FMHS Counseling Department News

September 2023

September News

The beginning of the school year is such an exciting time! We have loved welcoming our freshmen and welcoming back our sophomores, juniors, and seniors!

This newsletter will come out monthly with announcements, dates to remember, and helpful hints and tips for our students and their families!

Counseling Department Google Classroom Codes

The counseling department has created Google Classrooms for each grade level. Please make sure that students have joined their appropriate Google Classroom and that they can invite parents so you can request email summaries of announcements in Google Classroom. Parents are not able to join Google Classroom directly, however, you can receive email notifications as you do for teachers' Google Classrooms. The codes are listed below. Please note these are new Google Classrooms with new codes for this school year.

Class of 2027 wp2u2vw
Class of 2026 ouuapoi
Class of 2025 rgu5j4h
Class of 2024 txchjql

PSAT - 10th & 11th GRADE and ASVAB 11th Grade

Current 2nd (10th grade) and 3rd year (11th grade) students have the opportunity to take the PSAT on October 18.
Students must register for the PSAT no later than Friday, September 1, 2023. Please refer to your email from August 18.
10th-grade students can register for the PSAT by filling out the form emailed on Friday, August 18. If students do not complete the form, they will be automatically registered to take the PSAT.
11th-grade students will register for the PSAT by paying $18 through their pay fees account. 11th-grade students should NOT complete the form. Please note if students do not sign up to take the PSAT, they will be automatically registered to take the ASVAB.
11th-grade students not wishing to take the PSAT have the option to take the ASVAB. You can register for the ASVAB here. The deadline to register for the ASVAB is Friday, October 13.

SENIOR UPDATES

Senior Class Meetings

Now that your Senior year has begun, it is time to start thinking about your plans for life after graduation. For this school year, we are excited to bring back Senior IGP night where we will discuss the steps you need to start taking now, no matter which post-secondary path you choose. Parents, you are welcome and encouraged to attend the IGP meeting with your student. During this meeting, we will answer some of the most frequently asked questions we get this time of year from our Seniors and their families, and we will review the important upcoming deadlines that you need to be aware of. Attending an IGP meeting is mandatory for all students regardless of their post-secondary plans.

Due to our large Senior class, we will be hosting 2 Senior IGP nights.

September 12th, 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the FMHS Auditorium (Last names A-K)
September 13th, 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the FMHS Auditorium (Last names L-Z)

College Application Day

College Application Day will take place on September 19th from 1:40-3:00 p.m. You can register here.

Transcripts and Letters of Recommendation

Seniors can request transcripts and letters of recommendation through Naviance. You can find instructions and video walkthroughs on the FMHS website.
Students must complete the FMHS Request for Letter of Recommendation located in Google Classroom and provide that to the staff member writing the letter of recommendation.

Test Scores

ACT, SAT, and AP test scores must be sent to colleges directly from ACT or College Board. FMHS does not send test scores to colleges.
Click here for the ACT website.
Click here for the SAT website
When signing up to take a test you can request four of your scores to be sent to 4 colleges for free.
Any additional score reports you wish to have can be requested through your account with the test website. There is a fee to send additional score reports to colleges.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

The FAFSA will open for all students in December 2023. We strongly encourage students to apply for their FSA ID before that time. You can find more details in Google Classroom.
College Board Opportunity Scholarships are available. Click here for more details!
The Commission on Higher Education has updated the required ACT scores for the Life and Palmetto Fellows scholarships.
After colleges receive test scores and final transcripts in June, they will award the Life or Hope scholarship to qualifying students.
The counseling office will notify students who qualify for the Palmetto Fellows scholarship this year.
The counseling scholarship portal is updated regularly with new scholarship opportunities we receive.

Don't forget to check our website for additional information and updates!

Strong Start to the Semester

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Evaluate how the first few weeks went. Think about whether there are any adjustments you need to make to be successful this semester.
Use a planner or agenda to keep track of your assignments, tests, quizzes, and extracurricular activities.
Take good notes in class.
Make use of before and after school live help time with your teachers.
Make sure you use your FLEX time wisely.

Grade Level Information

9th Grade

Don't forget to check out the Counseling Department website for helpful hints as you begin your freshman year!
The 9th Grade Google Classroom code is wp272vw. Please make sure students join to be notified of updates and important information from the counseling department!

10th Grade

Don't forget to check out the Counseling Department website for helpful hints as you begin your sophomore year.
The 10th-grade Google Classroom code is ouuapoi. Please make sure students join to be notified of updates and important information from the counseling department!

11th Grade

Students can register to take the ASVAB here. The deadline is Friday, October 13. Students will test on October 18.
Don't forget to check out the Counseling Department website for helpful hints as you begin your junior year!
The 11th-grade Google Classroom code is rgu5j4h. Please make sure students join to be notified of updates and important information from the counseling department!

