Policies and Procedures

Students

The counseling office has coverage Monday-Friday from 7:00 am to 3 pm. If you have an emergency, please notify a secretary or the main receptionist.

1. Click on your counselor's name on the main page to submit an appointment form or fill out a "Counselor Request Form" in the Counseling Office in E216 (during passing period, lunch or with a note from your teacher).
2. Your counselor will call you out of class. During busy weeks, this could take a few days.

Parents

In delivering a comprehensive school counseling program, school counselors perform different roles including participating in professional learning community meetings, district level meetings, and classroom presentations which require the counselors to be out of the office. To better serve our families, parent appointment times will be scheduled before or after school or at the discretion of the counselor based on availability. In case of emergencies or crisis, counselors will meet as necessary.

• If you have questions or need to discuss other issues with a teacher, please contact that teacher through email or via phone.
  • For Teacher contact information, please visit the Contact Us page.
• You may also call the Receptionist at (505) 890-0343.

Our grading periods are 9 weeks in length.

Teachers have 3 days to enter grades after the grading period has ended. Report cards are printed from APS district offices and sent home with your student. Semester report cards are mailed home and most families receive report cards approximately 2 weeks after the grading period ends. If you do not receive your student's report card, please call the school at (505) 890-0343.

• Our Registrar recalculates class rankings in mid-January and early June.
• Only final semester grades show on transcripts; 6 week grades are not on the official transcript.
• Report cards and transcripts cannot be released for students with outstanding fines.

Students select classes through pre-registration in the spring. If a student/parent would like to request a correction after pre-registration, this should be done in May or during the summer prior to July 1st. Corrections requested in the summer should be made through the curriculum principal and will be permitted on a space available basis.

• Once classes begin in the fall, the school does not allow schedule corrections unless the student was assigned to the wrong academic class. These changes should be requested through their Counselor. Any changes must be made within the first ten days of the semester.
• A class dropped after the first 10 days of the semester results in an automatic "W/F" (withdrawal with a grade of "F") for the course.
• Some schedule changes are generated due to over or under projection of student enrollment by the district (leveling).
• Requests for level changes (AP/Honors class to regular or regular to AP/Honors) must be completed by the end of the first grading period.
• If a student's schedule is changed, the grades earned in the original class will be averaged into the grades earned in the new class.
• The Master Schedule is based on student requests. It may not be possible to accommodate schedule changes out of AP or Honors classes in the fall. Students should plan carefully.

In order to write the strongest possible letter of recommendation, please fill out and make copies of the letter of recommendation form. This will help your letter writers to have additional details to outline your strengths and what you've accomplished during your time at Volcano Vista.

Students needing recommendation letters from their counselor or teachers need to follow the timetable below:

This schedule allows for vacations/breaks as the counselors and teachers do not work over school breaks. (For example if your application deadline is Jan. 1st you need to have your request for a recommendation to the counselor at the end of November due to the two weeks of winter break which are not considered work time).

If you are late turning in your recommendation request your counselor will not have as much time to devote to your letter resulting in possibly a less comprehensive letter or in cases of extreme lateness on the student’s part, missing the application deadline altogether.

Students also must complete the student portion of the forms given to counselors as well as providing a complete resume. This includes identifying information about the student and signatures where required. Students must also supply counselors with addressed envelopes with sufficient postage. (Envelopes that will have more than 4 pages require two stamps).

Work Permits

Work permits are issued through VVHS Secretaries and with the College and Career Counselor. During the summer, visit the Department of Labor.

Homework Requests

If your student is going to be or has been out for 3 or more days please call your student's teacher to request homework. Please allow 3 days for the work to be gathered by teachers. Homework can be picked up @ 2:30pm on the 3rd day after the request is made

Transcript Requests

All requests go through Terry Veth at the Registrar's Office. A completed transcript request form is required $1 for each transcript. Please allow 2-3 days to process your request. If you are sending a transcript to a college or university it can be sent through Parchment Exchange.

ID's/Lockers/Parking Passes

Please see Mr. Woods in the Activities Office.