Counseling Today - January 2026

Happy New Year! We hope the holiday season was joyous and restful for you and your family. Please read further for more information about what’s coming up this month. We also encourage you to follow us on Instagram for more regular reminders and updates.

We are proud to say that our counseling department is a Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP), with CDH having earned RAMP status during the summer, 2023. We are the only private high school in Minnesota to have this designation. Feel free to read more about this great honor, what it took to earn, and what it means for our students! 
If you need to contact us, please take a look at our contact page on the school website to determine the best person to help address your needs.

School Counseling

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All CDH Students

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Registration

Registration is coming up! School counselors are available to help with decision making, course explanations, credit checks and multi-year planning. Don’t hesitate to stop by. 

Please note, 10th grade students will not be able to register until they meet with their school counselor and have their planned course selections approved by a counselor. This must be done prior to the 10th grade registration date of January 27th. Students may schedule an appointment time or come see their counselor on a walk-in basis. 

2026/27 Cretin-Derham Hall Registration Timeline

Information distribution:

Tues, January 13: 10th Grade students will receive registration instructions 
during Flex in the theater

Tues, January 13: 11th Grade students will receive registration instructions 
during Flex in the theater

Thurs, January 15: 9th Grade students will receive registration instructions 
during Flex in theater

January 16-27: Students should meet with their parents, counselor and 
teachers to discuss level/class recommendations

Registration:

Tues, January 27: 10th grade students will register during Flex 1 in the Theater

Tues, January 27: 11th grade students will register during Flex 2 in the Theater

Wed, January 28: 9th Grade students will register during Values

Monday, February 2: Deadline for 9-11, Make-up registration with a counselor or Ms. 
Carroll

Thursday, February 12: Incoming 9th grade registration at CDH

Thursday, February 26: Makeup registration for incoming 9th grade students

It’s almost mid-trimester! 

Mid-trimester grades are due on January 23rd. Here are some resources to help with studying and doing well.
CDHAcademicSkills.pdf
Pomodoro Timer Online - Pomofocus
Rainy Cafe

Academic skills group

Need help with time management, study skills, or organization? An academic skills group is now available. Our counseling staff offers this group during Flex. Please see your counselor or Br. Michael if interested.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Conferences are on Thursday, January 29th. Counselors are available. 

10th Grade

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Registration

10th grade students will not be able to register for 24-25 classes until they meet with their school counselor. Students should see their counselor regarding this between Jan 13 and Jan 27. The purpose of this meeting is to look over the student’s registration plan and approve it or make changes, not to create a plan. Students should come to the meeting with their proposed classes for next year ready to present to their counselor.

AP Students

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AP registration for year long and for 1st and 2nd Trimester only classes passed on November 4th. An exam can still be dropped or added between now and February 24th, but for an additional $40 fee. AP classes that started in the 2nd Trimester have a registration/drop deadline of February 24th without an additional fee.
Also, parents who received an email from their student’s school counselor regarding accommodations for AP exams should have responded to the email by Tuesday, January 6th. Those who didn’t will not be able to receive accommodations on AP exams.

College Counseling

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Juniors

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Junior Meetings

If you have not already done so, please schedule a meeting for post-highschool planning with your student and their college counselor. Dates are available through the end of March.
Mr. Reynolds, Last names A-K. Junior Meeting Sign Up
Mrs. Nelson, Last names L-Z. Junior Meeting Sign Up

ACT

All Juniors will take the ACT on March 24th, during the school day, at CDH. Students who would like to opt out must have parents email their permission to Mr. Reynolds by Friday, January 16th. All other students will be automatically registered by CDH. January 16th is also the last day to request accommodations for the ACT exam. Parents should email this request to their student’s school counselor as soon as possible. Please note, ACT and AP accommodations are not related. You must request each separately, and approval or denial for 

Seniors

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FAFSA 

If you have not already, please complete your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid 2026-2027). Start at www.fafsa.gov to create an account. Feel free to contact Ms. Nelson or Mr. Reynolds with questions.

“Mid-Year” Reports

As a reminder, if you would like your trimester 1 grades (mid-year report) sent to your colleges, please email Mrs. Mansur. 

