Natick High School Guidance Department Monthly Bulletin April 2018 Counselors Karen Dalton-Thomas, Department Head Aimee Cairney Elizabeth Finocchi Jane Gardner Randy Garry Alison Gilroy Sharon Greenholt Matthew Strother Brittany Hanna/Mirjam Lengauer –Guidance/Career Counselor
Did you know that Noah Webster copyrighted the very first edition of his Dictionary in April? Apparently, one of his goals was to reform English spelling, and make it more obvious. For example, one idea involved removing all double-vowels – the word bread would become ‘bred’ and friend would be simplified to ‘frend’! Mr. Webster did enjoy some success, replacing the word draught with draft! Now that our sophomores have completed their MCAS English Language Arts exams, they can take a brake (!) before tackling MCAS Mathematics May 23rd and 24th. Well done and Good Luck. Given the unmentionable four-letter word S-N-O-W, Term 3 will end a few days later on Tuesday, April 3rd. We crack on with the last term of this school year immediately, and Term 4 begins April 4th. All students should check their iStudent account for any Common Directed Study (CDS) or Study Hall changes. Our sophomores will be scheduled for a Guidance Seminar class, once every four days during CDS block. Guidance Counselors are excited to cover topics that include a personality profile and career exploration. The Guidance Department is pleased to mention that the Course Request Verification (CRV) document, detailing your child’s course requests for 2018-2019 will be published online to the iParent portal on April 2nd at 3 p.m. Students should contact their Guidance Counselor by April 13th if any adjustments are required. Due to schedule constraints, there is no guarantee that course or level change requests will be honored in the fall 2018. This year has flown by and many upperclassmen will leave Natick High to begin the Senior Internship, on April 2nd. (Please note that they will leave NHS 2 days prior to the new end of Term 4.) The community is invited to the Senior Internship Showcase, presentations from 7:30am-9:30am, on May 22nd. Students will be available to discuss their placements and review their accomplishments. During the internship, seniors must complete online courses and return to school for Music and Advanced Placement (AP) classes. Juniors are encouraged to continue meeting with their respective counselors for an individual career and college planning meeting. Additionally, on April 23rd, juniors who have achieved a grade of C- or above in their classes (and have positive class attendance) will earn the ‘privilege’ to leave school during their study hall, with parental permission. Meanwhile, our freshmen are focused on preparing for the Physics MCAS on June 6th & 7th. April is a short month given vacation week (April 14th to 22nd), and we wish Mr. Harrigan all the best with running in his second Boston Marathon to raise money for Natick Public Schools, Run Harrigan Run! Lastly, with much respect, we recognize the many students around the world who will take a vow of silence on the National Day of Silence, April 27th. This quiet, yet powerful student-led event, raises awareness regarding the many youth who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ), and their allies who have been or might still be subjected to name-calling, bullying, and other forms of harassment.
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Summer Programs/Opportunities: Are you yearning for summer? Wondering what you're going to do with all of your free time? Check out our list of exciting and diverse summer programs and opportunities that you can be a part of at: http://nhs.natickps.org/guidance/enrichment_opportunities The summer is a perfect time for students to become involved in courses, internships and camps offered to high school students. Through their involvement in summer programs, students are given the opportunity to grow, expand their knowledge, travel, explore, and meet new people. Our diverse list of programs offers something for everyone! Some of our options include:
College courses Summer Camps Internships SAT Prep Programs Leadership Opportunities Art + Design Courses Writing Workshops Travel/Study Abroad Programs Athletic Camps Dance Workshops Marine Environment Studies Engineering Programs
Step Up Night - May 2nd at 7:00 PM for Students and Parents.
There will be a brief introduction in the auditorium followed by school tours
and the opportunity to learn about and sign up for NHS’s numerous clubs/activities and athletics.
Counselors were busy meeting with all of our freshmen 1:1 in March, to help them choose their classes for next year. Students’ course requests will be available for viewing on their Course Request Verifications (CRV’s), which will be published in iParent on April 2nd.
As we enter the fourth and final term of the school year, several subjects are gearing up for culminating events at the end of the school year, as students continue to prep in Physics for the Science MCAS (scheduled for June 6-7), and Global Awareness classes will begin to discuss preparation for an interactive Model United Nations activity which will take place in early June. 2
MCAS On May 23rd and 24th, the sophomore class is scheduled to participate in the MCAS Mathematics exam. It is very important that students are here every day of testing to avoid having to take a re-test later in their high school careers, since passing the ELA, Math, and Science MCAS exams is a graduation requirement. Students are encouraged to bring #2 pencils (at least 2), a book to read when finished with the exam, water and a bag lunch (in the event more time is required).
Guidance Seminar: Sophomores will begin Guidance Seminar on April 4th. Each student will be scheduled into a seminar class during one of their CDS periods. The seminar will be taught by the student’s own Guidance Counselor. During this time, counselors will assist students to complete a Personality Type and Career Interest Inventory. This inventory is largely based on the Myers Briggs Type Indicator. Completion of the assessment will generate a report that will provide your child with important information about personal characteristics. Students will learn about careers that are matched to their preferences, personal strengths, and blind spots as well as college majors and the schools which offer training in these areas. Building on the results, students will be challenged to consider the lifestyle they would like to live and its relationship to career choice and cost of living. Sophomores will be sent an email when they can access their new schedules in iStudent.
