The CCR Update is a weekly newsletter from the St. Charles North Office of College and Career Readiness. Our weekly update contains information to help navigate students through high school and into post-secondary options. A variety of links will be provided to assist students and families in making choices along this journey. For additional information students should reach out to their individual counselor.

Congratulations to Chloe Stauff and Hailey Vogtmann on being named February Student of the Month at Fox Valley Career Center! We are very proud of you! Roll Stars! ⭐

Session 2

Chloe Stauff - BNAT - Miller - St. Charles North High School

Hailey Vogtmann - Welding I - Kettelkamp - St. Charles North High School

Interested in a paid summer internship?

D303 in partnership with The Alignment Collaborative for Education will be providing competitive paid internships for current Junior students this summer in areas such as: Automotive, Business/Finance, Education, Engineering/Manufacturing, Healthcare, IT, Marketing/Graphic Design, and/or Public Safety fields.

A resume writing workshop will also be offered after school on Wednesday, February 26th from 1:30-2:30 in Room 400LR to help students interested in applying for an internship.

Click HERE to access the PDF flyer (image below) for more details! Please note, applicants must have taken two classes in a specific pathway to be considered.

All dual credit students (ENG 101/102, CMS 101, Math 102, HOS 101, ACC 100, full and part time programs) must create a dual enroll account and complete the application steps on this website (complete all fields with a red asterisk, including the following steps: Account, Student Address, Student Demographics, Programs, Terms & Conditions, Parent Consent, High School & FERPA waiver. You can skip directions on page 3 of the application steps document.) The application deadline is February 7, 2025.

If you do not qualify for the class or program based on your PSAT scores, you will need to take the ECC placement exams. Information about taking the placement exams can be found in the Dual Credit Application Guide. The placement testing deadline is February 21, 2024.

The Fox Valley Career Center 2025-26 Application form is available on their website at foxvalleycc.org to submit a course request for next year. The priority course request period starts on 11/1/24 and ends on 1/31/25. You can still sign up for a FVCC class after 1/31/25, but this could affect getting into your first-choice program. You'll also need to submit a request for a FVCC class through your counselor.

Interested in giving a commencement speech at Graduation? If so, please click the button below to complete the application. All interested students must complete the application and upload their speech no later than Sunday, March 23rd at 11:59 p.m. Questions? Please stop by the CCR Office!

Seniors, it’s time to order the Official Personalized Graduation Announcements! The announcement will feature the custom foil school crest, the official commencement text, and the School Etching where available. Orders will ship directly to your home. Order online now at HighSchool.HerffJones.com.

Public Notice:

The temporary file for all students from St. Charles North High School (Community Unit School District 303), class of 2020, will be destroyed during the week of March 31, 2025. State law mandates that a student's record becomes exclusively that of the student upon his/her 18th birthday. For this reason, students who wish to pick up their file must do so in person with an ID or provide their parents with written permission and a photocopy of an ID for the file to be released. Records may be picked up in the high school Registrar's Office beginning Monday, March 24, through Friday, March 28, 2025. Please call the high school registrar at 331-228-6279 if you have any questions about these files.

Students can now request mid-year transcripts in Naviance. ***Please make sure your college(s) requires a mid-year before sending!***

To do so:

1. Login to Naviance and click on the "Colleges" tab at the top

2. Click on "Colleges I'm Applying To"

3. Choose +Request Transcript (in blue writing on the right hand side)

4. Select the checkbox for mid-year and submit

P. A. 101-180 requires all Illinois public high school students to complete either the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid (Alternative Application) as a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma. Additionally, high schools are expected to provide students and their families with any support or guidance necessary to comply with the requirement.

For students who choose not to file an application, a waiver may be completed by their parent. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) makes available through their website a FAFSA Nonparticipation Form (English and Spanish) for this purpose. Check out our FAFSA Update for more information.

Did you miss Financial Aid Night on September 18th? If so, please find our presentation HERE! Please reach out to your counselor with questions!

• FAFSA - Scheduled to open December 1, 2024 for all

• Pre-ACT and ACT for 9, 10, 11th graders (during school day) - Wednesday, April 9, 2025

• Fox Valley College Fair at Geneva H.S. on April 17, 2025 from 6-8 p.m.
• Senior Honors Night on May 7, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. in the North Auditorium
• Cap & Gown Distribution on Monday May 12, 2025 and Tuesday, May 13, 2025 (during school day) in the North Main Foyer
• MANDATORY Group Graduation Meetings on Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 2:30 p.m. - location TBD
• MANDATORY Graduation Practice on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at 7:30 a.m. in the Main Gym
• Graduation! Thursday, May 22, 2025 at 4 p.m. at the NIU Convocation Center in DeKalb, IL

More details will be shared as we get closer to each event date.

Throughout the year, many college, career, and military representatives will come to St. Charles North to provide you with more information about your post-secondary options.

All college visits will be in the LRC (Think Tanks A & B), unless otherwise noted. Students must obtain a pass from the Office of College and Career Readiness at least one day prior to attending, if attending during a class period. This pass should be signed by the teacher of the class for that period you are missing. While we encourage students to attend these meetings, please note that what is happening in the classroom is more important. Teachers may deny the request to miss class if they feel it is in the student’s best interest to be in attendance. Students are encouraged to visit with College reps during their lunch period when/if possible.

