WHS Guidance Newsletter
Quarter 1 (September-November)
Guidance Updates
It’s hard to believe that we have finished the first quarter of the 2019-20 school year! Guidance has been a bustling place this fall as we worked with seniors applying to colleges and planning their futures, held the annual College Fair and Financial Aid Night, and administered the PSATs to all sophomores and juniors. We are looking forward to more excitement this winter as we gear up to meet with our sophomores and juniors to discuss PSAT, and begin meeting individually with our underclassmen regarding Naviance. There is lots to look forward to in Guidance this winter!
WHS College Fair
Working with Students
WHS Guidance Team
Mrs. D'Amico, Mrs. Spiriti, Ms. Downey, and Mrs. Indrisano
Message from Guidance
Q1 Student Reflection
Report Cards
Report cards will be published to students on Thursday, November 7 in IPASS. This is a great time for students to reflect on their first quarter of the year and ask themselves a few questions:
• Have you been absent or tardy from class? If so, how can you improve your attendance 2nd quarter? Remember, absences impact a student’s credits. If you have questions about tardies/absences, stop by the main office.
• Have you been prepared for class every day? If not, why? How can you improve this?
• Have you been completing assignments on time?
• How did you keep track of your work? Did it work?
• What went well in Quarter 1? What would you like to improve upon in Quarter 2?
Winthrop High School Guidance Department
Winthrop High School Guidance Department
Email: kdamico@winthrop.k12.ma.us
Website: winthrop.k12.ma.us
Location: 400 Main St, Winthrop, MA, USA
Phone: (617 846-5505
Seniors and the College Application Process
We were so excited to help many of our seniors submit their first college applications in early November and are helping many others get ready to click “Submit” in just a few weeks. As the waiting game begins, it is important for students and families to remember a few things:
Your materials are probably there! It is not uncommon for schools to send emails noting that a student’s application is not complete shortly after the student has hit the submit button on their application. Remember that the admissions office then has to match documents from a number of different places (Naviance, Common App, CollegeBoard, mail, etc.) in order for a student’s application to be complete. This might take a few days and students might get worried about materials not being submitted. Almost always, the school has the information they need, it just hasn’t all been compiled into one file yet, so try to be patient. Know that as long as the student’s application was submitted by the deadline, there is extra time given for supporting documents. If you keep getting notices, please stop by Guidance so we can see what is missing and help get it there in a timely fashion.
Follow up transcripts are sent automatically! Many schools will ask for transcripts with mid-year or final grades. These are sent by Guidance automatically to all schools that a student has applied to, so there is nothing that the student needs to do to make this happen.
Remember to complete the FAFSA! Financial Aid deadlines are important, too! Be sure to check each school’s deadlines and ensure that you have submitted all of the necessary documentation. In addition to the FAFSA, some schools look for the CSS Profile. If you need help, be sure to check out www.mefa.org for tips from the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority. For additional help, consider attending a FAFSA Day event (https://www.masfaa.org/fafsa-day-2/) or make an appointment with ASA at the Boston Public Library (https://www.asa.org/college-planning-services/Guidance Counselors Meetings with Students
Naviance
Naviance is our college and career planning tool. While most students tend to use it most when they begin researching colleges, there are a number of other great resources available to students.
Careers: Students can take the Career Interest Profiler to learn more about careers that might be of interest to them based on their responses to a number of questions. Students can also search for particular careers and learn about the skills necessary to succeed in that field, how much money they could make at that type of job, what types of majors are associated with that career, and what schools offer those majors.
Resumes: Naviance has a step-by-step resume builder that allows students to input all of their pertinent information and create a resume suitable for sharing with potential employers or colleges.
Student Enrichment Opportunities
Important Upcoming Dates
MCAS Retakes (ELA) Nov. 6-8
MCAS Retakes (Math) Nov. 13-14
SATs at alternate locations Dec. 7
Progress Report Term 2 Dec. 13
Term 2 Ends Jan. 17
Mid term Exams Jan. 21-24
Senior Spotlight
Nicole Newman
Interests: Softball, Winter Track
Accepted to: Coastal Carolina, Salem State
Julie Forster
Interests: Editor in Chief of Yearbook, 4yr member of Tennis Team
Applying to: Salem State, Westfield State, Endicott
Stephen Hinchion
Interests: Social Committee, Cross Country, Winter/Spring Track
Applying to: Endicott, Wentworth, Salem State
Guidance Counselor Contact Information
Mrs. Kathleen D'Amico | kdamico@winthrop.k12.ma.us
(Grades 9-12 Last Name Beginning with A - F) ext 7114
Ms. Jessica Downey | jdowney@winthrop.k12.ma.us
(Grades 9-12 Last Name Beginning with G - M) ext 7113
Mrs. Annamaria Spiriti | aaddonizio@winthrop.k12.ma.us
(Grades 9-12 Last Name Beginning with N - Z) ext 7115