Counseling Department Newsletter

• Upcoming Events
• National School Counseling Week 2024
• Course Selection Process for 2024.2025
• UMass Nursing Expo 2024
• Scholarships!
• Regular Decision College Application Reminders
• FAFSA 2024.2025 - More Resources!
• Mental Health Matters: National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month & Screen Time Reduction Education Program (STREP) Student and Parent Groups

Monday, February 19th - Friday, February 23rd - Winter Vacation (No School)

Tuesday, February 27th: Midpoint of Quarter 3

Tuesday, March 5th: Professional Development Day (No School for Students)

Saturday, March 9th: SAT Exams at Wachusett

Tuesday March 12th: Panorama Survey in Activity Period, Grades 9 - 12

Tuesday, March 19th: Scholarship & Financial Aid Presentation for Seniors in Auditorium during Activity Period

Tuesday, March 26th: MCAS ELA Testing for Grade 10 - Session 1

Wednesday, March 27th: Staff In-Service (Half Day of School for Students)

Thursday, March 28th: MCAS ELA Testing for Grade 10 - Session 2

Friday, March 29th: Last Day of Quarter 3

The week of February 5th - February 9th was National School Counseling Week for 2024! This was an opportunity to focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems. National School Counseling Week, sponsored by the American School Counseling Association (ASCA), highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a life beyond high school. The 2024 theme is "School Counseling: Standards-Based, Student-Focused."

If a school counselor has made a positive difference in you or your student's life, please let them know! They would be honored to be recognized and celebrated! Our department appreciates the opportunity to collaborate with and support our students and community!

The course selection process for current 9th, 10th, and 11th graders is in full swing! At this point, students should have logged into PowerSchool and completed their course selections for next school year. We are leaving the course selection window open throughout vacation to provide an extra opportunity for students to take care of this important task. Students and families should review the 2024.2025 Education Guide for information on requirements, class descriptions, and more.

When we return from vacation, students will be meeting with their counselors individually to review their selections and ensure they are on track to meet graduation requirements. Please see the schedule of counselor meetings by grade level below:

Scheduling Timeline

February 26th - March 4th: Current Juniors meet with their school counselors individually during a science class to review and finalize course requests.

March 6th - March 12th: Current Sophomores meet with their school counselors individually during a Health class to review and finalize course requests.

March 13th - March 20th: Current Freshmen meet with their school counselors individually during a Freshman Seminar class to review and finalize course requests.

March 21st - March 27th: School counselors meet with any students who missed their previous scheduling time to review and finalize course requests.

March 29th: All requests for reconsideration of level changes, through a completed Reconsideration Form, are due to the relevant department head by this deadline, with no exceptions. Hard copies of the Reconsideration Form can be found in the School Counseling Office.

Please review the Scheduling Process Overview for further details and resources to help you navigate this important process. As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your school counselor for assistance!

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 more scholarships? We have many scholarship opportunities listed on the school counseling website. Click here to view available scholarships and applications!

Seniors! For those applying for Regular Decision deadlines, here are a few reminders to help you finish up the college application process:

• Make sure your blue Transcript Request form is turned in to your counselor
• Finish completing your Common App applications and any non-Common App applications by the set deadlines. Ensure that your college and supplemental essays are edited, completed, and uploaded for submission. If you still need college essay tips, browse The Essay Guy's website.
• Fill out the FAFSA and/or the CSS Profile to get financial aid for college.

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

The New FAFSA and Financial Aid Offers Webinar by Tuitionfit.org: Thursday, February 22nd at 1:00 pm. Register HERE.

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: March 11th, April 8th, May 13th, 2024.

MEFA Webinar: Everything You Need to Know About Tuition Break: Thursday, February 29th at 2:30 pm.Tuition Break is a program for New England residents, where students can enroll at out-of-state public colleges at a discount! Over 2,500 degree programs are available and this program can save families approximately $9,000 per year! Register HERE.

Dating violence is more common than you may think, especially among teens and young adults: 1 in 3 U.S. teens will experience physical, sexual, or emotional abuse from someone they’re in a relationship with before becoming adults.

Each February, young adults and their loved ones nationwide raise awareness about teen dating violence through Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM). This annual, month-long effort focuses on advocacy and education to stop dating abuse before it starts.

If someone you know may need some support and help, the following resources are available:

https://www.loveisrespect.org/

Call 1.866.331.9474 or text LOVEIS to 22522

https://www.breakthecycle.org/

We are still looking for student and parent participants for our screen time reduction program! Wachusett Regional High School has partnered with Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services to offer a four-session, in-person student workshop and six-session, virtual parent support group to our community for free!

For students - The Screen Time Reduction and Education Program (STREP) will help you become more mindful of your screen time, develop skills to decrease screen time, and make healthier decisions around screens. Topics will include:

• Building motivation for screen time habits change
• Goal-setting strategies of social media and other apps on daily life
• Exploring the impact of social media and other apps on daily life
• Stress management skills for a healthier screen-life balance

Spots are limited, so email Jennifer Rifkin at jrifkin@syfs-ma.org to sign up!

For parents/guardians - Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services has partnered with Wachusett to offer a free, six-session Parent/Guardian Support Group! Parents are often focused almost entirely on the needs of their children, sometimes to the point that they ignore their own needs and feelings. This group is a chance to address your needs. Topics covered include:

• the importance of managing parental stress
• self-care and social support
• child mental health
• finding joy in parenting

There will also be two sessions focused on managing screen time as this group is part of our Screen Time Reduction and Education Program (STREP). This group will be co-led by a licensed clinical therapist and Masters level intern and will be free of charge. To sign up, please email ARobinson@syfs-ma.org.

Please see the attached flyers for the finer details!

Book an appointment here!

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