CCR Update

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.

• Students and parents can review the AP Student Exam Day document for test dates, arrival times, room locations, and more. See your AP teacher or Mrs. Gomez with any questions.

• Students should report for morning exams at the beginning of first period (7:15 a.m.). Students should report for afternoon exams at the beginning of 6th period (11:42 a.m. on Mon, Tues, Thurs, and Fri. and 11:45 a.m. on Wed). Afternoon exams will run past the regular school dismissal time.

• Students may not be dismissed until an exam has officially ended; do not ask to leave early if you finish before the end of the exam.

• Afternoon exams will run past the regular school dismissal time. If you play a sport or have a job, it is your responsibility to inform your coach or employer of your AP Exam obligation, and arrangements should be made accordingly. Transportation is not provided for PM exams.

If you missed the Senior Send Off this past Friday, May 1st, please complete the Senior Year-End Activity in SchooLinks. This survey is used to send final transcripts to all colleges/universities, military branches, and future employers. Final transcripts cannot be sent until the survey is completed.

• Navigate to Student To Do’s (top middle of homepage)
• Scroll down to Show Remaining To Do’s and click the button
• Click on Senior Year-End Activity
• Click Go To Feature (green button)

• Make sure to complete this very important step so we can send your transcripts to the proper destination!
• When senior grades are final in mid-June, all final transcript requests will be processed and sent.

Contact your counselor with any questions!

In-Person courses

• Sessions will be held at Compass Academy
• Session I: June 8- June 25
• Session II: July 6 - July 23
• Monday - Thursday, 8:00 AM-1:00 PM
• *No class the week of July 4th*
• Registration for Session I and Session II is due by May 29, 2026
• $250 per course

Online Courses/Internship

• Session: June 8- July 23
• Registration for Online Courses is due by May 15, 2026
• $250 per course

Registration & Questions

• Students should see their counselor to register.
• See the Summer School Brochure for more information and registration forms.
• Escuela de Verano para la Preparatoria
• Have any questions? Contact Alé Chavira, Administrative Assistant for Summer School, at 331-228-6638

Interested in taking Drivers Ed through D303 over the summer?! Please click on the brochure below for more information!

June 1-July 14

St. Charles North HS

Registration Brochure

Enrollment in the Summer School Driver Education Program is limited; to reserve a space for you, please return the registration form to Kristy Harrier by April 30, 2026.

For more information, contact:

Steve Smerz - East High School

(331) 228-5722 or Steve.Smerz@d303.org

or

Kristy Harrier - North High School

(331) 228-6268 or Kristy.Harrier@d303.org

P. A. 101-180 requires all Illinois public high school students to complete either the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid (Alternative Application) as a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma. Additionally, high schools are expected to provide students and their families with any support or guidance necessary to comply with the requirement. For students who choose not to file an application, a waiver may be completed by their parent. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) makes available through their website a FAFSA Nonparticipation Form (English and Spanish) for this purpose. Check out our FAFSA Update for more information.

All Senior students attended an important information session regarding end of the year expectations and graduation information during their 2nd period class on Wednesday, February 4th in the auditorium. Please click the following links to review the information covered in English and/or Spanish.

In order to help graduation practice run more smoothly, please complete this form to assist our card readers in how you would like your name read and pronounced at graduation practice. Please note: this form must be filled out by students using their D303 email. Please complete this form no later than Monday, May 11th. If you have questions, please reach out to Ms. Tiffany Kufer in the CCR Office or at tiffany.kufer@d303.org.

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: Power Moves: Lead with Your Voice, Win with Your Mind—Clear Communication & Confident Decisions

Date: Tuesday, May 05, 2026

Time: 6:00 pm to 7:15 pm
Location: Virtual

Registration Required

Power Moves: Lead With Your Voice. Win with Your Mind - Essential Skills for Clear Communication and Confident Decision Making. This dynamic CCR evening webinar focuses on building essential skills that strengthen clear communication, confident decision making, and personal leadership. Participants will explore how to use their voice with intention, think critically in high-pressure situations, and make decisions aligned with their goals and values. Through practical strategies and real-world examples, students will gain tools to advocate for themselves, communicate with confidence, and navigate academic, professional, and life challenges with clarity and purpose. Hosted by College and Career Readiness.

