Welcome to the weekend, and the last week before break countdown!
Congratulations to those seniors who passed SoL tests this week, and are well on their way to completing their graduation requirements! Also, good luck Saturday ACT testers. This is the last one for the year, well 2015 that is!
Also, if you have just taken the SAT, or are taking the ACT on Saturday, please consider having your scores sent to the schools you are applying to while the option is free. As many of you are discovering, if you wait to send your scores, you have to pay for each report to each school you need to have them submitted. That can add up very quickly. Also, please be sure to update your scores in Naviance because that helps tremendously when you are searching for your best “college fit/match.”
The college application process can be challenging at times, but some of you are already starting to reap the rewards of your efforts with acceptance letters from colleges you applied to. For those of you who are still in the midst of this process, here’s a little motivation from First Lady Michelle Obama and Jay Pharoah about why we keep encouraging you to #Gotocollege (video link) Also, please remember to let your counselor know when you hear back from colleges (no matter what the news is) so that we can work with you on next steps, and enter accurate data into Naviance for next year’s students to use when searching for the “college fit/match.”
Upcoming Events
December 11th: November ASVAB scores are available for review
Senior Fundraiser Items Have been delivered to TC – be sure to pick them up
December 12th: ACT
December 17th: Interim reports distributed
December 21-January 1: Winter Break (Whoo hoo!!!)
January 1st: Important Deadline for Many colleges, FAFSA, and Happy New Year!
January 5th: Deadline to turn in Pink Packets for January 15th college application deadlines
January 9th: FAFSA Workshop from 8:30-11:00 AM
January 15th: Another Important Deadline for Many More Colleges
January 18th: Dr. Martin Luther King, jr. Holiday (NO SCHOOL)
January 21st: SFA Scholarship Completion Session 3:15-4:15PM in the Rotunda
February 5th: Scholarship Fund of Alexandria Application due by 4:3oPM
February 20th : Alfred Street Baptist Church HBCU Festival (info link)
Pink Packet Process
Use the SuperMatch College Search in Naviance to ensure you are finding your match colleges. (Great video tutorial link on how to use this tool in Naviance!) Also, we have received all the packets that we will be processing for the January 1st deadline. Please make sure you are paying attention to deadlines, and doing your homework to ensure you are applying to schools that are “good fit” for you. The tools in Naviance, your school counselor, the College and Career Center, and Scholarship Fund of Alexandria are all resources to help you make the right match based upon a number of factors (ie. major, location, gpa, cost, resources, campus size, test scores, etc.). Use your resources and make the decision in a timely manner so you don’t miss any important deadlines.
Financial Aid/Scholarship Workshop Presentation
This week the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria presented very timely and valuable information about paying for college. Many students and parents were able to attend one of the sessions presented throughout the day. However, if you were unable to participate, the presentation was videotaped and will be made available for viewing at a later time. In addition, the materials that were distributed are available in English and Spanish, and on this link you can review the slideshow. Also, now is the time prepare for the January 1st launch of the FAFSA application for completion (every year you are in college). Take a look at this link to get started today.
DASH Poetry Contest
Are you a poet, and you know it? Then take a look at this poetry contest being sponsored by DASH (Link), and create something that others will enjoy while they travel throughout the city. Deadline: Sunday, January 10, 2016, 11:59 pm.
Testing Preparation and Tutoring Resources
We are always encouraging you to utilize your resources, and we want to remind you about to very beneficial (and free) resources that are available online (for free!). If you are preparing to take a major standardized exam (SAT, ACT, ASVAB, etc.) take a look at this Link and feel free to talk to one of the librarians for more information. Also, don’t forget the free online tutoring that is available through Blackboard Tutoring flyer link.
Solutions for Preventing and Responding to Sexual Violence in High Schools
Arlington Public Schools is hosting a Town Hall on Sexual Assault and High School students this Saturday, Dec. 12 from 2-4 p.m. at Washington-Lee High School, 1301 N. Stafford Street in Arlington. Four students who are survivors of sexual assault during high school will speak, along with their mothers. They have very powerful stories to share.
The event is free and all are welcome (registration link). Come take part in this very important discussion.
Lastly, this coming week we will be saying goodbye to Mr. Langley who has served as a counseling intern in LC 12. He has worked very hard over the semester to get to know our seniors and provide guidance to help them in a variety of ways in support of their journey through high school and onto the next level. We have been very grateful for Mr. Langley’s efforts and the relationships he has established with seniors. Thank you Mr. Langley and we all wish you the best of luck in your pursuit of a school counselor job to continue the work you have done on behalf of students at TC this semester!