Counseling Services

Counselors are divided by student's last names. Counselors are available for academic, personal/social issues, and post-secondary (college & career) planning. Please email your counselor if you have questions or would like to set up an appointment to meet. To contact the counseling secretary, please call 707-778-4779. Additionally, we have MFT interns on-site available for extra mental health support. If you are looking for support, you can complete the PHS Mental Health Self-Referral Form directly or email your counselor.

Need to meet with your counselor? Fill out a request here!

• A-DE: Ms. McClelland, mmcclelland@petk12.org 

• DI-K: Mrs. Singh, asingh@petk12.org 

• L-P: Mrs. Emanual, jemanuel@petk12.org & Mr. Babala dbabala@petk12.org 

• Q-Z: Mrs. Guerra, mguerra@petk12.org 

End of the Year Info: 

As we approach the end of the school year, the counseling department wants to make sure you have access to the most up-to-date information; please read ahead. Counselors are off starting June 16th and will return to work in early August. Lead Counselor, Ms. McClelland will be available throughout the month of June for any urgent concerns. Any schedule changes will be handled in the order that they are received and changes are based upon space and availability. 

Finals Schedule: 

Wednesday 6/7: 1st & 2nd period

Thursday 6/8: 4th & 5th period 

Friday 6/9: 3rd & 6th period 

AP/Honors Classes:

If you are signed up for an AP/Honors class next year, please be sure to review this document and join the google classroom/complete the summer assignment. For specific questions, please contact the specific teacher. 

SRJC:

For SRJC dual enrollment, please review this document. If you have any questions, please contact SRJC at: 707-521-7844.

Transcripts:

You may order transcripts here. If you have questions, please contact our registrar Chris Stoll at cstoll@petk12.org.

Graduation & Diplomas: Congratulations to our class of 2023! 

• Graduation is happening on Saturday, June 10th. Please be in the PHS Multipurpose room by 9am

• Diplomas can be picked up in the main office starting Tuesday, June 20th. Please be sure to clear any fines, return books, Wifi Hotspot (if applicable), and  return your Chromebook w/charger (if you have a school issued one) prior to picking up your diploma. Fines can be paid via our online donations/payments site, RevTrak. Go to the Fees/Fines section and have your student’s school ID# available to enter or the payment will not process.

Summer 2023 Work Permits: 

If you are planning to have a job over the summer, you will need to have a work permit. Please download a copy of the work permit from the link below. Complete the entire application, have it signed by your parent/guardian and your employer, and scan it to ksmith@petk12.org. You can email her or call 707-778-4652 for an appointment to pick it up. https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/dlseformb1-1.pdf

Summer School Information:

For summer school questions, it will be held at Petaluma High School and for remediation only (grades of Ds and Fs), there is limited space, so priority will be going to upperclassmen. The summer school dates are June 20th- July 19th and you will be notified if you have been accepted into the program. For questions, please email the summer school counselor, Mr. Koene pkoene@petk12.org or the summer school principal, Mary Reynolds mreynolds@petk12.org. 

Athletics:

If you plan to participate in a fall sport, be sure to complete all the information on our Athletics website. If you have questions, contact the athletic secretary, Scott Williams, swilliams@petk12.org 

College & Career Center: 

Ms. Dodsworth’s last day for the semester will be June 9th and she will be back to work on August 16th. She will be available for appointments and also will be scheduling college visits for fall 2023. In the meantime, please review her website for information! 

Class of 2024: 

For the Class of 2024 that plans to apply to CSU or UC colleges for Fall 2024 admission, these are good things to remember: 

• Taking Math during your senior year is important for college acceptance. 

• SAT/ACT - while some colleges are not taking these as part of the entrance requirements, it may still be a good idea to take these tests for placement in college (no longer required for CSU or UC schools). 

• As always, going above and beyond your A-G requirements will increase your chances of acceptance to CSU and UC schools. 

• For CSU schools, the new qualifying minimum GPA is 2.5 in A-G coursework. 

• CSU website: https://www2.calstate.edu/apply

• UC website: https://apply.universityofcalifornia.edu/my-application/login 

Fall 2023 Important Dates:

• Trojan Roll Call (PHS Multi Purpose Room): Monday, August 14th & Tuesday, August 15th  from 9am-3pm. At this time, students will pick up their class schedule, take their school pictures, pick up their school device, purchase PE clothes, ASB cards, and other items. Please bring your Parent Portal Confirmation from the Aeries parent portal. 

• Link Crew Freshman Orientation (PHS Gym): Monday, August 14th. Juniors and seniors will orient freshmen in small groups, have icebreaker activities, and give them a tour of the school.

• Freshman Parent Night (PHS Multi Purpose Room): Thursday, August 10th at 6pm. It is intended for freshmen parents to acquaint them with the school, policies, and meet the admin and counseling team. 

• First day of school: Wednesday, August 16th at 8:30am (C Day)

College Tips: 

• Create a separate, professional (yourname@domain.com) email to use for all applications. 
• When sending applications and scholarship information through the Post Office, purchase a ‘proof of mailing’ certificate.
• Keep a copy of every college and application that you submit, and keep them organized!
• Gather all important materials - transcripts, resume/list of activities including all community service, start thinking about who will write your letters of recommendation (private schools only)
• Plan a visit to the College and Career Center!  There is a variety of information and support available to seniors.
• Visit https://www.californiacolleges.edu/#/ & https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/  for helpful planning tools, testing information, researching college, application calendars and much more!

UC & CSU Application Filing Periods:

• California State University:  https://www2.calstate.edu/apply 
• October 1 – November 30, 2022 for Fall 2023 Admissions
• University of California:       http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions
• October 1 – November 30, 2022   for Fall 2023 Admissions
• For private universities:  check the individual application dates, deadlines and enrollment requirements 
• Early Decision/Early Action - usually October 1st 
• Regular Admission - will vary by school 

SAT & ACT (PHS SCHOOL CODE: 052460)

• Many schools have gone to test optional, including CSU and UC schools. 
• Private Universities:  check the individual testing requirements that are recommended for each school/major.
• You are in charge of sending your test scores directly to the schools you apply to! 
• SAT Reasoning & SAT Subject Area: http://collegeboard.com       
• ACT Examination: www.actstudent.org 

Write your personal essay EARLY!

• Students applying to the University of California system and most private colleges and universities will be required to submit a personal essay.  Take your time to do this well!   Write your first draft, have someone whose writing ability you admire review your work…. Then update and re-write!

• UCs require you to respond to 4 of the 8 personal insight questions

• CSUs do not require essays. 

Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) 

• Get discounted tuition out of state (certain majors) 
• Learn more here: https://www.wiche.edu/tuition-savings/wue/

California Community Colleges are a great place to start your post-secondary studies.

• Certification programs for careers (example:  mechanics, computers, phlebotomy)
• Associate of Arts Degrees (two year college degrees with a major area of study)
• Transfer to a four-year university (take freshman and sophomore general education requirements, then transfer to a four-year university for completion of a Bachelor’s Degree.)
• SRJC Jumpstart Program will help all students that plan to attend SRJC after high school.

FAFSA & California Dream Act (AB 130 & AB131) October 1, 2022 - March 2, 2023    

• Online applications should be completed for the 2023-2024 freshman college year.  FAFSA is the umbrella application required for almost all federal, state, institutional and private grants/scholarships.  We recommend that you fill out this application regardless of your financial needs.             
• Students who don’t qualify for financial aid under FAFSA may qualify under the California Dream Act. Qualifications to apply are: 1. a student must have attended a CA high school for a minimum of 3 years, 2. graduate from a CA high school, pass the CAHSEE or receive a GED, 3.enroll in an accredited and qualified CA college or university and 4. if applicable, fill out an affidavit to legalize immigration status as soon as eligible. 

Websites for College Planning:

Listing colleges with programs for students with learning disabilities/differences

Find your college- Search by major, location, size etc

Search Engine- Find a College for Me

My Big Future - search for colleges, majors, and careers! 

CSU GPA Calculator 

UC GPA Calculator