NEWS
CCHS introduces Naviance
Guidance incorporates the Family Connection program to communicate with students BY SKYLER JONES-BOXWELL Print Editor
This year, in an effort to promote college and career preparation, every student now has access to the software provider Naviance, a service with many useful tools to help students advance through high school and beyond. Through “Family Connection,” guidance counselors now have an easy method to review the progress of and communicate with students to better suit their needs. “We want them to start thinking about college, thinking about where they want to go, start building their resumés through there because it gives them a quick link on what to do,” 11th Grade Guidance Counselor Carol Lopez said. Purchased by the school district last year, Naviance gives CCHS students easy access to college searches, scholarship applications, and career matches that align student interests with post-secondary goals, as stated on Naviance’s official website. Students can effectively plan for college
by finding courses and internships, as well as identifying their personal strengths and interests, in order to develop a career pathway best suited for them. In addition, students are granted a personal planner for use in completing tasks on the path to college readiness, some of which have been assigned by the school’s guidance counselors. “[High schools students are] told throughout their life that “college, college, college” is the answer, and it is,” Career and Success Advisor Danielle Ramirez said. “But I think there is a lot of different colleges that you can choose from that are specific to the student as an individual, and I think the system allows students to have the chance to...make a better decision for the college of their choice.” Tasks assigned to students may include taking an interest inventory to give insight on a student’s strengths and hobbies, viewing various career clusters that give in-
depth information on a multitude of jobs, or even searching for colleges through a search feature that provides a list of colleges tailored directly to a student’s specifications. “It does a lot of the research for you so you don’t have to spend hours on the internet,” 10th Grade Guidance Counselor Theresa Sullivan said. “There’s plenty of things that we’re going to be adding to it so that it becomes more useful and more able to do what you need it to do.” Cooper City High wasn’t the first to implement this program. Founded in 2002, Naviance has reportedly reached “over 7 million students at nearly 8,500 schools in 100 countries.” Schools have reported an increase in 30 percent of students who have college and career plans, and a 6 percent increase in students attending a four-year college. “Schools across the nation use it, so it’s not just Broward County, it’s not just
Florida.” Ms. Lopez said. “It’s something that all the very popular, private schools have.” To visit the school’s Family Connection website go to http:// connection.naviance.com/Coopercity, or just look under the “Quick Links” heading on the school’s official website. Accessing Naviance requires students to use their student number as their username (06********), and their birthday as their password (MM/DD/YYYY). “My goal is that students identify all those important things that they’re working so hard towards earlier in the game so that the end result is a lot less stressful and more impactful because they know that they’ve made an educated decision,” Mrs. Ramirez said.
It’s the time for giving
CCHS brings back the fall Harvest Drive to give goods to underpriviledged families BY KENDYL COUNTS Print Managing Editor
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Photo by Benjamin Milgram
It’s all about community. We want to have a service-oriented culture where people care about helping others less fortunate.
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When fall rolls around each year, so do the canned goods. Cooper City High School’s 2016 Harvest Drive will be collecting donations through personalization classes until November 10th. Each personalization teacher will have a list available for students, detailing exactly which items are most needed at the time. To avoid having an excess of one item and a shortage of another, students are encouraged to check the needs list before donating. Still, any donations will be appreciated. Projects like the Harvest Drive serve as reality checks for many CCHS students, reminding them to be thankful for what they have - a fitting message to spread just in time for Thanksgiving. Philanthropic experiences like these are often essential to developing awareness of the condition of the community. By bringing attention to the needs of peers, the Harvest Drive is among the many programs at Cooper City High School that cause positive change. However, administration stresses the importance of participation by the whole student body for the effects of the Harvest Drive to reach their maximum potential. “The power of the Harvest Drive is in our numbers,” Assistant Principal Mrs. Perkovic said in an email. “By each of us sharing a little, we create a very large result. Each [student] is a key ingredient to the success of the Harvest Drive.” According to Mrs. Perkovic, the Harvest Drive teaches students two
meaningful lessons: the importance of intergenerational cooperation for the improvement of the community, and the value of showing compassion to those who need it most. Though Cooper City High School’s teachers and administrators will be providing guidance during the project, she hopes to see students use this opportunity to display their leadership skills and make a difference in the lives of others. The Harvest Drive benefits over a hundred families in Broward County and helps them put food on the table through the autumn months. Some of the recipients of this kindness are Cooper City High School students themselves, classmates whose families are in need of some relief. By encouraging students to donate, the CCHS staff hopes to foster a charitable environment within and beyond the classroom walls. “It’s all about community,” Assistant Principal Mr. Pluim said. “We want to have a service-oriented culture where people care about helping others less fortunate.” The goal for Harvest Drive this year is to collect enough items for 120 families - a goal that has good prospects given the achievements of last year. “Last year was an awesome Harvest Drive year here at Cooper thanks to [everyone’s selfless efforts,” Mrs. Perkovic said. “I look forward to another successful year.”