What classes do I need to take in high school?

To view the 2020-2021 O'Donnell Course Catalog, click HERE.  

• This catalog will provide you with graduation requirements, certifications we offer, descriptions of all our courses, and more.

To view the Graduation Toolkit made by the Texas Education Agency that teaches you all about what you need when selecting classes for high school:

• Click HERE for English
• Haga clic AQUÍ para Español (Manual de Herramientas 2016)
• This posting satisfies Texas Education Code § 28.02121 (b). 

To view the 2019-2020 O'Donnell Master Schedule, click HERE.

• This is the schedule that shows which classes are offered, along with the teacher and time period each class is offered.  You might also check this to see when a teacher has a conference period and is available for parent visits.

Click HERE for information on the TSI, ACT, SAT, PSAT, or EOC.

How do I find $$$ to help pay for college?

• Regularly visit our current calendar of available scholarships HERE.  This is our senior calendar that is a LIVE Google document. It may be updated weekly or even daily, and it includes links to numerous scholarships and websites. Please do not rely solely on this list; do  your research!  There are many, if not endless, websites that tell you about scholarships.  Ask your employers, banks, insurance companies, etc., if they offer scholarships.

• Complete your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).  This is the only way to qualify for federal grants and loans.  Warning: Do not by fooled by websites offering to complete your FAFSA for a fee.  It should always be FREE.

• ---

  Look around and find websites like these.  Find your favorites.  Ask your friends.  Applying for scholarships should be your part-time job.

1. Fast Web - allows you to sign up for scholarships based on questions you answer about yourself
2. Federal Student Aid - resource provided by the US Department of Education
3. Fin Aid - the smart student guide to financial aid
4. LEARN, Inc. - a non-profit educational organization established for the sole purpose of aiding financially deprived students to obtain funds to pursue post-secondary education and or training
5. Chegg - a college student's one-stop-shop for scholarships that are creative, easy and fun to apply for and win

How can I earn college credit while I'm still in high school?

School districts are required by law to notify parents with children enrolled in grades 9-12 of the availability of programs we offer by which students may earn college credit.  Texas Education Code - EDUC § 28.010. Notification Regarding College Credit Programs

O'Donnell High School students may earn credit through the following:

We offer dual credit courses through South Plains College.  We also offer a full reimbursement program and installment option to assist with tuition costs.  Some courses will be free to OHS students as well.

If I take SPC classes, which high school classes will they count as?

Is there a checklist of things I need to do to get approved for Dual Credit?

 Dual Credit Agreement

 Which TSI tests do I need to pass for each of the SPC dual credit courses?

 How do I know which South Plains College courses will transfer to my college?  Use this Texas Common Course Numbering System site to compare school course numbers.

Apply for South Plains College HERE

AP English Literature and Composition

AP English Language and Composition

 BIM 2, Accounting 2

It's never too early to start planning for your future!

High School

*Click HERE for a College Day Request Form.

*What should I major in?  Choosing a major can be difficult with so many options ahead of you. If you are not sure what you want to study yet, have no fear! Here are two quizzes you can take that may help you discover your future!  Click HERE for Quiz 1.  Click HERE for Quiz 2.

Middle School

• Click HERE for the 2021 8th Grade Planning Night invitation.
• Click HERE for the 2021 8th Grade Planning Night parent letter.
• Click HERE for the 2021 8th Grade Planning Night slideshow.
• Click HERE for a Personal Graduation Plan worksheet (aka PGP or 4-year plan for high school classes).
• Click HERE for the 2020 5th Grade Cross the Street Night invitation.
• Click HERE for the 2020 5th Grade Cross the Street Night slideshow.

STUDENTS TO DO:

• Think about college as an important part of your future. Discuss your thoughts and ideas with your family and with people at school.
• Start saving for college if you haven’t already.
• Take challenging and interesting classes to prepare for high school.
• Ask your parent or guardian to help you research which high schools or special programs will most benefit your interests.
• Develop strong study habits.
• Do your best in school and on standardized tests. If you are having difficulty, don’t give up—get help from a teacher, tutor, or mentor.
• Become involved in school- or community-based activities that let you explore your interests and learn new things.
• Speak with adults, such as your teacher, school counselor or librarian, relatives, or family friends, who you think have interesting jobs. Ask them what they like about their job and what education they needed for it.

STUDENTS TO EXPLORE:

• Find out why you should prepare for college now at StudentAid.gov/prepare.
• Browse My Future, My Way: First Steps Toward College, a workbook for middle and junior high school students, at StudentAid.gov/resources#my-future.

PARENTS TO DO:

• Use FAFSA4caster at fafsa.gov to find out how much federal student aid your child might receive. This information will help you plan ahead.
• Continue saving for your child’s college education. If you have not opened a savings account, you can find information about tax advantages and links to state plans at www.collegesavings.org.
• Talk to your child about his or her interests and help match those interests with a college major and career.
• Help your child develop good study habits, such as studying at the same time and place every day and having the necessary materials to complete assignments.
• Stay in contact with your child’s teachers and counselor so that they can let you know about any changes in your child’s behavior or schoolwork.
• Keep an eye on your child’s grades, and help him or her find tutoring assistance, if necessary.

PARENTS TO EXPLORE:

• Get tips from the following documents at www.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/hyc.html. Helping Your Child With Homework offers suggestions on how to empower your child to successfully complete assignments. Helping Your Child Through Early Adolescence addresses issues that parents of 10- to 14-year-olds generally find most challenging.
• Browse Parent Power at www.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/parentpower/booklet.pdf for ideas to help you support your child as he or she transitions into high school.

