HAR-BER HIGH SCHOOL • WILDCATS
High School 101
Your Roadmap for High School
HBHS Counseling Department • 2026–27
Har-Ber High School | High School 101
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What We’ll Cover Today
About 20 minutes — stick around after for one-on-one questions
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Meet Your Counseling Team
Who to go to, and how to reach them
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Digital Tools You’ll Use All Year
HAC, Google Classroom, Naviance
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Graduation Requirements
Credits, community service, GPA & attendance
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Planning Ahead
Course registration and your Student Success Plan
Staying On Track
Habits that make the next few years easier
Har-Ber High School | High School 101
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Meet Your Counseling Team
Counselors are assigned by “house,” not grade — you keep the same counselor all three years
Dr. Randi Weaver
ACDC House
randi.weaver@sdale.org
Mrs. Cendi Vazquez
ACME House
cvazquez@sdale.org
Mrs. Dhea Hudson
HABIT House
dena.hudson@sdale.org
Mrs. Seanne Farrar
MEDS House
seanne.farrar@sdale.org
Mrs. Kimberly Powers
PHEdS House
kimberly.powers@sdale.org
Mrs. Sbanotto
Registrar
vsbanotto@sdale.org
Mrs. Jennifer Scoggins
Social Worker
stacie.mills@sdale.org
Counseling Center: A-Hallway, near the front office • Walk-ins welcome, or ask the front desk to set up an appointment
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Mrs. Tay Sha Carter
Empowerment Coordinator
tay.carter@sdale.org
jkeeling2@sdale.org
Ms. Stacie Mills
Prevention Recovery Coordinator
Mrs. Serena Heilman
Secretary
serena.heilman@sdale.org
Ms. Vanessa Lugo Lopez
Secretary
vanessa.lopez@sdale.org
Social Worker
Mrs. Jennifer Scoggins
stacie.mills@sdale.org
Digital Tools You’ll Use All Year
HAC
Home Access Center
Check grades, attendance, and schedule in real time.
Log in from the Har-Ber website — visit the tech office (D Hallway) if you need your password reset.
Google Classroom
Counseling announcements & forms
Deadlines, event sign-ups, and grade-specific info live here.
Join with your class code below.
Naviance and Launch
College & career planning (via Clever)
Career interest surveys, college exploration, trquesting transcripts and your Student Success Plan.
Go to clever.com → search “Har-Ber High School” → sign in → click the Naviance or Launch tile.
Google Classroom codes (2026–27):
Class of 2027 (Sr.)�jxzqoj6
Class of 2028 (Jr.)�wbl72np
Class of 2029 (So.)�ynlnxj5c
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What You Need to Graduate
Har-Ber requires 24 total credits — above Arkansas’s 22-credit state minimum
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English
4
Math
3
Science
3
Social Studies
1
Computer Science
0.5
PE
0.5
Fine Art
0.5
Oral Comm.
0.5
Health
+ 75 hours of community service and enough electives to reach 24 total credits. Students will work with their advisory teachers to log their hours in InnerView.
Track your progress
• Transcripts and real-time credit progress are available anytime in HAC.
• Digital Grad Audit file (will be shared and located in Google Drive) �• Meet with your counselor each year to confirm you’re on pace — don’t wait until senior year to check.�• Your education is your journey — staying informed now means fewer surprises later.
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Community Service Requirement
75
clock hours required, grades 9–12
Required by Arkansas law (A.C.A. §6-16-1901) for the Class of 2027 and beyond — that’s every current 10th, 11th, and 12th grader.
✓ Log hours in Innerview�✓ Hours outside of school count�✓ Summer hours count too
Recommended pacing
15 hrs
9th grade
20 hrs
10th grade
20 hrs
11th grade
20 hrs
12th grade
Where to find opportunities
• Counseling Center monthly newsletter�• Principal’s weekly student announcements�• HBHS Clubs (i.e. National Honor Society, FBLA, HOSA, FCA, etc.)�• Pick something tied to your interests — it’s more likely to stick
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Grades & GPA
Eligibility for scholarships and many post-secondary programs is determined by the grades you earn
Grading Scale
A
90–100
B
80–89
C
70–79
D
60–69
F
0–59
Grade Points (per semester grade)
AP and Concurrent Credit Courses
A=5 B=4 C=3
D=2 F=0
Regular Courses
A=4 B=3 C=2
D=1 F=0
GPA = total grade points ÷ number of grades. Semester grades are what post to your transcript — taking a rigorous course seriously all semester matters more than any single test.