We wrapped up Junior Guidance Seminars on March 23rd. We hope to have provided each student with a basic understanding of the college planning process. To date, we have covered a range of topics including; SAT and ACT, course selection, building a college list and factors to consider, using Naviance, how colleges choose candidates, campus visitations, teacher recommendations, essays, and the Common Application. In addition to Guidance Seminar, students are encouraged to sign up for a postsecondary planning meeting with their counselor this spring.
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National College Fair Want to attend an even larger fair where more schools from across the country are represented? The Boston National College Fair is the one for you! DATE: April 12th 9 am - 12 pm and 6 pm to 8:30 pm April 13th 9 am - 12 pm WHERE: Boston Convention and Exhibition Center 415 Summer St Boston, MA 02210 More information can be found here: Boston National College Fair
TESTING FOR COLLEGE ADMISSIONS Please be mindful of registration deadlines for the SAT and ACT tests. All juniors are strongly encouraged to take a minimum of one SAT and/or ACT.
April 14, 2017 - ACT @ NHS. Registration for this test date has passed. June 9, 2017 - The registration deadline for this test administration is May 4, 2018. For more registration information for the ACT please click on the following link: ACT Registration
May 5, 2018 @ NHS - The registration deadline for this test administration is April 6, 2018. June 2, 2018 @ NHS - Registration deadline is May 3, 2018. SAT Registration
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April vacation is the PERFECT time to visit colleges!!! College is “in session” during April vacation, therefore making it a great time to visit campus. Your son or daughter can get a good sense of the atmosphere and personality of the campus. To schedule a visit, go to the college admissions website, or call the admissions office. Colleges expect “potential” students to be visiting during this time, and they often offer an Open House during this week.
Community Service Juniors may want to visit our Community Service website to find opportunities to complete the 30 hour graduation requirement. The link is found below: Community Service Website
April is an exciting and busy month for seniors, as many students will receive admissions decisions from colleges and universities for which they are still awaiting decisions. Financial Aid packages and housing options are also usually available this month as well. Please remember to inform your Guidance Counselor of all admissions decisions. Your data is extremely important and helps us immensely in our college planning with other students.
If you missed the MEFA After the College Acceptance seminar (Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority), offered on March 26th at NHS, you can download the materials on MEFA’s website MEFA Seminar Link and explore other tools and resources to assist you in the college planning process. You can also access the materials on the NHS Guidance website. The next MEFA seminar in the area will be held: Monday April 9th - 6:30 p.m. @ Newton North High School This is a FREE presentation about paying for college, offered by MEFA - the Commonwealth's authority on planning, saving, and paying for college. An experienced MEFA representative will provide an overview of the college payment process, including the details of financial aid award letters, the college billing cycle, options to pay the bill, and how to minimize debt. Be sure to bring your financial aid award letters to the seminar to have all of your questions answered after the presentation. MEFA is also hosting a webinar, if you are unable to attend a seminar: Webinar - April 10, 2018 - 12:00 PM MEFA Webinar - Paying the College Bill 5
A Few Reminders to Seniors: If you have been accepted to a college or program, congratulations! Please remember to do the following as a result:
Thank your teacher(s) for writing a recommendation for you, or helping you with your essay, or just being there for you! If you have been accepted ED, or are just plain certain of where you are going already, please withdraw all of your other applications to give other students across the state and country waiting for decisions a better shot! See your counselor to let them know your news and plans, including all acceptances, waitlists, deferred, and denied decisions. Whether you are working on applications, applying for jobs or gap year programs, or just starting to think about what's next for you, that's totally fine. See your counselor and he/she will help you all along the way.
With many thanks from your guidance counselor!
Community Service
Paws for a Cause- 8:30-10:30 am April 29th. A dog friendly walk/run at the high school. Looking for volunteers to stand along the route so that runners/walkers will know where to go and to cheer them on! Relay for Life: Youth Leadership Year round planning, but the event will be on May 19th-May 20th at Bowditch Field. Looking for student leaders to represent NHS on the Event Leadership Team.
Employment To learn about these and many more opportunities visit: Employment Opportunities Website
George Perkins Marsh Conservation June 19th-August 11th. Paid internship open to rising college freshmen. Work as part of a team of National Park rangers, serve as NPS liaison at park visitor centers and park events, assist with hands-on work projects, leadership and skills development, workshops, and mentoring, organize and lead a youth summit FMC Ice Sports: William Chase Arena Looking for facility support staff. Responsibilities include: skate monitor, cashier, concessions, party host, time/score keeping. Ages 16+ Wegmans - Natick Mall (opening April 29th) Looking to hire for all positions at grocery store and Blue Dalia Restaurant. Students who are people friendly, ready to learn, passion for food! Ages 15+
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Seniors: Internship Seniors on internship will be completing the 100 required hours from April 2 - May 11. Internship Portfolio is Due: May 16, 2018 o English Essay is Due: May 4, 2018 to the student’s English Teacher Internship Showcase Presentation: Wednesday May 22, 2018 from 7:15am - 9:30am in the NHS Cafeteria For more information on the portfolio and to view the latest presentation, please visit: Senior Internship Bright Outlook Occupation of the Month Biomedical Engineers Apply knowledge of engineering, biology, and biomechanical principles to the design, development, and evaluation of biological and health systems and products, such as artificial organs, prostheses, instrumentation, medical information systems, and health management and care delivery systems.
Skills:
Critical Thinking Science Complex Problem Solving Judgment and Decision Making Reading Comprehension Work Activities: o Making Decisions and Solving Problems o Analyzing Data or Information o Getting Information o Interacting With Computers o Thinking Creatively o o o o o
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