If you have a conflict with a college visit, please email Kathy.McCoy@d303.org for the college rep's contact information.

For the full listing go to the College Visit page on the CCR Website.

February 27, 2025

March 21, 2025

Grand Canyon University-Traditional Campus

Elgin Community College is offering a series of College & Career events for the fall and spring semesters. Session topics include The Start of College Decisions, Financial Aid 101, Early College Credit options, Professional Etiquette, Discovering Careers, Career Clusters & Opportunities, Successful Interviewing and more. All events are free and open to the public. Events will be held virtually over Zoom on Tuesday evenings from 6 to 7 P.M. unless otherwise noted. For more information and meeting links, please visit https://elgin.edu/community/college-transitions/ccr/

Upcoming Events:

Understanding Financial Aid Awards

Date: Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Time: 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

Location: Virtual

Registration Required - CLICK HERE

Claim Your Future: Building the Essential Skills for Success

Date: Tuesday, April 8, 2025

Time: 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

Location: Virtual

Registration Required - CLICK HERE

How to Write a Resume: Crafting Your Resume for Success

Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Time: 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

Location: Virtual

Registration Required - CLICK HERE

Mastering the Art of Interviews/Winning an Interview

Date: Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Time: 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

Location: Virtual

Registration Required - CLICK HERE

Have you ever thought about a career as an electric lineman, firefighter, police officer, lab technician, or in tree maintenance, or IT/Networking? These are all individuals, and many more, who are employed by the City of St. Charles.

The City of St. Charles is offering a career pathway job shadow program to St. Charles high school students interested in exploring a career in municipal government. You may schedule up to three different job shadow experiences per school year, during which you can explore work sites, ask questions, see demonstrations, and learn about education and certifications. Students will be responsible for transportation to and from the City. The date, time, and length of the job shadow will be scheduled outside of school hours directly with the City’s job shadow program coordinator.

This is a great opportunity for Senior students on October 23rd, since this is a non-attendance day for Seniors due to the Pre-ACT Test being given to 9, 10, & 11th graders. Please return your completed registration form to Ms. Gomez in the College & Career Office.

Students and families are invited to the upcoming College, Career, and Wellness Fair, hosted by West Aurora, Batavia, West Chicago, and Yorkville High Schools.

This event aims to provide valuable resources and opportunities to help students explore college programs, career opportunities and professional pathways. Over 216 Representatives from colleges and universities, local businesses, and wellness organizations will be in attendance. Click the flyer link below for more information about registration and “Who’s Coming”.

Event Details:

• Date: Friday, February 28, 2025

• Time: 9-11 am

• Location: West Aurora High School, 1201 W. New York St., Aurora, IL

• Cost: Free

• Note: This is a Non-Attendance Day for SCN students

Senior Students & Parents! Naviance currently has numerous scholarships available for Senior students to access and apply for.

To do so, students should log on to their Naviance account, select "Colleges" from the top banner and click on "Scholarship Search". Please reach out to your counselor if you have any questions!

Additionally, numerous local and national scholarships can be found on our CCR Scholarship page by clicking here!

The SCN PTO will provide two $1,000 scholarships to SCN graduating seniors who have demonstrated excellence in service to their school and community and whose parents have been active in the PTO at some point during their K-12th grade years. A family membership in the PTO for the current year is required for all applicants.

Applicants must be graduating seniors from SCN who will continue their education at a university, junior college or vocational school. Students are required to write a 300 word essay. GPA and financial need are not determining factors in the selection process. Applications are available in the College & Career Office and online here.

The application deadline is Thursday, March 13, 2025. Contact Julie Govreau (scnhs.pto@gmail.com) with any questions.

Stig P. Orum Memorial Scholarship

The Stig P. Orum Foundation's mission is to promote the betterment of young people and the safe-keeping of human lives; to encourage education, leadership, and respect of humanity and the environment, in the spirit of Stig P. Orum. If you are applying for an educational scholarship, students must be full or part time and provide proof of financial need; a letter of recommendation, an official high school transcript and ACT/SAT scores are also required. The application must be postmarked no later than by February 28th, 2025 to be considered. Applications may be sent to: Stig P. Orum Foundation; P.O. Box 506; St. Charles, IL 60174

The Stephanie Joseph Memorial Fund

The SJMF scholarship committee awards two or more $3,000 scholarships each year in loving memory of Stephanie Joseph. The recipients of this scholarship will be awarded funds to pursue academic ambitions with the courage, passion, valor and strength that Stephanie showed while faced with overwhelming adversity. The hardship may be on a personal level or within their immediate family. Interested candidates should have a 3.0/4.0 GPA, a strong work ethic, dedication to school work and sports, put others before self and have proven plans to attend a four-year college. Please see the website for more information. The application deadline is February 28, 2025.

Tyler Brett Caruso Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship was established in memory of Tyler Brett Caruso, a student of St. Charles East High School who died unexpectedly in 2002. Tyler was a student leader, athlete, musician, and community activist. The criteria for the $1,000 scholarship is evidence of exemplary achievements in many of the following areas: academics, athletics, student leadership and school service, music, along with community leadership and service. Students must complete an application and provide a copy of their high school transcript with two letters of recommendation and a completed essay. Please visit the website for more information. Applications are due by April 15, 2025.

College & Career Readiness Team

255 Red Gate Road, St. Charles, IL, 60175

331-228-6290