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Attendance Matters
It’s much easier to succeed in your classes when you’re present in them.
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Absences in a class means you lose credit for that class, per Springdale Public Schools policy.
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Consecutive unexcused full-day absences can lead to withdrawal for lack of attendance.
Excessive absenteeism
Can result in HBHS filing a Family in Need of Services (FINS) petition with the Juvenile Court. If your student is sick or needs to miss school, send medical notes to the attendance office as soon as possible so absences can be properly excused.
Har-Ber High School | High School 101
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Diploma with Merit & Distinction
New Arkansas Department of Education honors that recognize students who go beyond the minimum graduation requirements
It starts with your Student Success Plan (SSP)
Required for every student in grades 8–12, your SSP maps your goals to one of the state’s “Three E’s” and builds toward Merit or Distinction recognition on your diploma.
Enrollment
College — AP, concurrent credit, Arkansas Direct Admissions
Enlistment
Military — free ASVAB, Purple Star supports
Employment
Workforce — WorkKeys, CTE credentials, apprenticeships
Why it matters: Merit/Distinction can strengthen scholarship applications — for example, graduating with a Diploma of Distinction is now one path to qualify for the Governor’s Non-Distinguished Scholarship.
Har-Ber High School | High School 101
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MERIT
Diploma with Merit
Step 1: Complete a Success-Ready Pathway — three sequential credits building toward a career area (see Table 1 in the Pathways Guide).
Step 2: Earn ONE of the following
✓ AP Scholar (score 3+ on 3+ AP Exams)
✓ AP Scholar with Honor (avg. 3.25, 4+ exams at 3+)
✓ 12 or more postsecondary credit hours
✓ High-wage, high-demand industry credential
✓ ASVAB score of 31+ with an approved Enlistment Pathway
✓ IB Scholar or IB Career-related Programme Certificate
✓ Cambridge Scholar
✓ Seal of Biliteracy
Also qualifies: Arkansas Certified Pre-Apprenticeship leading to a Registered Apprenticeship
Source: Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education
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DISTINCTION
Diploma with Distinction
Step 1: Complete a Success-Ready Pathway — the same three sequential credits required for Merit.
Step 2: Earn ONE of the following
★ Technical Certificate or higher (e.g., Associate’s Degree)
★ AP Scholar with Distinction (avg. 3.5, 5+ exams at 3+)
★ AP Capstone Diploma (AP Seminar + AP Research)
★ International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma
★ Cambridge AICE Diploma
★ ASVAB score of 31+ and currently enlisted
★ Youth Apprenticeship leading to a Registered Apprenticeship
Questions about which pathway fits your goals? That’s exactly what your counselor and your Student Success Plan are for.
Source: Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education
Har-Ber High School | High School 101
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Planning Ahead
Course registration and career planning happen every year — here’s the flow
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Explore in Naviance and Arkansas Launch (interests & career surveys)
→
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Meet with Your Counselor
(CAP meeting)
→
3
Select Courses
(aligned to your pathway)
→
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Confirm Your
Student Success Plan
A few things worth knowing
• Your Student Success Plan should be reviewed every year — goals and pathways can change, and that’s normal.�• Requesting a schedule change can affect other parts of your day, including class periods or lunch — talk it through with your counselor first.�• Transcripts are viewable anytime in HAC — check yours periodically rather than waiting for a surprise.
Har-Ber High School | High School 101
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Habits That Keep You on Track
✓
Check Google Classroom and your school email regularly — deadlines and event info live there.
✓
Log community service hours as you go, rather than saving them all for one big push.
✓
Know your credit and GPA standing each semester — don’t wait for report cards to surprise you.
✓
Ask your counselor early. A five-minute question now beats a scheduling scramble later.
✓
Revisit your Student Success Plan every year and explore Merit/Distinction pathways sooner rather than later.
✓
Show up. Attendance is still the single biggest driver of doing well in your classes.
Har-Ber High School | High School 101
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Resources & Where to Go From Here
• Career & Academic Planning
• Scholarships & Financial Aid
• Graduation Requirements
• Community Service
• Testing (ACT/Accuplacer)
• Calendar & Newsletters
Go Wildcats!
We’re here to help every step of the way — come find us in the A-Hallway anytime.
HBHS Counseling Department
(479) 750-8777 • hbhscounselingcenter.com
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