Oak Grove Lutheran School

Welcome to the Oak Grove Lutheran School
Counseling Office!

Grades 6-12 Guidance Counselor Peggy Peterson

701.373.7103

peggy.peterson@oakgrovelutheran.com

Elementary School Counselor Sue Quamme

701.893.3073

Scroll down for counseling news, information, and resources!

-- For Grades 6-12 --

Schedule Changes:

Oak Grove is proud to offer a diverse and challenging curriculum to its students. Dual credit options for advanced classes are also available through Concordia College in Moorhead. Vocational classes for Oak Grove students are available through the Skills and Technology Center.

At times, it is difficult to enroll students in all the classes they wish to take, due to the master class schedule. If a student desires to change their schedule for the 2010-2011 school year to work in different courses, they may work with Mrs. Peggy Peterson in August. She will be in the office on August 16 and 17 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for schedule changes.

Course Selections:

Click here to visit the Publications page for all the links to course descriptions and offerings for the 2010-2011 school year.

Testing Information
The timeline for students taking college entrance tests, such as ACT and SAT, begins in tenth grade when students have the opportunity to take the PLAN. The PLAN is a pre-ACT and is good preparation for students who will take the ACT in their junior year. Juniors take the PSAT (a pre-SAT test) in the fall of their junior year. In the winter and spring, juniors take the ACT and/or SAT. Seniors may retake the ACT and/or SAT in October and December and later if necessary.

A general guideline for whether to take the ACT or SAT has been that colleges in the central United States tend to accept the ACT and colleges on the east and west coast tend to accept the SAT. Many colleges today will accept either one. To find out which test a college prefers, you can check their web site or call their admissions office of check books we have available in the counesling office and in the library (Barrens Profiles of American Colleges is my favorite). Students may retake the ACT and/or SAT as many times as they like. Studies show that 50% of the students who retake the ACT score at least 1 point higher. (25% score the same, and 25% score lower.)

The ACT tests 4 areas: English, Math, Science, and Social Studies. They have added a writing section that some colleges are requiring. For more information about the ACT and which colleges require the writing section you can go online (http://www.act.org/). The SAT tests two areas Verbal and Math with an added writing section. For more information about the SAT or PSAT you can go online (http://www.collegeboard.com/).

Please review the Oak Grove calendar for ACT and SAT registration and testing dates.

There are numerous web sites that address the issue of test-taking strategies. A good test-taking strategies website is www.state.tn.us/education/tsteststrategies.htm

Another test prep site is www.march2success.com where students can prep for the ACT, SAT, NDSA, etc.

Guidance Central on-line (Choices: Planner and TestGear)
for Oak Grove students only - www.access.bridges.com
Site ID: 0104271 Password: lutheran

testGear Code: 14606127

-- For Elementary School --

Oak Grove's elementary school counselor Ms. Sue Quamme is by calling the school at 701.893.3073.

Elementary School Counseling Program Brochure

It is the school counselor’s job to work with children in a variety of settings and to consult with teachers, parents, and others regarding children’s’ needs. The school counselor works with students to meet their needs on an academic level, help them to develop personally and socially, and also work with them on developing interests through career awareness and development.

Your child will have the opportunity to be involved in classroom guidance lessons, small groups with peers, and individual meetings throughout the school year. The counselor conducts classroom guidance lessons with all the students on a rotating schedule on a variety of topics. Topics may include character education, bullying, self-esteem, personal safety, problem solving, good listening skills, and career awareness to name a few. The counselor works together with the classroom teachers to identify the topics that will best meet the needs of the students in each classroom.

Students will have the opportunity to be involved in friendship groups throughout the year. We will generally work on friendship issues and social skills, but other topics could be discussed as the need arises. These groups will generally occur during snack and lunch times as to not disrupt the students’ time in the classroom.

Individual meetings with students will occur through teacher, student, or parent referrals. Please keep in mind that meeting with a school counselor does not always mean there is a problem or cause for concern. The goal is to work with all the students on a regular basis throughout the school year.

For more information on counseling in elementary schools, click here.

-- OTHER RESOURCES --