Counseling Department Newsletter

• Upcoming Events
• WRHS Spring Job Fair
• For Junior Students:
• NACAC National College Fair in Boston
• NEACAC Spring College Fairs in Barre & Worcester
• UMass Nursing Expo 2024
• For Senior Students
• Scholarships!
• Transcript Fees
• FAFSA 2024.2025 - More Resources!
• Mental Health Matters: National Social Work Month Recognition!

Friday, March 29th: Last Day of Quarter 3

Monday, April 1st: First Day of Quarter 4

Monday April 1st - Thursday, April 4th: Mandated SBIRT Screenings for 10th graders

Thursday, April 4th - Thursday, May 16th: Signs of Suicide Program & Screenings in 9th grade Freshman Seminar Class

Friday, April 5th: Spring Job Fair at Wachusett High School! See details below!

Thursday, April 11th: Early College Awareness Presentation for Freshman/Sophomore families, 6:00 pm in the WRHS auditorium.

Monday, April 15th - Friday, April 19th: School Vacation Week

Wednesday, April 24th - Tuesday, May 28th: Signs of Suicide Refresher Program & Screenings in 10th grade Health class

Monday, April 29th: Quarter 4 Midpoint for Senior Students

Tuesday, April 30th: College Planning Presentation for Juniors, Activity Period

Our second WRHS Job Fair of the year is next Friday, April 5th during all four lunches! Sponsored by the School Counseling Department and organized by counselor Brittany Hanna, this is an opportunity for employers to connect directly with students who are looking for spring/summer employment in our local community! In addition to the opportunity to meet with local employers in person and submit job applications, there will also be interview preparation and resume writing resources and links to job searching websites for their reference.

The confirmed local employers who will be in attendance are:

Department of Conservation & Recreation

Worcester JCC

Turn Back Time Education Center

Holden Recreation Center

Camp Woodhaven

S & S Marketplace

YMCA of Central Mass

Fiber Optic Cabling Specialists, Inc.

Still Four Corners

Paxton Recreation Center

Stepping Stones Learning Center

Lilac Hedge Farm

Davis Farmland

We look forward to another great event and we are appreciative of our community partners who will be participating! All students need to do is stop by during their lunch period to participate!

The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) invites students and parents to explore the college search process at the NACAC National College Fair in Boston held on Thursday, May 2nd from 9 am - 12 pm and 6 pm - 8:30 pm and Friday, May 3 from 9 am - 12 pm. The fair will be held at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center and registration is free!

Highlights of this year's fair include Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) focused areas, workshops covering topics such as college essays and financial aid, and access to the College Advising and Financial Aid Center.

If you register early, you can take advantage of their MatchMaking feature*. *What is MatchMaking? At the time of registration, students will select the attributes that are most important to them in a college. They will then receive an email that best matches them to the specific colleges and universities based on the criteria they provide. They will then reference this email on the day of the fair to connect with their best matches!

Complete information about the fair, including free student registration, directions, a list of colleges exhibiting at the event, and tips to help students prepare for the fair, can be found HERE.

The New England Association for College Admissions Counseling (NEACAC) also has several local college fairs coming up, where junior students are able to explore many colleges in one setting! The fair is free and pre-registration is not required.

There are numerous fairs throughout New England this spring, but here are the ones most local to our community:

Assumption University, Worcester, MA: Wednesday, May 29th, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Quabbin Regional High School, Barre, MA: Monday, May 6th, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

All of the fair locations and dates, as well as further details, can be found HERE.

If you are interested in pursuing Nursing as a career, please consider attending the UMASS 2024 Nursing Expo on Monday, April 22nd from 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm.

The goal of the NursingExpo is to educate middle/high school and undergraduate students about the many pathways into nursing as a career for life, and to connect students and their families with the many nursing schools in Central Massachusetts.

We hope you will join them for an evening as they explore nursing career pathways, connect with nursing programs and graduate nursing students and faculty who can help set you up for success! Save the Date! More information HERE.

Seniors! Are you looking to apply for scholarships? We have many scholarship opportunities listed on the school counseling website. Click here to view available scholarships and applications! Deadlines are fast approaching!

If a senior applied to colleges this year, there is a one time, flat $12.00 transcript fee charged. Students are able to pay either with check (made payable to WRSD) or now electronically through RevTrak. The instructions to pay online through RevTrak are as follows:

1. Go to the Wachusett Regional High School Website: https://wrhs.wrsd.net/

2. Select For Parents

3. Select Online Payments Center

4. Click on the Wachusett Regional High School block

5. Click on the Transcripts block

6. Enter the Student's Last Name, First Name, and Student ID #

7. Proceed to the payment options (credit card)

Transcript fees must be paid before Graduation tickets are able to be released. Payments by check can be given to each student's school counselor or either one of the School Counseling Department Administrative Assistants - Lindsay Dupuis or Julie Scott.

As the FAFSA roll out has been less than smooth, please see the following resources to help navigate the new FAFSA form and process:

MEFA: Your FAFSA Questions Answered Podcast Episode

MEFA: Advisory on the Newly Launched 2024.2025 FAFSA Blog Post

FAFSA Days: Financial aid professionals from colleges and organizations across Massachusetts help families answer questions and walk you and your family through the FAFSA application process for FREE. Upcoming Dates: April 8th, May 13th, 2024.

Every March, National Social Work Month recognizes the dedication and empathy that social workers deliver while providing services to those in need. In their roles, they provide support to people of all backgrounds and their services are provided to those navigating crisis situations or when life creates roadblocks and uncertainty. Social workers guide us through obstacles, provide those struggling with a voice, and connect us to resources to help us live our best lives.

At Wachusett, we are lucky enough to have three wonderful School Social Workers as members of the School Counseling Department - Peter Boswell, bryt Program Clinician, Jenna Damato, School Adjustment Counselor, and Jordan Young, bryt Program Clinician. We wanted to take a moment to thank them for all that they do to support our students and our school community!

Book an appointment here!

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