september 2017 junior news - baldwin county public schools...junior newsletter – september 2017...
TRANSCRIPT
Junior Newsletter – September 2017 From the Desk of Jessica Morris
I have enjoyed the first two weeks of school with you all!! Many of you have already had tests, major projects started, and are back in full swing! I cannot stress enough how important your grades are this year. The GPA you end this year with is the one that you will use to apply to college with – let’s start off the year strong!
JUNIOR CLASSROOM VISITS: I am so excited to be your junior counselor! I have spoken with many of you already, but I look forward to getting to know you guys better this year. I will be talking to juniors through English classes on September 5 about the importance of GPA, the ACT, and ways you can be involved this year. I look forward to seeing you guys then! ACT: It is a VERY good idea to start taking the ACT. The next available Saturday test is October 28. You can register until September 22. Late registration is from September 23 – October 6 and there is a late fee of $29.50. The next test date after that is December 9, and that registration deadline is November 3. Register as soon as you can at www.actstudent.org All of these dates and deadlines can be found on their website! Our high school code is 011-‐060 and be sure that you include Fairhope High School on your list of who receives your results so that we can include them on your transcript. *Keep in mind, all juniors now have the opportunity to take the ACT (this is the plus writing version), free of charge, on our campus in April. You are automatically registered for this date. The date for the on-‐campus ACT is March 20, 2018, so don’t plan any trips or college visits on that day! The make-‐up test date for the ACT is April 3. ACT PREP OPPORTUNITIES:
• Huntingdon Learning Center – Contact Beth Dotson at 251-‐621-‐1055 • Peggy Varnado can be reached at [email protected] • Tom Tomkins – Contact him at 251-‐223-‐1528 or by emailing him at [email protected] • Coastal Alabama Community College will have some ACT Prep Classes – Flyer attached • You can also visit www.march2success.com for free practice tests! • Sylvan Prep – Contact 251-‐210-‐1337 or visit www.sylvanlearning.com • Check out the Counselor’s Corner area of the fairhopehs.com website under the “Resources” tab for more links and ACT Help
PLANNING TO TAKE THE SAT?
• The SAT is another college entrance exam that our students take. You can register at www.sat.collegeboard.org The College Board website has links and opportunities for preparation for this exam.
PSAT (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test): The PSAT is a test that is offered to Fairhope High School’s sophomore and junior students who are ranked in the top ten percent of their class. The best part about this test for juniors is that when you take it, you are automatically screened for the National Merit Scholarship Program, which is a nationally recognized academic competition for recognition and scholariships. This could mean big money for college! The test is made up of Reading, Writing/Language, and Math sections. More information about this test, how to prepare, and what your scores mean can be found at: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-‐nmsqt-‐psat-‐10 . Every FHS junior will be taking the PSAT on October 11. ANNOUNCEMENTS: I recommend that EVERYONE (PARENTS & STUDENTS) go to www.fairhopehs.com and click the icon to see the daily announcements. There is a link there to sign up to have the announcements emailed to you daily. This is the BEST way to stay informed about deadlines, clubs, activities, sporting events, and other important information. *There are a WHOLE LOT of clubs and activities that gear up right at the beginning of the year! Be sure to check the past announcements (on the website there are NEW and REPEATING announcements). Join in on the fun, build your resume & get involved TODAY! CREDITS: I have spent many hours checking each of your transcripts and credits to be sure that each of you are on track to graduate. However, if you know that you have failed a class and did not make it up in summer school AND you are currently not enrolled in that class, please e-‐mail me immediately at [email protected] . It is very important that you are in the right classes this year, since you only have one more year after this to get those classes done!
OPEN HOUSE: Open house is scheduled for Tuesday, September 12. The program will begin in the cafeteria at 6pm. Parents, if you are coming without your child, please bring a copy of their schedule so that you will know what classrooms to visit that night. REMEMBER: If you receive free or reduced lunch, you could qualify for a total of two fee waivers to take the ACT and SAT during junior and senior years of high school. Come by the guidance office if you have questions about qualifying. HOMECOMING INFO: Homecoming is right around the corner! T-‐shirt sales, dance tickets, and outside date apps, etc. will be on the school website (www.fairhopehs.com) as information becomes available.
