MHS School Counseling Newsletter
September Edition
Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year!
We have a couple exciting changes to our school counseling department this year. We are excited to welcome Abigail Kilcommins to MHS as our school counseling intern. Ms. Kilcommins will be with us for the entirety of the 2022-2023 school year. Her office is in room A111. Another upcoming change is that Amy Petroskey will be on maternity leave from mid to late October to late January. There will be a sub to take over Ms. Petroskey's position during her leave and we will get you those details as soon as we have them.
Meet Ms. Kilcommins
My name is Ms. Kilcommins. I am this year’s graduate school counseling intern.
I attend Fitchburg State University and will be graduating this spring, 2023. This year I am working with my advisor, Ms. Fernald, to be the best counselor I can be! I will be here for the entire school year and will typically be here on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
By my side I have my service dog, Bear, who is a Golden Retriever. Bear is 3 years old and was carefully picked and trained to be my service dog. He helps me to navigate the world and make things more accessible. I hope to inspire others into getting whatever help and support they may need as well!
As Bear is a working dog, he will always be wearing his vest. Unfortunately students cannot pet him when we are in halls or he is wearing his vest, as he has a very important job to do. This may be different from times students have had therapy dogs within the school. I am happy to answer students’ questions about having a service dog and what he does!
I am looking forward to a wonderful year in such an awesome community!"
Scheduling and Add/Drop
Attention Seniors!
**For students on Ms. Petroskey's caseload** - if you are applying to a school with a Nov. 1 deadline or earlier, you must get your brag sheet and transcript release form in by Friday Sept. 23rd in order to make sure that Ms. Petroskey has enough time to complete your letter of recommendation before her leave.
Important Senior Forms
- Brag Sheet for Counselor Recommendation - please fill this out in as much detail as possible so that your school counselor has all of the information to write a great letter of recommendation!
- Caregiver Brag Sheet - a questionnaire for parents to fill out in case they want to provide us with some additional background information that would be helpful for us to know for the letter of recommendation, optional but appreciated!
- Transcript Release Form - in order to send any students' transcript to a college or scholarship program, we must legally receive permission to do. If under 18, a parent must also electronically sign
Standardized Testing
SAT test dates coming up:
- October 1 - registration deadline has passed, but late registration is available until 9/20
- November 5 - registration deadline is 10/6
- December 3 - registration deadline is 11/3
ACT test dates coming up:
- October 22 - regular registration deadline is 9/16, late registration available until 9/30
- December 10 - registration deadline is 11/4
For ACTs, if you need a fee waiver please contact your school counselor
College Fairs
NEACAC (New England Association for College Admission Counseling) Fairs
- Sun. Sept. 25th at UMass Dartmouth from 12-2pm
- Tues. Sept. 27th at Mount Wachusett Community College from 9am-11am
- Thurs. Sept. 29th at Southern New Hampshire University from 9am-11am
- Sun. Oct. 2nd at Worcester State University from 11am-1pm
For more information and to see which schools will be at the fair please view this website - https://www.neacac.org/fall-college-fairs-2022
NACAC (National Association for College Admission Counseling) Virtual College Fair
- Sun. Sept. 11th from 1-6pm
- Sun. Oct. 9th from 1-6pm
- Sun. Nov. 6th from 1-6pm
Sign up at nacacattend.org/fairs
Different Choices Virtual College & Career Fair - This virtual fair is for anyone who wants to ask questions and talk openly about learning disabilities, mental health and the future with college and career professionals committed to helping all students achieve success
- Sat. Sept. 24th from 11am-5pm
Register at https://www.differentchoices.org/
College Admissions Representative Visits
Visits from college admissions representatives begin next week! These are open to all seniors. These visits are done by the admissions representatives who typically read applications for our high school, so please attend! Sign up sheets are available a week in advance for the colleges that are visiting. Please continue to listen to the announcements and check out the Class of 2023 Google classroom to see which colleges have scheduled visits.
