Following a pilot program last year, registration for fall 2015 is under way at Ernest Righetti High School.

Current freshmen have received information about graduation and college admission requirements from RHS guidance technicians Xenia Palacios and Dayna DeBernardi-Watson, and met in the campus computer labs to complete their sophomore year requests online.

“I was able to gain ownership of classes picked and see the variety offered,” Cassi Colangelo said. Kennedy Howell shared, “Their presentation gave us so much information. But I liked how it was targeted to our class. The instructions they gave us made registering so simple and easy!”

The guidance technicians will next begin working with sophomores and juniors who complete their registration in January and February. An important feature is that parents will be able to view course requests through the Aeries Parent/Student Portal.

“This will enable me to communicate with my parents at home on the student/parent portal,” Alyssa Alvarado said.

This process prepares students for the reality of online registration at the college level. Incoming freshmen will complete paper enrollment forms and course requests during scheduled appointments with the guidance team during the month of February.

The Righetti guidance program is a sequential process that enables students to plan their high school academics so that they are aligned with their post-secondary goals. Last year Righetti implemented a new web-based, 21st-century, college and career program called Naviance. This program is a virtual portfolio of the former Six Year Plan. In addition to academic planning, there will be college and career research curriculum in their English classes as well as interest assessments and activities to help students begin dreaming of their futures. Students can collect data on their interests, target careers within their interest areas, and explore college majors that will prepare them for future careers.

Students will also spend one or two days in the College and Career Center with career specialist Vicki Dirkes, continuing their research, having questions answered, and have open dialogue and conversations about their futures. In March there will be a Career Fair allowing students to see, up close and personal, some of their potential careers and meet community members and local employers. This allows for one-on-one conversations and formation of bonds within the community.

For more information, please contact DeBernardi-Watson at 805.937.2051 x2726.

— Kenny Klein is a public information officer for the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District.