to review student course plans to help with course selections and build a road map towards their post-secondary goal.

Introduction to Naviance 

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In the fall, 9th graders will review their Strengths Explorer results. Out of their top 3 themes, students will select one theme that will lead them to various pathways and select one pathway. They will then research one career within that pathway. Students will review career specifications which include salary, required education, skills, duties/responsibilities & job outlook.

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Freshmen Counseling Conference - Spring Semester
 

This presentation covers high school graduation requirements, college admissions requirements and standardized testing. Students will also review their current transcript and academic progress. These appointments are scheduled throughout February and March. The freshmen counseling conference is a great place to get guidance on course selections for sophomore year.

 

Naviance Cluster Finder Assessment

 

In the spring, 9th graders will research various career clusters. Students will take the assessment to see which cluster they scored the highest, select a cluster they are most interested in, and compare the two clusters. 

 

Additional Support:

 

Freshman/Senior Buddy: In the fall, 9th grade students can sign up to be matched with a Senior peer mentor to help support them as they transition to high school.

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NHS Tutoring: National Honors Society students are available in the Library after-school to tutor in any subject. To coordinate tutoring please contact Ms. Rashid at rashid.nazia@tusd.org. 

 

Faculty Tutoring Program: THS offers free faculty tutoring during the week one hour prior to school and one hour after school in Mathematics. Please see the faculty tutoring schedule which will be available after 1st quarter. 

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Khan Academy: Free online tutoring academy. Expert-created content and resources for every subject and level which include math, science, history, art history, economic and more. They offer free practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom. 

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