Elementary

STUDENTS TO DO:                         

• Do your best in school.
• Read a lot.
• Have fun learning!

STUDENTS TO EXPLORE:

• Visit www.kids.gov to learn about jobs and to find fun online games.
• Check out the Kids’ Zone at nces.ed.gov/nceskids, if you like games like puzzles and math teasers.

PARENTS TO DO:

• Help your kindergartner develop on interest in reading by reading aloud to him or her.
• Check your child’s homework and follow his or her progress in school by looking at report cards and attending teacher conferences.
• Start saving for your child’s college education.  Learn about the tax advantages of college savings plans and prepaid tuition plans at www.collegesavings.org.

PARENTS TO EXPLORE

• Read Saving Early = Saving Smart! at studentaid.gov/resources#saving-early.  Explains why it’s never too early to save money for college.
• Check out Helping Your Child Become a Reader at www.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/hyc.htmlfor advice on how to create a foundation for learning for children up to age 6.

Resource: College Preparation Checklist  by Federal Student Aid and the Office of the U.S. Department of Education

What are Home & School Connection newsletters?

From September through May, elementary students take home a Home &
School Connection newsletter from the counselor.  Families get practical, age-appropriate tips and ideas that today’s busy families can use to:

• Improve school success.
• Boost the home and school partnership.
• Enhance parenting skills.
• Build positive character traits.
• Develop healthy eating and fitness habits.

Links to Monthly Newsletter

If you would like to read or print the newsletters, please click on each month to get that month's issue.

• September 2017 Newsletter
• October 2017 Newsletter
• November 2017 Newsletter
• December 2017 Newsletter
• January 2018 Newsletter
• February 2018 Newsletter
• March 2018 Newsletter
• April 2018 Newsletter
• May 2018 Newsletter

Where can I go for career advice?

Helpful Career Links

• Monster Career Advice - provides current articles on career, popular jobs, and more
• Career Planning - provides job advice, salaries, interviews, and more
• Bureau of Labor Statistics - offers career resources for students, parents, and teachers
• Occupational Outlook Handbook - considered THE source to help you find career information on duties, education and training, pay, and outlook for hundreds of occupations
• Texas Genuine - provided to help you discover Career and Technical Education opportunities and includes an interest inventory and college and career exploration links
• Texas Career Check - includes an easy interest profile quiz provided by the Texas Workforce Commission
• Career One Stop - provided by the US Dept. of Labor; includes salary information, employment opportunities, and career exploration
• Navigate - provides free student/teacher workbooks for career exploration
• When I Grow Up - provided by Workforce Solutions and includes free career lessons for grades PK-12

Helpful Links to for Interest and Personality Inventories for You to Take

• Human Metrics - Fun website for self-exploration; several free personality quizzes
• 16 Personalities - Free personality test; widely used by schools and businesses
• My Next Move - an online career exploration site, available with many resource, including career assessment, job outlook, educational requirements, and more; it is also connect to O*Net and the Bureau of Labor Statistics; click HERE to go directly to the Interest Inventory
• 5 Love Languages - take this assessment to discover your love language that will help you in your relationships and in connecting to others
• Enneagram Test - The Enneagram is a way of categorizing the human psyche into 9 different personality types. It's for understanding the inner workings and motivations behind human behavior.

Questions Commonly Asked About Bullying

• How do I know if something is bullying?  CLICK
• How do I report a bullying incident?  Tell an administrator or submit this form:  CLICK
• How do I deal with a bully?  CLICK
• Is it bullying if it is on social media, like Snapchat, Instagram, or Facebook? Yes, that is called cyberbullying, and it is against the law.  CLICK

I need help.  Where can I start?

Seek Free Counseling through O'Donnell ISD Referrals.

Free to our students grades 4-12: Campus Alliance for Telehealth Resources: CATR (through Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center)

To begin CATR services, please visit with Mrs. White.

To learn more about CATR: CLICK HERE

Parent Authorization in English: CLICK HERE

Parent Authorization in Spanish: CLICK HERE

Teacher Referral (SNAP-IV): CLICK HERE

Contact Free Lubbock Resources.

StarCare Specialty Health System (formerly MHMR)

904 Avenue O

Lubbock, TX  79408

CRISIS HOTLINE: 806/740-1414 or 800/687-7581

www.starcarelubbock.org

Catholic Family Services

Phone: 806/765-8475

https://cclubbock.org/youth-and-families

Covenant Counseling Center

1302 Broadway St.

Lubbock, TX  79401

Phone: 806/725-5443

Family Guidance & Outreach Center of Lubbock

806/747-5577

Family Counseling Services

806/747-3488

Call 2-1-1.

What is 2-1-1?  

2-1-1 Texas is a program of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission that is committed to helping Texas citizens connect with the services they need. Whether by phone or internet, their goal is to present accurate, well-organized and easy-to-find information from state and local health and human services programs.

2-1-1 Texas is a free, anonymous social service hotline available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

No matter where you live in Texas, you can dial 2-1-1, or (877) 541-7905, and find information about resources in your local community. Whether you need help finding food or housing, child care, crisis counseling or substance abuse treatment, one number is all you need to know.

I need help with: GRIEF.

Grief Resource Links

General Notices, Letters, and Forms

• To view the parent letter regarding College Prep Math & English, click HERE.
• To view the student handout regarding Dual Credit for Summer 2018, click HERE.
• To view a Personal Graduation Plan Worksheet (aka PGP or 4-year plan for high school classes), click HERE.
• To view the 5th grade parent letter regarding Cross the Street Night, click HERE.