Schulze Family Scholarship

Applications are open for the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation College Scholarship. This is a $5,000/year, renewable scholarship. To qualify you must have a minimum, unweighted cumulative GPA of 3.0, have attended a Catholic grade school K-8 and be graduating from a Catholic high school. This award is designed to help middle-income families who do not qualify for a Federal Pell Grant, but still show unmet financial need on the FAFSA. Applications must be completed by April 1, 2026. Please visit schulzefamilyfoundation.org for more information.

Private Scholarships for College

Many private organizations offer scholarships (sometimes called “community” or “outside” scholarships) to students intending to go to college. CDH seniors can find private scholarship information on their Naviance accounts. When logged in, click on “Colleges”, then under “Scholarships & Money” you can click to search National Scholarships, College Specific Scholarships, and Scholarships that match your interests and qualifications.

Chemical Health Counseling

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All Students - Chemical Free Corner

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Presentations for Chemical Health Week February 3 - February 13, 2026 and Beyond

As part of our ongoing commitment to prevention and wellness, we have invited the following speakers to address chemical health for our CDH students:

PEASE Academy for Juniors, February 3

Michael Durchlag, academy director and select students will present to the Juniors, Tuesday February 3rd during their English classes in the Commons. Due to class schedules there will be two sophomore classes and one senior class attending as well. Located in the heart of Dinkytown, P.E.A.S.E. Academy: an acronym for Peers Enjoying a Sober Education, is the oldest recovery high school in the United States, serving students in recovery since February 1989. Michael will explain how the cycle of addiction begins and students will share their personal stories of recovery.
Step Up Program for Seniors, February 9
Students from The Augsburg University StepUP Program will come to speak to the seniors, Monday, February 9, in the theatre during their religion classes. The StepUP program is a college recovery-based support program aimed at providing structure for enrolled students. This college recovery program is meant to give students a full, enriched collegiate experience with the support and encouragement they need to stay sober. Students will share their recovery journeys and take questions from the students about their experience.

Know the Truth for 10th Grade, February 13

Know the Truth will address 10th graders Friday, February 13, during their English classes in the Commons. Due to our class schedule there will be Junior and Seniors attending as well. This is the substance use prevention program of Mn Adult and Teen Challenge. They have led over 10,000 presentations and have spoken to over 460,000 students in over 160 high schools and middle schools.  They share stories of personal struggles with substance use and present students with information about the dangers of alcohol and drug use.

Prevention Solutions for 9th Grade, April 20 and April 21

We have invited prevention specialists from Prevention Solutions within the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation to work with our 9th graders Monday, March 31 and Tuesday April 1 during their Values classes. Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is a non-profit organization that offers prevention and recovery solutions nationwide and across the entire continuum of care for youth and adults. Prevention Solutions provides alcohol, nicotine, and other drug education to schools and communities around the world. 

Two Hazelden Prevention Specialists as well as Dr. Jules Nolan will present a parents workshop, Monday April 20, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm in the Commons. Dr. Nolan is a psychologist, author, speaker and expert on mental health and parenting. An invited speaker both nationally and internationally, Dr. Nolan will talk about stress, anxiety, perfectionism and motivation in parenting adolescents. These three facilitators will offer support and guidance in helping your children enjoy a drug-free adolescence. All parents are invited.

Laura Esping
Chemical Health Counselor
Cretin-Derham Hall

Important Dates

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January 13: 10th and 11th graders receive registration information
January 15: 9th graders receive registration information
January 16: Last day to opt-out of ACT for Juniors, Last day to request accommodations for ACT
January 19: No school - MLK Day
January 23: Mid-trimester grades due
January 29: Parent/teacher conferences. Counselors are available for conferences.
January 30: No school - Teacher Comp Day
January 27: 10th and 11th graders will register for 25-26 classes during Flex
January 28: 9th graders will register for 25-26 classes during Values
February 3: PEASE Academy presenting to Juniors
February 9: Step Up Program presenting to Seniors
February 13: Know the Truth presenting to 10th graders
February 24: Deadline to register for or cancel an AP exam

Counseling Data

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In the short month of December, we had at least 334 student visits to the counseling department. The majority of students came during their lunch/flex time, by appointment. The college counselors also began their longer, junior post-secondary planning meetings, meaning we welcomed many parents and guardians into the building in December as well!