Counseling Department Newsletter
January 2024
In This Issue...
- Upcoming Events
- Midterm Exam Tips
- Second Semester Schedules & Add/Drop Deadline
- QCC & MWCC Instant Decision Day Update
- Reach Higher Massachusetts Day
- Regular Decision College Application Reminders
- FAFSA 2024.2025 Update
- Mental Health Matters: Screen Time Reduction Education Program (STREP) Student and Parent Groups & Virtual Parent Workshop: Narcotics: The Drugs, Health Risks, Educational Needs, and Emergent Care
Upcoming Events
Friday, January 12th: Last day of Semester 1/Quarter 2
Friday, January 12th: Reach Higher Massachusetts Day (see info below)
Monday, January 15th: Martin Luther King, Day (No School)
Tuesday, January 16th: Mid-Term Exams (Full Day of School)
Wednesday, January 17th: Mid-Term Exams (Half Day of School)
Thursday, January 18th: Mid-Term Exams (Half Day of School)
Friday, January 19th: Mid-Term Exams (Half Day of School)
Monday, January 22nd: First Day of Semester 2/Quarter 3 & Mid-Year Make-Up Exams
Tuesday, January 23rd: Course Selection Presentation in Activity Period for Students in Grades 9 - 11 & Mid-Year Make-Up Exams
Tuesday, January 30th: Grade 11 College and Career Planning Presentation in Activity Period by School Counseling Department. Locations: Auditorium (Freeman, Reilly, and Toupin), Black Box Theatre (Knorring), H103 (Lee), Media Center (Connors), K105 (Dubzinski), K111 (Hanna)
Wednesday, January 31st: Staff In-Service Day (Half Day for Students)
Midterm Exam Tips
Midterm Exams start on Tuesday, January 16th. Figuring out what to study first can be stressful. Reach out to your teachers so you know exactly what to study. Once you have an understanding of what to study, try the Stop-Light Study technique.
- Red Light: Identify the subject(s) you need the most time to study. Study what you least know first.
- Yellow Light: Study what you sort-of know second.
- Green Light: Study or quickly review what you already know last.
For more midterm study tips, check out the article by A Grade Ahead here
Second Semester Schedules & Add/Drop Deadline
Quinsigamond Community College & Mount Wachusett Community College Instant Decision Day Updates!
We had amazing participation from our senior students at our three Instant Decision Days with QCC and MWCC in December! Forty students were accepted on the spot to QCC and seventeen students were accepted on the spot to MWCC with free applications! Thank you to QCC and MWCC for partnering with us on this important initiative to ensure that all students have the opportunity to apply to college!
Reach Higher Massachusetts Event - January 12th
On January 12th, 2024, there is a statewide initiative called Reach Higher Massachusetts where applications to Massachusetts State Colleges are completely free! That's right - if you use the waiver code "reachfree" there will be no fee to apply to the following schools: Bridgewater State, Fitchburg State, Framingham State, MassArt, Mass Maritime, Mass College of Liberal Arts (MCLA), Salem State, Westfield State, and Worcester State on this date. Please see the attached flyer for additional details!
Regular Decision College Application Reminders
- 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.
FAFSA 2024.2025 Update!
The School Counseling Department wants to make everyone aware that a soft launch of the 2024-2025 FAFSA was released on December 31st, 2023. Here is an update from the federal government regarding the launch:
On December 31st, we started the soft launch of the 2024-25 FAFSA® form. During the soft launch, we will make the form available for periods of time over the coming days while we monitor site performance and respond to any potential issues. We will also be initiating pauses to the site, during which time the form will not be available while we conduct site maintenance. Students and families will have ample time to complete the 2024-25 FAFSA and do not need to rush to fill out the form immediately during the soft launch. We will not share information submitted during this soft launch period with schools, states and scholarship organizations until the end of the month.
If you visit the site during a pause, check back later to access the form. Visit http://StudentAid.gov/announcements-cements-events/fafsa-support for more information on what to expect during the soft launch. Leading up to and as part of the soft launch, we have identified some minor issues affecting user experience. We are aware of these issues and are working to resolve them. For additional questions or to report an issue, please contact us here: http://StudentAid.gov/help-center/coenter/contact
Mental Health Matters!
Screen Time Reduction and Education Program - Opportunity for Students and Parent/Guardians!
Is cutting back on your screen time one of your New Year's Resolutions? Well, you are in luck because 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
Please see the attached flyers for the finer details!
Virtual Parent/Guardian Workshop: Narcotics: The Drugs, Health Risks, Educational Needs, and Emergent Care
In an effort to bring practical information to families, the District Office of Student Support will be holding regular Parent/Guardian Workshops on topics that parents/guardians find useful in supporting the home-school partnership.
The first workshop is entitled Narcotics: The Drugs, Health Risks, Educational Needs, and Emergent Care and will be held virtually on Wednesday, January 17th from 5:00 - 6:30 pm. Be sure to register for the workshop Zoom link in advance!