BMS Title

 709 Old Austin Highway
Bastrop, TX 78602
office (512) 321-3911
fax (512) 321-1557
toll-free (800) 723-5603

Welcome to BMS Counseling Department


BMS Counselors:

Lisa Willmon

lwillmon@bastrop.isd.tenet.edu

Mrs. Willmon is available Monday through Friday. She works with general education students as well as coordinating with the department for providing comprehensive counseling services.


Vivian Washington

vwashington@bastrop.isd.tenet.edu

Mrs. Washington is available on Tuesdays, Thursdays and every other Friday. She is at BIS on alternate days. She works with students who have special needs as well as coordinating with the department for providing comprehensive counseling services.

The counselor’s primary focus is to facilitate instruction by removing impediments to student learning. It is developmental by design and includes sequential activities organized and implemented by certified school counselors with the support of teachers, administrators, students, and parents.

Academic Counseling

Students and their parents are encouraged to talk with a school counselor, teacher, or principal to learn more about course offerings, graduation requirements, and early graduation procedures. Each spring, students in grades 6 through 12 will be provided information on anticipated course offerings for the next school year and other information that will help them make the most of academic and vocational opportunities.

To plan for the future, each student should work closely with the counselor in order to enroll in the high school courses that best prepare him or her for attendance at a college, university, or training school, or for pursuit of some other type of advanced education.

  • Research shows that students with a career goal in mind do better academically in the classroom and on TAKS tests. Go online with your child and explore career options for your child.

Career Guidance Resources

www.lmci.state.tx.us/realitycheck
This is a budgeting type tutorial for students

www.lmci.state.tx.us/index.asp
Labor Market and Career Information

www.texas.workprep.com
 

http://www.achievetexas.org/index.html
 

http://mail.bastrop.isd.tenet.edu/~bhscareer/

www.careerclusters.org

http://www.ioscar.org/tx/oscar.asp
There are many career and skills interest inventories online ….
Search online with key word: career interest inventories or surveys

http://www.bls.gov/k12/index.htm
Exploring Career Information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm
Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition

Career Interest Assessments

http://www.careerkey.org/

http://assessment.monster.ca/6799_en-ca_p1.asp

http://www.questcareer.com/career_assessment_resources.html

http://www.myfuture.com/toolbox/workinterest.html

http://www.discoveryourpersonality.com/highschool.html

http://www.self-directed-search.com


Duke Talent Search: Students who receive commended performance on their TAKS test were sent information on this program. The codes are:
School I.D. 8028220, Testing Centers: Del Valle High School 44-002 and Adkins High School (South Austin): 44-139. There are other testing sites online. Go to their website for more info. www.tip.duke.edu

Personal Counseling

The school counselor is available to assist students with a wide range of personal concerns, including such areas as social, family, emotional issues, testing anxiety, or substance abuse. The counselor may also make available information about community resources to address these concerns. A student who wishes to meet with the counselor should make an appointment in the counselor’s office.

Parenting resources:

Psychological Exams, Tests, or Treatment

The school will not conduct a psychological examination, test, or treatment without first obtaining the parent’s written consent. Parental consent is not necessary when a psychological examination, test, or treatment is required by state or federal law for special education purposes or by the Texas Education Agency for child abuse investigations and reports. [For more information, refer to FFE (LEGAL) and FFG .]

Class Scheduling:

Please refer to the student handbook for policies regarded scheduling. The student handbook is located on each student’s laptop.

Tips when selecting classes:

Be careful to understand that Pre-Advanced Placement (Pre-AP) classes require a greater level of academic ability. Along with this ability there is an expectation that students have greater degree of independence and responsibility. This means students will do their work, ask for help, turn in assignments and be conscience about academic work.

Schedule changes should not be made in the middle of a semester. Any schedule changes occurring after the cutoff date must be authorized through the principal.

Not all courses are offered every class period.

Due to required courses and elective choices, some students will not be able to have their first choice of electives. It is critical that during the course selection process they let the counselor know their first, second and third choice for elective classes. It is possible that the first or even the second elective choice may have a schedule conflict.

Course offerings lists are usually available during February of the spring semester. We will be visiting with the students and sending home information about this.
If a student does not submit a course selection sheet, they will be assigned classes and electives will be selected for them.

Testing:

Taks testing schedule can be found at:
http://www.bastrop.isd.tenet.edu/TestingDates2009-2010

Helping Children Overcome Testing Anxiety
http://www.schoolcounselor.org/content.asp?contentid=283

Grades:

If parents have concerns about grades they are encouraged to call or email the teacher directly and stay in close communication with them. Research shows that parent involvement is just as important during adolescence as it is in elementary school.

Help for Studying: