CCR Update
St. Charles North-August 6, 2023
The CCR Update is a weekly newsletter from the St. Charles North College and Career Office. It 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.
Materials Pick-Up
If you didn't complete Materials Pick-Up on one of the three previously offered dates please plan to attend the Late Materials Pick-Up on Thursday evening between 4 and 7 pm. Enter through the Auditorium entrance.
Home Access Center-Schedules
Home Access Center (HAC) is now open for you to access your schedules for the 2023-2024 school year.
If you are having difficulty accessing your HAC account, please contact Lorinda Carbonara at lorinda.carbonara@d303.org or 331-228-3389.
Please review your schedule closely. Use these guidelines to determine if your schedule is correct:
In general, these are the required courses by year in school:
Seniors must have English and PE both semesters, one semester of Civics, and one semester of Economics.
Juniors must have English, Math, Modern American History, and PE both semesters.
Sophomores must have English, Math, Science, and PE both semesters.
Freshmen must have English, Math, Biology, and Social Studies both semesters, one semester of PE I, and one semester of Health or Driver Ed.
All students must have a minimum of six courses.
More information on graduation requirements can be found in the Course Offering Book on the North website.
If your schedule is incorrect please email your counselor. Counselor contact information can be found on the College and Career Readiness (CCR) website.
Note that counselors cannot make changes based on teacher requests or change lunch periods.
Additionally, as we continue to balance and adjust course rosters, there will be some changes made to some schedules over the course of the next few days. Students should check their schedules again on the day before school starts to be sure nothing has changed. They should also save their schedule to their phone, write it out in a notebook, or print a copy at home to be prepared for the first day of school on Monday, August 14.
Save the Date-College & Career Readiness Events
- Applying to College Successfully: Tips & Advice From Experienced Admissions Counselors, August 30, 6:30 pm, SCN Auditorium
- College Options for Juniors, September 13, 6:30 pm, SCN Auditorium
- Financial Aid Night, September 27, 6:30 pm, St. Charles East NCAC
- Career Pathways Night, TBD, Compass Academy/Haines Building
- Future College Athlete Night, November 8, 6:30 pm, SCN Auditorium
- Early College Credit Information Night, November 29, 6:30 pm, SCN Auditorium
- IACAC Regional College Fair, 6:00-8:00 pm, South Elgin High School
Senior Post-Secondary Planning
On August 23 & 24 the counselors will be visiting all Civics and Economics classes to begin talking with Seniors about post-secondary planning. Topics will include Naviance, Common App, transcripts, non-college options, and more. Students not currently enrolled in either of these courses will be invited to an alternate session.
After these sessions, we encourage college bound students and their parents to attend the evening presentation on August 30 at 6:30 pm in the SCN auditorium. The presenters will be representatives from Providence College and the University of Toledo. They will discuss the college application and admissions process from an insiders perspective. Every year this proves to be an enlightening evening. This is targeted at seniors, but all grades are welcome.
Throughout the rest of the first quarter of the school year, the counselors will be meeting individually with every senior to discuss their post-secondary planning, and to provide needed support.
Applying to College Successfully: Tips & Advice From Experienced Admissions Counselors
This evening event is targeted towards Seniors and their parents, but is open to students and parent of all ages. Megan O’Rourke, Associate Dean of Enrollment at Providence College, and Mike Melinder, Midwest Enrollment Manager at the University of Toledo, will be at North to talk students through the application, admission, and enrollment process. In addition to their current schools, they have experience at schools such as Marquette and the University of Iowa. Megan and Mike have spoken at North several times and students and parents always find it to be an informative and entertaining evening. There will be time for questions from the audience.
Wednesday, August 30
6:30 pm
SCN Auditorium
Fox Valley Career Center
Classes at Fox Valley Career Center begin on Wednesday, August 16.
Students in Session 1-3 must take the bus to/from FVCC. Students in Session 4 will provide their own transportation.
Please watch your email for more specific information
Dual Credit-Elgin Community College
Both part-time and full-time dual credit classes at ECC will begin the week of August 21.
Students should check their accessECC portal for course specific information (days, time and location).
Textbooks for classes will be available in the CCR Office during the first week of school. Students should pick these up between 7:00-3:30.
Class of 2024-Cap & Gown Ordering
Your Commencement Ceremony will take place on Monday, May 20, 7:30 pm at Northern Illinois University. You can find detailed information on the CCR website under Graduation Information.
To help prepare for this day we need some information from you. Please complete this survey by the end of September. There are two parts. First, we need to know how you would like your name to appear on your diploma. The second part will give us information about sizing for your cap and gown. All students need to complete this regardless of their intent to participate in the graduation ceremony. These items are paid for by the district as part of your graduation fee.
Sometime this fall you will be receiving a packet from Herff-Jones. They are our supplier of caps and gowns. In the packet they ask you to complete an order form with your cap and gown information. Because you have completed this survey, you do not need to complete the order form unless you are purchasing other items.
The cap and gown you will receive is a “Keeper”. You will not need to return it after the ceremony. Caps and gowns will be distributed during lunch hours on May 13 and 14. All fees and fines must be paid before you can receive your cap and gown.
If you have any questions please contact Tiffany Kufer in the CCR Office at 331-228-6290 or tiffany.kufer@d303.org.
City of St. Charles Job Shadow Program
Have you ever thought about a career as an electric lineman, firefighter, police officer, lab technician, tree maintenance, or in IT/Networking? These are all people, 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. Students may schedule up to three different job shadow experiences per school year, during which they 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. See the back of the Registration Form for a complete list of job shadow opportunities.
Interested students should complete the Registration Form and return it to Mr. Peters in the CCR Office.
AP Credit Policy Search
Your AP scores could earn you college credit or advanced placement (meaning you could skip certain courses in college). Use this tool to find colleges that offer credit or placement for AP scores.
College Board Student Search Service
The College Board Student Search Service allows students to connect with a wide range of opportunities to better understand what they want to do after high school. When students join Student Search, they can receive information from colleges and scholarship programs on majors, campus life, and ways to make college more affordable. See the linked flyer for more information.
Important Tip: If you are creating an account or updating an existing account, be sure to use a personal email address instead of your school email address to prevent issues with future access to your account.