Northview Counseling and Downey Speak to Seniors

Mira Sydow, Editor-in-Chief

Although the coronavirus has thrown a wrench in many students’ end of year plans, Northview Counseling must carry on with their end-of-year procedure. To communicate with seniors, the counseling department hosted two Microsoft Teams meetings on April 16 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The meetings had two primary purposes: to distribute the Post Graduation Plans Form and the Senior Exit Survey.

Both are available at the counseling office here. Students must fill out both before they graduate. The Post Graduation Plans Form is due May 4, and the Senior Exit Survey is due May 8.

The counseling department also reached out to seniors for questions and answered them during the meeting. At the 10 a.m. meeting, the two main concerns were about waitlists and seniors not having made a college decision. If a student was waitlisted or had not made a decision, the counseling department advised sending a final transcript to all prospective colleges. If students had committed to schools that do not use the Common Application, the counseling department directed students to submit their transcripts via Parchment.

Principal Brian Downey joined the 10 a.m. counseling call to make a statement about graduation and answer seniors’ questions. Downey recognized that while the health conditions seem bleak, Northview is doing everything it can to provide a ceremony for seniors.

“At the minimum, we are going to do a video ceremony with all of the components of a traditional ceremony,” Downey said.

With all of the faculties of graduation still continuing, forms for senior speech submissions have already gone out, and the deadline to submit a speech is April 17.

Addressing the possibility of an in-person graduation, Downey noted that the school would not have a significant staff on campus past May 27. However, he has already started working with Northview’s PTO and select senior students planning a ceremony.

“We have been in touch with the PTO to start planning a celebration of some sort during the summer months,” Downey said.

Downey also answered more specific questions about senior dues and student grades. Seniors are still required to pay senior dues through Balfour, as the school still needs to pay for cap and gowns and diploma covers for all seniors, if an in-person ceremony occurs or not.

If you have questions for Downey to be asked during his weekly meetings with students, fill out the form here.

Stay tuned for updates from the 2 p.m. counseling meeting.