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. Please return your completed registration form to Ms. Gomez in the College & Career Office.

The ICATT Apprenticeship Program continues to open doors for the next generation of advanced manufacturing talent. By combining hands-on training with classroom education, the program helps apprentices develop in-demand technical skills while building a clear pathway to long-term careers.

These ICATT Network Companies are hiring a total of 19 apprentices in the Greater Chicago area:

• Harting Inc. (Elgin, IL)
• Knuth Machine Tools (Lincolnshire, IL)
• Linx Global (Niles, IL)
• Mondelez International (Chicago, IL)
• Mondelez Global (Naperville, IL)
• Richard Wolf Medical Instruments (Vernon Hills, IL)
• Vetter Development Services (Skokie, IL)
• Voestalpine High Performance Metals (Elgin, IL)
• Wieland Thermal Solutions (Wheeling, IL)
• Wittenstein Holding (Bartlett, IL)

Whether you're exploring career opportunities for your students or graduates, looking to connect with apprenticeship partners, or are interested in international workforce development initiatives, we invite you to learn more below.

Apply now

Boys and Girls State is a simulation patterned after the State of Illinois; it follows Illinois governmental procedure as closely as possible. It is a practical application of Americanism and good citizenship which attempts to teach and instill in our youth a love of America and a sense of individual obligation to community, state, and nation. It is a powerful, intense learning experience.

Hundreds of boys and girls from various communities throughout the State of Illinois will attend in June. They will learn the way a two-party system works. We have two fictitious political parties, the Nationalists and the Federalists. They will caucus, have Primary and General elections, and participate in a party Convention. They will elect city, county, and state officials. They will learn the duties of various public offices, their functions, limitations, and powers. They will have their own legislature where they introduce, debate, and pass their own bills. They regulate their own cities, enforce their laws, and prepare county projects.

Each boy and girl has a chance to learn for themselves that the government is just what he or she makes of it. They learn the duties, privileges, rights, and responsibilities that will help them participate as American citizens.

• FREE to interested Juniors
• Boys State: June 13-19, Girls State: June 21-27
• Located at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL
  
• Participating students compete for nearly $20,000 in scholarships
• Email mtfoulkes@yahoo.com for more information or to register
• Application Deadlines: May 1st

🎉College Visit Sign-up in SchooLinks

1. Log in to your SchooLinks account (https://app.schoolinks.com/).
   

2. On the Student Dashboard, click on the School Events section to see all upcoming college visits.
   

3. Click on the name of the visit you want to attend, and then click on the Register for this Event button.
   

Before attending the visit, make sure you pick up a College Visit Pass from our College & Career Readiness Office. You will need to fill out the form and have your teacher sign it before attending the visit. You will also be responsible for making up any missed work when attending a college visit.

If you have a conflict with a college visit, please email Ms. Adrienne Geisman at adrienne.geiseman@d303.org for the college rep's contact information.

For Scheduled Virtual Visits: Click the link to enter the live virtual conference with a college rep. For the full listing go to the College Visit page on our CCR Website.

Upcoming Visits:

We had 138 different college visits SCN this year! College visits will resume in the Fall of 2026!

Information for local scholarships and select national scholarships is available in SchooLinks, the College and Career Office, and through the scholarship listing on the CCR website. This list will continue to be updated throughout the school year, so please check regularly!

Seniors planning to enroll at ECC for the Fall 2026-2027 semester can apply for an ECC Foundation Scholarship available in three primary categories: career areas of study, academic and leadership excellence, and financial need.

Applicants are required to have a minimum 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Over 200 scholarships are awarded each year with the average award amounting to $900. Approximately 80% of the students that applied by June 1st received at least one scholarship award last year. Complete the application online. Applications are accepted year-round. The first round of awards for the coming academic year begins in April. You may receive more than one scholarship from the ECC Foundation.

College & Career Readiness Team

255 Red Gate Road, St. Charles, IL, 60175

331-228-6290