SCHOOL UNIFORMS: If you are in need of school uniforms and cannot find or afford these items, please see Mrs. Barrett, our on-‐campus social worker. Her e-‐mail address is [email protected] . She can assist you in finding donated uniforms in the size that you need. ASVAB: ASVAB stands for Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery and it will be given in the library on Monday October 23 from 8 to approximately 11am. The ASVAB is a nationally normed test and is an excellent indicator of your academic progress. It has two primary purposes – it is the first step in a career exploration program and it is also used by the Armed Forces to determine eligibility for enlistment. You must sign up in the guidance office by October 16 if you wish to take the exam. Just keep in mind that you will be heavily pursued by the military once your results are returned. CAREER COACH: Mrs. Angie Dunnam is a career coach who is funded by Coastal Alabama Community College (CACC). However, her approach is not to gear students toward CACC unless she feels it is in your best interest. She listens to your needs and helps lead you in the right direction as far as your career path. She will be visiting our campus every Wednesday and Thursday beginning August 30. You can make appointments to see her at school by signing up in the guidance office or emailing her at [email protected].
YEARBOOK ORDERS: If you did not reserve your yearbook at registration, you can still reserve a yearbook BUT you must do so online at www.yearbookordercenter.com. The online price is $85. Yearbooks will be on sale through March 23, 2018.
COLLEGES ON CAMPUS: Representatives of various colleges and universities will be on campus throughout the year. Listen to the announcements and come pick up a pass in the guidance office to have lunch with the recruiters for schools that you may be interested in applying to. So far, the following schools are scheduled to be on our campus. There will be many more to come, so listen for announcements. Also, these dates are always subject to change depending on the recruiter’s schedule, so this is yet ANOTHER reason to make sure you listen to the announcements!!! All colleges meet in our COLLEGE CORNER in the library. September 7 – South Alabama – all lunch waves September 12 – SCAD – all lunch waves September 13 – West Alabama – all lunch waves September 14 – UAB – all lunch waves September 15 – Birmingham Southern – all lunch waves September 19 – Troy – all lunch waves September 21 – UAH – all lunch waves September 27 – Auburn Engineering – all lunch waves September 28 – Mississippi College – all lunch waves September 29 – Millsaps – all lunch waves October 3 – Coastal Alabama Community College – all lunch waves October 10 – Montevallo – all lunch waves October 16 – Agnes Scott College – all lunch waves October 17 – Vanderbilt – all lunch waves COLLEGE VISITS: Junior students are allowed two excused college days to visit colleges/universities. Reservations for official college visits must be made through the admissions office of the college you are planning to visit. Your parent must request for you to be excused for the visit at least 2 weeks prior to the visit by emailing a request to our attendance secretary, Mrs. Puckett, at [email protected] . Be sure to bring back paperwork/documentation of your visit and turn it in to her upon your return!
EXPLORING COLLEGE OPTIONS: There is a student and parent information session hosted by admissions representatives of Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Penn and Stanford. The Gulf Coast Region event is scheduled for Wednesday, September 27 at 7pm at the Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel. The address of the hotel is 64 South Water Street, Mobile AL 36602. To register for this event, go to www.exploringcollegeoptions.org. 2017 COLLEGE ADMISSIONS FORUM This is an event that will take place on Tuesday, September 26 from 6-‐8pm at The Pilot Center at Bayside Academy. The event is free and open to parents and students from Mobile and Baldwin counties. MILITARY RECRUITERS: Recruiters from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines will be on our campus various times throughout the school year, usually during lunch. You may talk to them if you see them, or notify Mrs. Morris if you are interested in speaking to one of them during your lunch wave. USNA The U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) is hosting admissions forums for students and parents to get a fun & informative way to gain insight into their admissions process. Click here to register: www.usna.edu/Admissions/Events/Forums/. Parents & Students,
Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected] to make an appointment. I can also be reached at 251-928-4495, extension 3. My office is #109 in the guidance area behind the main office. I look forward to
a fabulous & productive school year! GO PIRATES!
–Mrs. Morris, Junior/IB Guidance Counselor