WHS School Counseling News
December 1, 2021
This newsletter contains information about:
Counselor Caseload Updates
PSAT Score Release
Special Opportunities & Scholarships for Students
Counselor Caseload Updates
Ms. Leonard has taken a position within the district as the Community Outreach Counselor. A counselor has been hired to take over Ms. Leonard's caseload shortly. Their experience providing students and families support around career and college planning, academic success, and social-emotional well-being, along with time to meet with Ms. Leonard, will ensure a smooth transition for students and families. Students and families will receive an introduction via email in the coming days. Congratulations to Ms. Leonard!
PSAT Score Release
PSAT results for 10th and 11th graders will be available online on Monday, December 6, through the CollegeBoard website. This instructional video will assist students with accessing scores. Students without a CollegeBoard account will need to create one. Students with a CollegeBoard account should sign in to their existing account (use the "Forgot Password" option if needed!). In addition, during Advisory on Wednesday, students will have an opportunity to learn more about their PSAT results and how to use their score reports to practice for the SAT. Students will also have the chance to attend help sessions in Guidance on Thursday and Friday of next week if they are having trouble accessing scores or have additional questions.
CollegeBoard provides several FREE resources to help students prepare for future SAT tests, including information on areas of strength and areas of growth, information on the test questions themselves (what the correct answer was, the skills being assessed on that question, whether the question was considered easy, average, or difficult, etc.), and an opportunity to link their account with Khan Academy for FREE, individualized test preparation.
Students' PSAT test booklets will be available in Guidance if they want to see the actual test questions and use the booklet for future practice and review their results online.
As always, please reach out to your guidance counselor if you have questions.
Special Opportunities for Students
MIT's Leadership Training Institute (LTI): Leadership Training Institute (LTI) is a leadership and community service program for local high school students held at MIT during the spring. We help cultivate our students' (9th-12th grade) leadership potential by guiding them through specific development activities and ultimately helping them to create independent community service projects. The Institute runs over 10 weeks and meets with students every Sunday throughout the spring semester. The deadline to apply is December 8. Applications can be found on the LTI website.
FXB Climate Advocates Program: The FXB Climate Advocates program aims to inform, empower, and mobilize youth to address the climate crisis. Through the Climate Change Immersion, Advocacy Skill Pods, and advocacy tracks focusing on health, sustainable consumption, or energy, students will connect with peers across the United States, receive mentorship from experts, and learn additional skills and knowledge to enhance their climate action.
Stevens Institute of Technology School of Business High School Summer Research Program: A paid virtual summer research program for high school students. In this six-week program, students will have the opportunity to work alongside a faculty member from the School of Business and assist them with research in their area of study such as entrepreneurship, marketing, management, economics, and finance. At the conclusion of the program, students will complete both a written and oral presentation. The written report will include a literature review, and the oral presentation will include a 5-minute video of a PowerPoint presentation detailing their research findings. Students will receive a $500 stipend after completing the program.
Boston University STEM Pathways Mini-Jamboree: The STEM Pathways mini-Jamboree is an interactive day of learning to increase awareness of synthetic biology to high school students, teachers, and parents. STEM Pathways is sponsoring this event to explain synthetic biology concepts, explore how synthetic biology is being used to tackle important issues all over the world, and introduce iGEM to high school students
Job Opportunity at Shake Shack: Shake Shack is looking for high school students to join their team at their Arsenal Yards location in Watertown. Students can expect to start as a team member with pay of $16 per hour with weekly paychecks, an opportunity for a flexible schedule, dining perks, and other benefits. If you are interested please text ssarsenalyards to 646-766-9676 to get started.
Scholarships
Massachusetts AFL-CIO Annual Scholarship: Open to high school seniors looking to attend college or a job training program. Type I scholarships require students to take an AFL-CIO Labor History Exam in February, Type II scholarships are based on individual local unions/councils and may require an exam of their own. Awards vary between $500 and $16,000. Please visit massaflcio.org/scholarships for more information. Applications are due on December 17th, 2021
Assumption University Light the Way Scholarship: Students submit an application as well as a brief essay on how they "light the way" and showcase their hard work outside of the classroom, as test scores and GPA don't tell the entire story of a student. A letter of recommendation can also be sent in to enhance the application. Winners are awarded $27,000 per year for 4 years while attending Assumption University. More information can be found at www.Assumption.edu/LightTheWay. Students must apply for admission to Assumption University and for the scholarship by December 15th, 2021.
College Board Opportunity Scholarships: Students can visit https://opportunity.collegeboard.org/ and log into their college board account to complete 6 different college planning steps for a chance to win a $500 scholarship. Once all 6 steps are completed, students are able to enter into a drawing to win a $40,000 scholarship. No applications needed, and no deadlines - just visit the College Board website to begin the college exploration process and earn chances to win money along the way!