12th Grade

Senior Class Information

The Class of 2024 senior class meeting will be held to discuss the steps you need to take toward your plans after graduation, no matter which post-secondary path you choose.
Meetings will take place in the FMHS Auditorium.
September 12, 2023, 5:30-6:30 PM (last names A-K)
September 13, 2023, 5:30-6:30 PM (last names L-Z)
College Application Day will take place on September 19th from 1:40-3:00 p.m. You can register here.

Testing

Students can register to take the ASVAB here. The deadline is Friday, October 13. Students will test on October 18.

Transcripts

Seniors can request transcripts and letters of recommendation through Naviance. You can find instructions and video walkthroughs on the FMHS website.
Students using the Common App need to make sure they have linked the Common App to Naviance, as well as completed the FERPA portion of the application. FMHS staff cannot submit documents until that has been completed.
Students must complete the Request for a Letter of Recommendation before their teacher or counselor will write a letter for them.

Test Scores

ACT, SAT, and AP test scores must be sent to colleges directly from ACT or College Board. FMHS does not send test scores to colleges.
Click here for the ACT website.
Click here for the SAT website
When signing up to take a test you can request four of your scores to be sent to 4 colleges for free.
Any additional score reports you wish to have can be requested through your account with the test website. There is a fee to send additional score reports to colleges.

Scholarships & Financial Aid

College Board Opportunity Scholarships are available for juniors and seniors! Click here for more details!
After colleges receive test scores and final transcripts in June, they will award the Life or Hope scholarship to qualifying students.
The counseling office will notify students who qualify for the Palmetto Fellows scholarship.
The counseling scholarship portal is updated regularly with new scholarship opportunities we receive.

Google Classroom

The 12th-grade Google Classroom code is txchjgl. Please make sure students join to be notified of updates and important information from the counseling department!

Resources

Activities and Clubs

FMHS has multiple clubs available for our students! We hope you will get involved!

You can find club information in the weekly newsletter link on the main FMHS website.
Club information is also available in the main commons area.
The Google Classroom code for Club information is 7inqsf3.

College and Career Readiness

Meet Mr. Young

Mr. Young is our Career Development Facilitator. He is here to help you explore careers! Set up an appointment with him today! You can email him here.
Check out the FMHS Calendar for information on upcoming virtual college visits.
If you're looking for videos on Career and College Readiness, check out Mr. Young's YouTube Channel. This is the hub for previous sessions on college admissions, resume writing, athletic recruitment, and much more!

College Visit Information

College visits will happen in the Commons throughout the school year! See the dates and colleges below for this month!

September 18 University of South Carolina

Work Based Learning Services with Ms. Brackett

Ms. Susan Brackett, the Work-Based Learning Coordinator, helps students in the Fort Mill School District high schools meet professionals doing the work they hope to do someday.

This should help them better plan their next move after high school ~ on-the-job training, 2-year or 4-year college, apprenticeship, or military.

She works with area businesses and community organizations to understand their workforce needs, training, and hiring practices.

Please click here to see Ms. Brackett's comprehensive website.

Community Resources--Mental Health Resource Guide

NAMI has provided a mental health resource guide for the community. You can find it here.

Tutoring

FREE TUTORING INFORMATION

SC Discus has partnered with Tutor.com for all K-12 students! Students can access tutoring for

Math
English
Science
Social Studies
World Languages
AP/SAT/ACT test prep

To access the tutoring, go to ClassLink, and enter your school email address and password. Next, click on SC Discus, then click on Tutor.com.

TUTOR MATCHING SERVICE

Tutor Matching Service provides a tutoring search engine with college students or recent graduates providing tutoring in multiple subject areas. The link is here.

*Please note that these resources are for your reference and are not a recommendation by FMHS staff.

Naviance

Naviance is your go-to resource to help you in high school! When you log into Naviance, you can:

Complete career interest assessments
Search for colleges based on your career interests
Compare colleges and find your best fit
Check your GPA
Request transcripts be sent to your colleges
Request letters of recommendation from FMHS teachers to be sent to your colleges
Search for scholarships

You will find videos to walk you through how to log in to Naviance on YouTube! To log in click on Sign in with Clever and use your school email address and password.

Scholarships

Counselors will upload scholarship opportunities onto a spreadsheet that will be linked in Google Classroom.
In the spring, the Fort Mill Foundation scholarships will also open up. Seniors should check their email for more information!
College Board has an Opportunity Scholarship that students can enter by completing tasks that are part of the college/career search process. Find more information here!
The Commission on Higher Education oversees the state Hope, Life, and Palmetto Fellows scholarships. Find more information here.

Testing--ACT/SAT

Students can sign up for the ACT on a national test date here.
Students can sign up for the SAT on a national test date here.
Please make sure to check that your testing site is still open prior to arriving at the test site. Some sites have had to cancel due to COVID. You may have to travel farther than normal for an available test site.
Students qualifying for Free/Reduced lunch can request a Fee Waiver in the counseling office.
If students have an IEP or 504 their accommodations must be requested and approved by College Board and/or ACT. Please make sure that you are registering early to ensure there is adequate time for staff to send in the information. ACT and College Board will still have to review and approve or deny the requests.