MEFA (Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority) Webinars
MEFA is offering a handful of different webinars related all aspects of the financial aid process throughout the fall. Here are some in particular to consider attending:
Financial Aid 101 - will provide information and clarity on the entire college financial aid application process, offered many times throughout the fall, for dates and times see event calendar
Understanding the FAFSA - will provide a detailed overview of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the main application for college financial aid. Thurs. Sept. 22 at 12pm, sign up here
What to Know about the CSS Profile - will introduce the nuts and bolts of the CSS Profile, a financial aid application required by approximately 250 colleges, universities, and scholarship agencies across the country. Thurs. Sept. 27 at 12pm, sign up here
FAFSA Festival - Join to receive help with your FAFSA. Experts will be available to meet with you one on one in a private break-out room to answer your questions and walk through any components of the application on which you need assistance., Tues. Oct. 25th at 4pm, sign up here
Managing Back to School Stress
We know that Back to School can be a stressful time for us all and we wanted to share some resources to support you in working with your students.
Child Mind Institute is offering a webinar for parents:
Helping Your Child Manage
Back-to-School Stress
Wednesday, September 14, 2022
7:00PM – 8:00PM EST
Children have been through a lot in the past few years. As they go back to school this fall it’s not surprising that they may feel some anxiety, whether it’s lingering concerns about COVID, fears about violence in schools, or social anxiety about starting a new school or making friends. This talk will help parents learn how to use reinforcement and validation to support children in managing their anxiety. Specific coping strategies will be shared, along with information about how to tell when to seek professional support.
Host clinician: Katie Peinovich, LCSW
To register: https://redcap.healthybrainnetwork.org/redcap/surveys/?s=TD79P49FEC
For more on back to school stress and anxiety and ways you can support your student check out these articles:
Why Back to School Anxiety is so Much Worse Now and 5 Ways to Cope
7 Back to School Tips for Parents and Teens
We know how invasive anxiety can be, please reach out to us with any concerns and we are always happy to help. Remember we have all been through the past few years too so making sure you are taking care of yourself is so important-"You can't pour from an empty cup."
Heisman Scholarship
The 2022 Heisman Scholarship is now open!
What is the Heisman Scholarship?
The Heisman Scholarship is designed to recognize and reward the hard work of students who participate in sports and their community.
https://heismanscholarship.com/about/
Who is the Heisman Scholarship for?
The Heisman Scholarship is for student athletes with a GPA of a B (3.0) or better.
https://heismanscholarship.com/application/are-you-eligible/
How much is the scholarship?
The Heisman Scholarship can be between $1,000 and $10,000 depending on what level winner you are. This can be a school winner, state winner, national finalist, or a national winner scholarship.
When do I need to apply?
Before October 18th.
https://heismanscholarship.com/about/program-timeline/
What now?
Check out more information here, or meet with your counselor to discuss scholarships! Email your counselor with any questions.
Welcoming the Class of 2026!
We are so excited to welcome our new 9th graders to MHS! All of our 9th graders are in either PE, Health, Intro to Capstone, or Academic Literacy during G block. We will be visiting all of those classrooms before the end of the month to introduce ourselves to the 9th graders. We will be discussing the main differences between middle school and high school, graduation requirements, and the role of the high school counselor and how to make appointments with us.
We know that the transition to high school can be a tough one for students, especially after a couple disrupted school years due to the pandemic. If you are struggling with this transition to high school, please reach out to your school counselor.
PSATs
Save the date! We are offering the PSATs on Oct. 12th. The test will begin at 7:45am and will end around lunch time.
All juniors will be able to take the test free of charge. Sophomores will be able to opt in for $20. The spots are first come first serve. The deadline to sign up is Oct. 11th or until we run out of additional tests. We will also be sharing a PSAT 10th grade sign up form shortly. Sophomores will be able to sign up in the main office by paying their money to Gail Lucas or Sharon Ray. If the $20 fee poses an issue, please contact your school counselor.
MHS School Counseling
Dana MacPhee dmacphee@maynard.k12.ma.us (978) 897-8891 ext. 3105
Amy Petroskey apetroskey@maynard.k12.ma.us (978) 897-8891 ext. 3210
Abigail Kilcommins akilcommins@maynard.k12.ma.us (978) 897-8891 ext. 3111