CCR Update
St. Charles North - October 13th 2024
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.
⭐ NEW INFORMATION ⭐
Junior PSAT/NMSQT - Wed. Oct. 16th!
PSAT/ NMSQT - THIS WEDNESDAY! OCTOBER 16th!
On Wednesday, October 16th, all 11th-grade students are scheduled to take the Digital PSAT/NMSQT. The standard time test will begin at 7:15 am (1st hour) and run through period 5A. Juniors will resume their regular class schedule after testing. See your email for more details.
The PSAT/NMSQT consists of the following test sections:
Reading & Writing (64 minutes)
Module 1= 2 pretest & 25 operational for a total of 27 questions; 32 minutes
Module 2= 2 pretest & 25 operational for a total of 27 questions; 32 minutes
Math (70 minutes)
Module 1= 2 pretest and 20 operational for a total of 22 questions; 35 minutes
Module 2= 2 pretest and 20 operational for a total of 22 questions; 35 minutes
All standard-time students will test in the Large Gym. Testing Room Locations were emailed out to all students and parents on Thursday, 10/10.
Students should plan on bringing their charged school-issued Chromebook, charger, something to write with, a snack and their lunch to their testing location.
Additional information and more detail can be found on our Student Launchpad Here!
Horizon PreACT & ACT
Horizon Pre-ACT & ACT
D303 is conducting a Fall Testing Day on 10/23/24 using assessments from Horizon Education. These assessments will allow all Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors to experience an assessment that is aligned with the Pre-ACT/ACT. These assessments will be administered online so students will need to bring their school-issued Chromebooks.
10/23/24 will be a non-attendance day for Seniors. Seniors are encouraged to use this day to complete college applications, make a college visit, apply for scholarships or participate in the Saint Charles Job Shadowing program.
- ONGOING REMINDERS -
FAFSA Timeline & Financial Aid Presentation
FAFSA Update on Timeline
The 2025–2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be available to the public on or before December 1, 2024. The Education Department is using a phased rollout to gradually make the form available to students and families, starting with a limited beta release. Participation in the beta release is by invitation only and SCN has no information regarding who/when communication will be sent out.
Financial Aid Nght
Did you miss Financial Aid Night on September 18th? If so, please find our presentation HERE! Please reach out to your counselor with questions!
Fox Valley Career Center (FVCC) Open House!
2024-25 Illinois High School Translation Competition
2024-25 Illinois High School Translation Competition
Are you a high school student who studies German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Polish, Swedish, or Ukrainian and/or is a heritage speaker of one of these languages? If so, consider participating in the fourth annual Illinois High School Translation Competition, organized by the European Union Center at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign!
Participants will translate a text from one of the languages into English. This competition aims to promote the study of modern languages and provide high school students with an opportunity to get hands-on experience in translation. Winners and honorable mentions will receive a prize and a certificate, and they will be recognized at an award ceremony in Chicago in December 2024.
To participate, please register here: https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/169703375. The deadline to send in submissions is Tuesday, October 15 at 11:59 P.M. CDT, so register early to have more time to work on your translation!
Please see here (https://go.illinois.edu/TranslationCompetition) for more details, and email eucenter@illinois.edu with any questions.
Advanced Placement (AP) Exams
AP Exam for Students NOT enrolled in an AP Class
Important information for students who are interested in taking an AP exam, but are not enrolled in the corresponding AP course:
Students wishing to take any AP exams for classes in which they are NOT enrolled must register and pay for the exam no later than Friday, November 8. The fee is $99 per exam and is non-refundable. Registration forms are available HERE or in the College & Career Office. Once payment is received, you will receive a join code from Ms. Gomez to complete your order.
Please note, all students taking an AP exam will be charged a $99 exam fee, which is nationally issued by College Board.
Save the Date! 📆
Save The Date! Important CCR Upcoming Events
- Pathways Night for 2-year, Tech, Trades and Military Post-Secondary Options will be at Compass Academy (Haines Center) on October 30, 2024 from 6-8 p.m.
- Future College Athlete Night in the St. Charles North Auditorium on November 6, 2024 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
The FVCC Open House is Thursday, November 7, 2024 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Early College Credit Information Night at St. Charles East in the "Little Theatre" on November 20, 2024 from 6:30-8:30.p.m.
- FAFSA - Scheduled to open October 1, 2024 for some and December 1, 2024 for all
- 2 Year, Tech, Trades & Military Post-Secondary Options at Compass Academy (Haines Center) - Date TBD
- Fox Valley College Fair at Geneva H.S. on April 17, 2025 from 6-8 p.m.
More details will be shared as we get closer to each event date.
Upcoming College Rep Visits
College Visits @ St. Charles North
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.
Upcoming Visits:
10/15/2024
Elon University
University of Denver
The University of Alabama
Loras College
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Ohio University-Main Campus
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Michigan State University
Butler University
Liberty University
Grand Canyon University-Traditional Campus
Lawrence Technological University
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
10/17/2024
Lipscomb University
Indiana University-Bloomington
Northern Michigan University
Holy Cross College
10/18/2024
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Main Campus
Military Visits
College & Career Planning
Elgin Community College CCR Events!
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:
Date: Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Time: 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Location: Virtual
Registration Required - CLICK HERE
Date: Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Time: 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Location: Virtual
Scholarships for Senior Students
Scholarship Funds for Senior 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!
Fox Valley Career Center (FVCC)
FVCC - Beginning of the Year & Bussing Information
Classes at the Fox Valley Career Center begin on Wednesday, August14th!
Students in Session 1-3 must take the bus to and from FVCC. Students in Session 4 will need to provide their own transportation.
Bus information for those students attending classes at the Fox Valley Career Center was emailed to students enrolled in these classes earlier this week. This information can be accessed here as well.
For continuously updated information, please visit the FVCC page on our CCR Website HERE.
Job Shadowing
City of St. Charles Job Shadow Program
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.